The intricacies of family relationships is something that has endlessly fascinated me. The seemingly limitless lengths we go to both to protect our loved ones but also, sometimes, to avoid them. What is it about families that bring out our best and worst sides? Reduce adult children to petulant teenage behavior? Fully grown siblings to bickering and rivalry. And yet, despite our often complex and complicated feelings towards our loved ones there’s a deep, strong bond that isn’t easily broken.
I’ve touched on family relationships before in my books—my debut was called The Sister about… well, sisters, and in The Date the focus is very much on the brother/sister bond, The Surrogate tests the loyalty between husband and wife, but with my latest psychological thriller, The Family I wanted to take this one step further. The Family features mother and daughter, Laura and Tilly. Laura is grieving after the sudden death of her husband and struggling to cope emotionally and financially. A local community, Oak Leaf Organics offer her and her seventeen year old daughter, Tilly a home.
The community call themselves a ‘chosen’ family and have cut all ties with their ‘flesh’ families. Can Laura and Tilly do the same? I wanted to explore what might happen when a character’s loyalty towards the people they aren’t related to, but love nevertheless, is pitted against the loyalty they feel to their blood ties.
I spent a lot of time researching this book, both learning about brainwashing and talking to people about their own families. Unpicking their often tangled feelings.
Of course, I also love reading thrillers centered around families and here are six I have really enjoyed.
Sister – Rosamund Lupton
This is a novel that stayed with me long after I’d finished reading. Beatrice (Bee) receives a frantic all in the middle of an ordinary Sunday to tell her that her younger sister, Tess is missing. The story takes the form of a letter, written by Beatrice, to Tess. Bee thought she knew Tess better than anyone but as she uncovers the circumstances surrounding Tess’s disappearance she questions whether she really knew her at all. Can we ever really know someone properly?
Behind Closed Doors – B A Paris
This story explores the marriage between Jack and Grace and Grace’s relationship with her sister, Millie, who she adores.
To the outside looking in Jack seems like the perfect husband but of course all is rarely as it first appears. Jack holds Grace a prisoner in their home but can she really escape when he has threatened Millie who she adores? How far will Grace go to protect her sister?
Tell No One – Harlan Coben
This story focuses on husband and wife. David is assaulted and left for dead while his wife, Elizabeth was kidnapped and murdered. Eight years later David receives an email containing a link to a website where he can see a webcam image—it’s Elizabeth. Is she alive? What really happened? A pacy page turner.
Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn
Gone Girl centres on the story of Amy and Nick, a husband and wife, but it is the relationship between Nick and his twin sister Margo (Go) that really interested me.
Amy disappears on their 5th wedding anniversary. The police suspect Nick is involved in her disappearance and the police think the same, but is he?
We learn the things Margo knows about Nick along with the things she doesn’t and really feel her loyalty, her love and her confusion.
Flowers in the Attic – V.C. Andrews
One of my all time favorite books and one I have read again and again and perhaps not one that seems like an obvious thriller. This is the heart breaking story of siblings Chris, Cathy, Cory and Carrie who had a picture perfect childhood until their dad dies. Now they are trapped in their grandparents attic waiting for their mum to save them but weeks turn into months and the unfolding events are horrifying and emotional.
The Ice Twins – S K Tremayne
This novel is a real slow burn but it’s beautifully written.
Angus and Sarah Moorcroft are the parents of two beautiful twin daughters until Lydia dies in an accident. They retreat to a tiny Scottish Island to heal their fractured family but then their remaining twin Kirstie claims she is Lydia. What really happened that day?
