Family Domestic Thrillers

When the body of pregnant 15-year-old Hope Lacey is discovered in a churchyard on Christmas morning, the community is shocked, but unsurprised. For Hope lived in The Home, the residence of three young girls, whose violent and disturbing pasts have seen them cloistered away. As a police investigation gets underway, the lives of Hope, Lara and Annie are examined, and the staff who work at the home are interviewed, leading to shocking and distressing revelations...and clear evidence that someone is seeking revenge.

In cosmopolitan Johannesburg, three high-flying couples form the core of the elite Khula Society: part investment group, part social club, with meetings where the champagne flows, the dresses are designer and the one-upmanship is off the scale. Noma, Moshidi, Lerato and their husbands are living the dream—or so it appears from the outside. In reality, the cut and thrust of ‘keeping up with the Khulas’ is taking its toll on all three couples.

When he was nine, and his mother had her first deadly dance with cancer, Harry became a thief. Someone had to find food and pay the mortgage even if his mother was too sick to work. When his mother finally succumbs to cancer, Harry leaves Chicago but somehow he can't quite leave all of his past behind. Harry lives a quiet, careful, rootless life—he can't afford to attract attention or get attached—until he meets Miranda. But just when Harry thinks he has a chance at happiness his old life comes back to haunt him.

Emmitt Wasson’s life wasn’t perfect. But, with a decent job and a loving family, his life was pretty good. That is, until a horrific accident left him and his family spiraling out of control. While Emmitt struggles to put his family back together, his daughter begins to make a series of choices that put her on a dangerous path Emmitt knows all too well. With his daughter’s future hanging in the balance, he faces a battle requiring a strength and a faith he has yet to understand.

The Birds seem to be the perfect family: mother, father, four children, a picture-book cottage in the country. But one Easter weekend, something happens - something so unexpected, so devastating, that no one can bring themselves to talk about it. The family shatters, seemingly for good. Until, years later, they are forced to return to the house they grew up in, and to confront what really broke the family apart.

Aidan Thomas is a hardworking family man and a respected member of his community. He's also a kidnapper and serial killer who has murdered eight women. And there's a ninth, a woman he's renamed Rachel, imprisoned in a backyard shed where she fears for her life. When Aidan's wife dies, he and his thirteen-year-old daughter, Cecilia, are forced to move. Aidan brings Rachel along, introducing her to Cecilia as a family friend who needs a place to stay. After five years of captivity, surely Rachel is too brainwashed to attempt to escape.

Karina Walker is juggling an unexpected upheaval. Rushing to her dying grandmother’s side, the grieving 24-year-old agrees to move home, take over the old café, and read a journal left behind. But she’s shocked to her core when the little red book disappears from view the moment she turns her back. Building a list of suspects who may have overheard mention of a hidden stash of money, Karina teams up with her cousin and a former teacher to track down her inheritance. And while rumors run rampant around town, she discovers a buried secret that could change her forever….

'Great plot, greater characters. Super ending. Satisfying read.' Amazon reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'This was a great series. I enjoyed that it was fast paced, but had substance. I honestly could not put these books down while reading them.' Goodreads reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'The story twists and turns, and even though you have an idea of how things will end, it's still a surprise. Very well written.' I'd do anything to protect my family... My name is Jody, and in these gritty East London streets, I defy the odds and do well at school. But on one treacherous, ...

Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, supportive mother she never had to her new baby Violet. But in the thick of motherhood's exhausting early days, Blythe doesn't find the connection with her daughter she expected. She's convinced that something is wrong with Violet—the little girl is distant, rejects affection, and becomes increasingly disruptive at preschool. Or is it all in Blythe's head?

'Incredible story with amazing characters developed so well I felt like I knew each one.' Amazon reviewer 'I recommend this book to anyone looking for a psychological thriller with a young, witty edge.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I love twisty thrillers and this was as twisty as it gets.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This book is one of the best I have ever had the pleasure to read, and believe me, I've read thousands. I was gripped from start to finish, I didn't want it to end!! I read this in one afternoon, in between cooking, cleaning, etc so I think that says it all. Lorna Dounaeva is a hugely talented ...

