New domestic thriller books to keep you up at night
15 new domestic thrillers of 2024
Originally published at DeadGoodBooks
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We think of home as a safe place, but a good domestic thriller exposes the danger lurking behind happy family photos. They play on our greatest fear: that the scariest thing imaginable could be on your doorstep. It could even be the person sitting right next to you… You may want to check that your doors and windows are locked before you begin reading our below section of the best domestic thrillers of 2024.
What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena
A cosy Vermont community is thrown into turmoil when popular teenager Diana is found dead in the field of a farm. Everyone’s a suspect, and everyone – including Diana, from the afterlife – tells their side of the story. Like in Everyone Here is Lying, Lapena plunges into the darker side of small-town life in this action-packed whodunnit.
Someone in the Attic by Andrea Mara
Anya was home alone when a stranger dropped from her attic and killed her. Now, across town, Julia can hear strange noises in her house and, after seeing video footage of a stranger in her own attic, she knows she’s not home alone – and not safe. But why would a stranger target her? Unless they’re not a stranger after all… This is the latest atmospheric mystery from the author of No One Saw a Thing.
The Spare Room by Andrea Bartz
Kelly thinks she’s lucky to escape her cramped Covid apartment by visiting her friend’s suburban mansion, but she gets more than she bargained for when her friend opens her marriage to her. She quickly finds herself entangled in a thrilling relationship. But she’s not the first woman to stay in the spare room – and the last visitor disappeared without a trace… With chilling foreshadowing and nonstop cliffhangers, this novel is full of suspense and sexual tension.
A Killer in the Family by Gytha Lodge
Uploading DNA to a genealogy site will almost inevitably result in drama, but Aisling never thought it would connect her to the murderer terrorising her neighbourhood. The police investigation forces the struggling single mother to revisit some long-hidden family secrets, as she learns that the killer may be closer to home than she could ever have imagined. But will she help the police find justice, or does blood run thicker than water?
The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas
A change of scenery turns tragic in this gripping thriller. After two sisters swap houses for a fun change of pace, disaster strikes when one is attacked and the other receives a note saying, “It was supposed to be you.” Douglas’ psychological thriller leads the reader through multiple misdirects as it switches between different narrators, and it’s not clear who is telling the truth.
The Switch by Lily Samson
Appearances are deceiving in The Switch, when the supposedly happily married Sophia suggests she and her new neighbour Elena swap partners for one night – without informing their husbands of the plan. What begins as a one-time, morally questionable prank quickly escalates into a cat-and-mouse game that inspires questions about love vs. lust, risk vs. adventure and what it takes to make a relationship work.
Keep Your Friends Close by Leah Konen
This story of deception and intrigue follows Mary, a newly single mother, and Willa, an enigmatic woman, who meet at a Park Slope playground. Nights of shared secrets and mezcal margaritas turn menacing when Willa vanishes and Mary’s ex-husband is murdered. Unraveling Willa’s mysterious past and ulterior motives makes Mary wonder how well she knows her friend and what women, fed up with society’s rules, are capable of.
Every Last Suspect by Nicola Moriarty
Harriet knows she is dying but doesn’t know who killed her – and there are plenty of suspects, including her best friend and her husband. In this slow-burn story, each well-developed character reveals more of Harriet’s tightly-kept secrets and how this Queen Bee manipulated the people she was closest to – until one of them finally snapped.
Every Smile You Fake by Dorothy Koomson
Danger lurks on- and off-line in Koomson’s thriller exploring the pitfalls of internet fame and influencer culture. As Kez, a criminal profiler and therapist, investigates the disappearance of social media star Brandee, she’s drawn into the seedy underworld of the dark web. Alternating Kez’s investigation with Brandee’s posts, the story twists and turns as Koomson offers piercing insight into the dangerous ulterior motives lurking beneath a friendly online presence.
Message Deleted by K. L. Slater
Saffy drops everything when her friend Leona texts her, begging for help. But the messages suddenly disappear from her phone and, when Saffy turns up on her doorstep, Leona claims she’s fine. Hours later, Leona and her daughter have disappeared – and Saffy is a person of interest in the police investigation. Moving quickly between the present day and flashbacks, this fast-paced story careens wildly towards a shocking conclusion.
The Fall by Gilly Macmillan
A dream come true quickly transforms into a nightmare after Nicole and Tom win a jackpot lottery and she returns to their brand-new mansion to find Tom face down in the swimming pool. Whether his death is an accident or a murder remains to be seen, and Nicole is determined to find out. As she investigates everyone in her tight-knit community, she looks for the culprit – and for revenge.
Lies He Told Me by James Patterson and David Ellis
Family life isn’t as wholesome as it first seems, in this standalone thriller. When a small-town father heroically saves a stranger from drowning, he is thrust into the spotlight and secrets from his past start to resurface. As his wife learns of his double life, she questions if her seemingly perfect husband is actually a perfect stranger.
The Whispers by Ashley Audrain
Tragedy strikes an affluent neighbourhood when a young boy falls from his bedroom window in the middle of the night. Four suburban families analyse their own role in the events leading up to that night. But appearances are everything – which means keeping their darkest secrets buried and doing whatever it takes to keep them there. This is the perfect read for fans of Big Little Lies.
Dirty Laundry by Disha Bose
Nobody’s perfect, despite what their Instagram profile shows. Three very different women in a small village find themselves entangled in an investigation when successful ‘momfluencer’ Ciara is murdered. She may have seemed flawless online, but it turns out there was more to Ciara than met the eye. Everyone has something to gain from her death – and a lot to lose if their own secrets are revealed.
Too Far by Sylvia Day
Presumed dead after a tragic boating accident, Lily’s sudden return seems like a miracle to her loving husband, but her in-laws are not so thrilled. Lily’s mother-in-law has always suspected Lily’s history and her sister-in-law Amy has her own ulterior motives. The three women’s lives intertwine as they compete for love, attention and the family empire. Day moves the story at a breakneck pace, while also including sensual details that bring it to vivid life.