If you’re on the search for the next great thriller, look no further than these recommendations from master of thrills Lisa Jewell. We’ve rounded up her favorite heart-pounding reads, filled with psychological suspense and twist after twist that’s sure to keep the pages flying this summer! These books also pair nicely with Lisa Jewell’s The Family Upstairs, out in paperback now.
This post was originally published on GetLiterary.com.
"I completely lost myself in Rhys’s lovingly evoked 1940s French Riviera and was gripped by the slow-burn mystery. An essential summer read!” —Lisa Jewell
London 1948: Eve Forrester is stuck in a loveless marriage, isolated in her gray and gloomy house when out of the blue, she receives a letter. A wealthy stranger has left her a mysterious inheritance but in order to find out more, she must travel to the glittering French Riviera.
There, Eve discovers she has been bequeathed an enchanting villa overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and suddenly, life could not be more glamorous. But while she rubs shoulders with the rich and famous, challengers to her unexplained fortune begin to emerge—challengers who would love to see Eve gone forever.
Get swept away to the enchanting South of France with this “exquisite and shimmering” (Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author of Then She Was Gone) suspenseful historical novel, where perilous secrets lurk under the glitz and glam of seaside wealth.
She didn’t have an enemy in the world…until she inherited a fortune.
London 1948: Eve Forrester is stuck in a loveless marriage, isolated in her gray and gloomy house when out of the blue, she receives a letter. A wealthy stranger has left her a mysterious inheritance but in order to find out more, she must travel to the glittering French Riviera.
There, Eve discovers she has been bequeathed an enchanting villa overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and suddenly, life could not be more glamorous. But while she rubs shoulders with the rich and famous, challengers to her unexplained fortune begin to emerge—challengers who would love to see Eve gone forever.
Alone in paradise, Eve must unlock the story behind her surprise bequest—before her unexpected twist of fate turns deadly…
With Rachel Rhys’s “thrilling, seductive, and utterly absorbing” (Paula Hawkins, #1 bestselling author of The Girl on the Train) prose, Fatal Inheritance is an intoxicating story of dysfunctional families and long-hidden secrets, set against the decadence of the Côte d’Azur.
“I flew through this book in three days, with my heart in my mouth. Seriously page turning.” —Lisa Jewell
Charlotte was supposed to be looking after the children, and she swears she was. But while her three kids are all safe and sound at the school fair, Alice, her best friend Harriet’s daughter, is nowhere to be found. Frantically searching everywhere, Charlotte knows she must find the courage to tell Harriet that her beloved only child is missing—and admit that she’s solely to blame.
Harriet, devastated by this unbearable loss, can no longer bring herself to speak to Charlotte again, much less trust her. Now, more isolated than ever and struggling to keep her marriage afloat, Harriet believes nothing and no one. But as the police bear down on both women, trying to piece together the puzzle of what happened to this little girl, dark secrets begin to surface—and Harriet discovers that trusting Charlotte again may be the only thing that will reunite her with her daughter....
What should have been a fun-filled, carefree day takes a tragic turn for the worse for one mother when her best friend’s child goes missing in this “seriously page-turning” (Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author), suspenseful, and darkly twisted psychological thriller.
Charlotte was supposed to be looking after the children, and she swears she was. But while her three kids are all safe and sound at the school fair, Alice, her best friend Harriet’s daughter, is nowhere to be found. Frantically searching everywhere, Charlotte knows she must find the courage to tell Harriet that her beloved only child is missing—and admit that she’s solely to blame.
Harriet, devastated by this unbearable loss, can no longer bring herself to speak to Charlotte again, much less trust her. Now, more isolated than ever and struggling to keep her marriage afloat, Harriet believes nothing and no one. But as the police bear down on both women, trying to piece together the puzzle of what happened to this little girl, dark secrets begin to surface—and Harriet discovers that trusting Charlotte again may be the only thing that will reunite her with her daughter....
This breathless and fast-paced novel—perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and The Couple Next Door—takes you on a chilling journey that will keep you guessing until the very last page.
