One of my favorite parts about reading suspense is that it comes in all shapes and sizes. Having grown up on a healthy diet of crime fiction, I’ve read it all—quaint cozy mysteries, police procedurals, psychological thrillers, gritty true crime, laugh-out-loud Stephanie Plum novels… you name it, I’ve read it. The beauty of crime fiction to me is that no matter how it’s packaged—in a little seaside village or on the grimy streets of New York—it keeps me turning the pages until all hours of the night. And across all varieties of suspense, it seems that several themes recur over the years.
One such theme that seems to have become quite popular in recent years is the idea of twisted, dangerous marriages. Several novels I’ve read recently prompt the question… Do you ever really know those closest to you? How much do you truly know about your spouse?
It’s a question that is a bit nerve-wracking to ask. A question that probably hits home for a lot of people. We hear horror stories on the news about one trusted partner suddenly draining the family bank account and taking off without warning. We hear stories of husbands killing wives, stories where relationships appeared “perfect” on the outside, but behind closed doors, the reality was far more sinister. It’s an intriguing concept to explore… one that’s much better explored in fiction than in reality!
I decided to explore a similar theme in my latest novel, Pretty Guilty Women. This story features four women who all confess to the same crime. To one another, these women each seem to be living their dream lives. But as these ladies delve deeper into their relationships, as the wine flows and the secrets spill, they discover that the perfect life is an impossible target.
While this theme is hardly a new one, it’s one I’ve enjoyed reading as of late, so I have compiled a list of seven books where relationships aren’t quite what they seem. Where marriages are dangerous… or even deadly.
Stillhouse Lake, by Rachel Caine
Stillhouse Lake is the epitome of the idea that marriage can be dangerous… or even deadly. When Gina Royal discovers that her husband is a serial killer, all hell breaks loose. She must fight off strangers on the internet who believe she was involved in her husband’s crimes. She must care for two innocent children who are suffering on so many levels. And when a body turns up in the lake near their new home, proving another killer is nearby, she must do it all over again. Rachel Caine does a wonderful job of balancing themes of motherhood and female empowerment in the midst of a gripping thriller.
The Couple Next Door, by Shari Lapena
The Couple Next Door touches on the question of relationships in its very title. Neighbors, husbands, wives—it seems everyone has a secret in this fast-paced, twisty thriller. Anne and Marco Conti seem to have the perfect life, but when their perfect daughter disappears, the suspicion lands on her parents. Anne and Marco both have secrets. The neighbors have secrets. Anne’s parents have secrets. The world seems to be crumbling all around the Contis, but their only focus is on finding their daughter. After a simple dinner party turns into a nightmare for the Conti family, one secret leads to another until their lives begin to unravel in an unputdownable story.
Big Little Lies, by Liane Moriarty
This novel paints a fascinating picture about children and their parents, and the complex relationships between them. Pretty Guilty Women also grapples with the idea that perfection on the outside doesn’t equal perfection on the inside.
The Other Woman, by Sandie Jones
The popular novel, The Other Woman, brings to light a story where multiple relationships aren’t what they seem. In this case, the other woman isn’t the obvious one—it’s the protagonist’s future mother-in-law! Emily’s convinced she’s found the perfect man for her. She’s gone all-in on marrying Adam, her true love. But will everything fall apart because of his mother? Or is there more to the story?
The Last Mrs. Parrish, by Liv Constantine
This book caught my eye when it was selected for Reese Witherspoon’s book club. Witherspoon says of the novel that it’s “filled with envy, deceit, and power,” and I have to agree. The Last Mrs. Parrish, Constantine’s debut thriller, had me eagerly turning the pages to find out how Amber Patterson thought she could possibly get what she wanted… Jackson Parrish—a rich, gorgeous, and happily married man. Except happily ever after is elusive when Jackson Parrish is involved. In this story, everyone has secrets, and they’re not all revealed until the last page. Needless to say, this is one book where marriage can be considered twisty, dangerous… deadly.
Behind Closed Doors, by B.A. Paris
Paris’s debut novel, Behind Closed Doors, asks the question right off the bat in its blurb: The perfect marriage? Or the perfect lie? All it took was a quick skim of the back cover, and I one-clicked this book. The first pages had me wondering why a perfect marriage would require high-security metal shutters on all the downstairs windows. Why Grace couldn’t ever make it to lunch. Why she never brought anything with her when she left the house. I flew through the pages, desperate to understand how Grace got into this situation, and how her relationship with Jack would end. The finale was dramatic, intense, and satisfying.
Devoted in Death, by J.D. Robb
The master of romantic suspense, J.D. Robb, highlights a story about a twisted relationship with Devoted in Death, the forty-first book in her In Death series. Not only is it incredible that Robb has over forty books in one series, but it’s amazing how she continues to keep the stories fresh and exciting. This particular installment features a Bonnie and Clyde type dynamic between two frighteningly deadly killers. Ella-Loo and Darryl are recently reunited when Darryl is released from prison, and together, they accidentally kill someone. This death spurs something in Ella-Loo, and before they know it, the couple is on a killing spree that crosses several state lines. Their mistake is taking their deadly game into Eve Dallas’s territory. As always, Lt. Dallas is on the hunt, and she won’t stop until justice is served to this deadly couple.