Two weeks at a stunning villa, in the South of France, was supposed to heal the rifts in this fractured family. Flaky croissants and rich, black coffee every morning before long days by the sparkling pool. Balmy candlelit dinners, once the kids have gone to bed. But Nora is shaking, as she gathers her family around the large, oak table on the terrace, at the front of the villa. Her two daughters eye her suspiciously as she tops up her wine and clears her throat to speak. But when she opens her mouth, the secret Nora came here to tell won’t come out....

Imogen Brown is a normal 16-year-old girl. She's obsessed with beach volleyball, she occasionally enjoys the company of her younger sister, Jemima, she's saving for her first car...and she feels like she doesn't belong. She thinks that her parents, Kat and Dylan, are hypocrites, playing the perfect family when she knows they really argue all the time. One Friday evening, Kat and Dylan have their biggest fight yet - the next day, Imogen is missing.

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Do Not Disturb by Claire Douglas, read by Hannah Daniel. Could your dream home be your worst nightmare? After what happened in London, Kirsty needs a fresh start with her family. And running a guesthouse in the Welsh mountains sounds idyllic. But then their first guest arrives. Selena is the last person Kirsty wants to see. It's 17 years since she tore everything apart. Why has she chosen now to walk back into Kirsty's life?

In a small town, three mothers wave goodbye to their children at the school gates. Naomi has lived in Exton Cross since she was born, and she knows everything there is to know about everyone. Aleema hates it here. It’s been three years and she’s yet to make a single friend. And she’s sure the other mums whisper about her behind her back. Kelly is an outsider. New to the town, she arrives with nothing but her son—and a dark secret. By the end of the school day, one of their children will be missing. And rumours will swirl that one of them knows why.

To save herself, she'll have to face the world's most vicious serial killer. She just calls him "Dad." “Brilliant, dark, and impossible to put down. O'Flynn masterfully crafts a twisted tale of buried secrets in Deadly Words. Poppy is unforgettable—unlike any character you've read before. This is the psychological thriller genre at its finest, and it will sit with you long after you've turned the final page.” ~Bestselling Author Emerald O’Brien A friend once told me that the world needs psychopaths, but I’m not sold that the world needed my father. I only know that I did. Poppy ...

You whispered goodnight to your daughter. You didn’t know that would be your last goodbye. You wake up in the middle of the night. Your five-year-old daughter is gone. Your husband is nowhere to be seen. Your family think he took her. The police believe he’s guilty. But he wouldn’t do that, would he? He’s a loving father. A loving husband. Isn’t he?

“An engaging tale of danger and romance.” — Kirkus Reviews “This quick, entertaining series opener is well paced, and the intriguing murder mystery is balanced with sexy encounters…” — Kirkus Reviews “Royer-Derr's High Bluffs will keep the reader on the edge of their seat with her effective storytelling, thrilling plot, and fast-paced narrative.” — BookLife Prize “High Bluffs is hard to put down…” — BookLife Prize "I'm the one who is supposed to have her..." Joanna Dresden lives an idyllic life in High Bluffs, Maine, running her family inn with her husband and ...

Ashley has recently lost her husband. Daughter Emily is being bullied online. Best friend Nikki is holding a huge secret. And why is husband Chris receiving so many text messages lately? Their teenage children are glued to technology, be it PlayStation, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat.... The two women hatch a plan: for three weeks, both families will stay in a rustic, remote coastal camp with no phone reception.

When Rob decides the family needs to get away for the summer Jess is not convinced—won't all the things they're escaping be waiting for them on their return? But the kids are thrilled, and before long their idyllic little cottage, the sea air, and the feel of skin sticky from sun-cream, lollies and sand, begins to work its magic. Jess allows herself to sink into the holiday vibes—the family even make holiday friends. As the summer heat intensifies Jess—ever vigilant—unearths a secret—a problem she's sure she can help solve.

The nightmare returns. Harley, the cunning serial kidnapper, escapes prison transport, and Samantha's world teeters on the brink of destruction. But what drives his sinister game? Delve into Harley's twisted past and the dark forces that fuel his obsession. A page-turner that will take your breath away! A daring escape from the prison transport, and Harley is back again! As the law enforcement chases him, Samantha worries for her and her family's life. Will he find them and destroy them? Can she save her family? Finally, Harley's past is revealed. The shocking truth behind the rhyme. One, ...