“Cool, sharp, and beautifully written” —Lisa Jewell
From the bestselling author of Anatomy of a Scandal—a new thought-provoking novel exploring the complexity of motherhood and all that connects and disconnects us.
After being friends for a decade, Liz has always seen Jess as a stay-at-home mother-of-three with boundless reserves of patience, energy, and love. Then one moment changes everything. Dark thoughts and carefully guarded secrets surface—and Liz is left questioning everything she thought she knew about her friend, and about herself. The truth can’t come soon enough.
“Taut, clever, compelling, and guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.” —Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Girl on the Train and Into the Water
From the bestselling author of Anatomy of a Scandal—soon to be a Netflix series—a new thought-provoking novel exploring the complexity of motherhood and all that connects and disconnects us.
You think you know her…but look a little closer.
She is a stay-at-home mother-of-three with boundless reserves of patience, energy, and love. After being friends for a decade, this is how Liz sees Jess.
Then one moment changes everything.
Dark thoughts and carefully guarded secrets surface—and Liz is left questioning everything she thought she knew about her friend, and about herself. The truth can’t come soon enough.
With Sarah Vaughan’s signature “clever and compelling” (Claire Douglas, author of Last Seen Alive) prose, Little Disasters is a tightly-wound and evocative page-turner that will haunt you long after you finish the last page.
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“Darling Rose Gold is an absolutely brilliant book; funny, dark, authentic and a total page turner. I loved it.” —Lisa Jewell
Rose Gold Watts spent her first eighteen years of her life mysteriously ill, undergoing endless amounts of doctor visits and surgeries, but nobody had the answers. Nobody, that is, except her evil mother, Patty Watts, who’d been poisoning her the whole time.
Now, after five years in jail, Patty has been released with nowhere to go and, to everyone’s surprise, Rose Gold welcomes her home with open arms. Rose and Patty act as if all is forgiven, but the mother and daughter know each other well and can see through the veils of reconciliation. Rose Gold has regained her strength over the last few years, waiting for her mother’s return, and is ready to show her that she’s no longer her darling.
Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel is one of the most disturbing, chilling, uncomfortable books I’ve ever read—and I loved it. Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a frightening yet also fascinating psychological disorder, and Wrobel brilliantly employs it as the springboard for her story about two female characters: mother Patty and daughter Rose Gold. While neither is a protagonist I’d want to have dinner with, Patty’s and Rose Gold’s flaws and darkness captivated me. One is the perpetrator; one, the victim, yet Wrobel turns this thriller on its head by presenting each of them as both hero and villain. The writing is masterful, and the twists are outstanding. Darling Rose Gold, out March 17, is one of the most anticipated reads of 2020 for good reason.
“Beautifully written and brimming with people to love and root for, Little Big Love had me from the first page. Zac's voice is arresting, compelling and completely original—I absolutely loved this book!” —Lisa Jewell
Intrepid Zac Hutchinson is quite the knowledgeable ten-year-old. He knows facts about octopuses and Usain Bolt, but he doesn’t know what happened to his biological father, Liam. When he learns that Liam was the only man his mother, Juliet, ever loved, he decides to close this knowledge gap. But searching for his father brings up truths that aren’t so black and white, and sets his mother on her own mission of discovery and reconciliation.
“Beautifully written and brimming with people to love and root for, Little Big Love had me from the first page. Zac's voice is arresting, compelling and completely original—I absolutely loved this book!” —Lisa Jewell Intrepid Zac Hutchinson is quite the knowledgeable ten-year-old. He knows facts about octopuses and Usain Bolt, but he doesn’t know what happened to his biological father, Liam. When he learns that Liam was the only man his mother, Juliet, ever loved, he decides to close this knowledge gap. But searching for his father brings up truths that aren’t so black and white, and sets his mother on her own mission of discovery and reconciliation.
"An exquisite story of love, murder, adventure and dark secrets, Rachel Rhys brings this dangerous crossing brilliantly and beautifully alive." —Lisa Jewell
1939: Europe is on the brink of war when young Lily Shepherd boards an ocean liner in England, bound for Australia. She is ready to start anew, leaving behind the shadows of her past. With stops at exotic locations along the way—Naples, Cairo, Ceylon—the voyage shows Lily places she’s only ever dreamed of and enables her to make friends with those above her social station. But Lily soon realizes that she’s not the only one hiding secrets. Her newfound friends—the toxic wealthy couple Eliza and Max; Cambridge graduate Edward; Jewish refugee Maria; fascist George—are also running away from their pasts. As the glamour of the voyage fades, the stage is set for something sinister to occur. By the time the ship docks, two passengers are dead, war has been declared, and Lily’s life is irrevocably changed.
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“Dark, original and utterly compelling, I could not put it down. And what a twist at the end!” —Lisa Jewell
On the outside, Alison appears to be a hotshot London lawyer with a loving family, but beneath the perfect veneer, she’s drinking, cheating, and beginning to spiral out of control. Then she’s handed her first murder case, and she dives into her work, discovering bizarre twists that might help help her defendant—a woman pleading guilty to murdering her husband—and maybe even save herself. But someone knows about Alison’s own secrets and crumbling inner life, and is threatening to reveal and ruin everything she's worked so hard to keep hidden.
“Dark, original and utterly compelling, I could not put it down. And what a twist at the end!” —Lisa Jewell On the outside, Alison appears to be a hotshot London lawyer with a loving family, but beneath the perfect veneer, she’s drinking, cheating, and beginning to spiral out of control. Then she’s handed her first murder case, and she dives into her work, discovering bizarre twists that might help help her defendant—a woman pleading guilty to murdering her husband—and maybe even save herself. But someone knows about Alison’s own secrets and crumbling inner life, and is threatening to reveal and ruin everything she's worked so hard to keep hidden.
The Family Upstairs is now available in paperback!
Soon after her twenty-fifth birthday, Libby Jones returns home from work to find the letter she’s been waiting for her entire life. She rips it open with one driving thought: I am finally going to know who I am.
She soon learns not only the identity of her birth parents, but also that she is the sole inheritor of their abandoned mansion on the banks of the Thames in London’s fashionable Chelsea neighborhood, worth millions. Everything in Libby’s life is about to change. But what she can’t possibly know is that others have been waiting for this day as well—and she is on a collision course to meet them.
Twenty-five years ago, police were called to 16 Cheyne Walk with reports of a baby crying. When they arrived, they found a healthy ten-month-old happy in her crib in the bedroom. Downstairs in the kitchen lay three dead bodies, all dressed in black, next to a hastily scrawled note. And the four other children reported to live at Cheyne Walk were gone. But where?
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
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“Rich, dark, and intricately twisted, this enthralling whodunit mixes family saga with domestic noir to brilliantly chilling effect.” —Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author
“A haunting, atmospheric, stay-up-way-too-late read.” —Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author
From the New York Times bestselling author of Then She Was Gone comes another page-turning look inside one family’s past as buried secrets threaten to come to light.
Be careful who you let in.
Soon after her twenty-fifth birthday, Libby Jones returns home from work to find the letter she’s been waiting for her entire life. She rips it open with one driving thought: I am finally going to know who I am.
She soon learns not only the identity of her birth parents, but also that she is the sole inheritor of their abandoned mansion on the banks of the Thames in London’s fashionable Chelsea neighborhood, worth millions. Everything in Libby’s life is about to change. But what she can’t possibly know is that others have been waiting for this day as well—and she is on a collision course to meet them.
Twenty-five years ago, police were called to 16 Cheyne Walk with reports of a baby crying. When they arrived, they found a healthy ten-month-old happily cooing in her crib in the bedroom. Downstairs in the kitchen lay three dead bodies, all dressed in black, next to a hastily scrawled note. And the four other children reported to live at Cheyne Walk were gone.
In The Family Upstairs, the master of “bone-chilling suspense” (People) brings us the can’t-look-away story of three entangled families living in a house with the darkest of secrets.
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