Books like 'Where Things Come Back'
Readers who enjoyed Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary mystery realistic coming-of-age family religion friendship high-school grief kidnapping
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Called to Protect by Lynette Eason
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFor the past year, Chloe St. John has been working as a K-9 cop with her German shepherd partner, Hank. After being dumped by her fiance for another woman, Chloe has decided that Hank is just about the only male she likes. She's over the whole romance thing and focuses her attention on doing her job... -
![Code of Valor by Lynette Eason]()
Code of Valor by Lynette Eason
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhat Detective Brady St. John really needs is a relaxing vacation. Unfortunately, just as the sun is setting on his second day at a friend's cabin on Lake Henley, he hears a scream and races to rescue a woman from her would-be killer. When the killer escapes only to return to finish the job, Brady vows to utilize all of his many resources to keep her safe--and catch those who would see her dead... -
![Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt]()
Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsWhen Jack meets his new foster brother, he already knows three things about him:Joseph almost killed a teacher.He was incarcerated at a place called Stone Mountain.He has a daughter. Her name is Jupiter. And he has never seen her.What Jack doesn’t know, at first, is how desperate Joseph is to find his baby girl.Or how urgently he, Jack, will want to help.But the past can’t be shaken off... -
![An Unfinished Story: A Novel by Boo Walker]()
An Unfinished Story: A Novel by Boo Walker
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA grieving widow and a disenchanted writer form an unexpected bond in a novel about second chances and finding the courage to let go of the past. It’s been three years since Claire Kite lost her husband, David, an aspiring novelist, in a tragic car accident. Claire finally finds the courage to move on; then she discovers among the remnants of her shattered world her husband’s last manuscript... -
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![A Cottage Full of Secrets by Jane Lovering]()
A Cottage Full of Secrets by Jane Lovering
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCottage Two, Bracken Ridge Farm sits at the end of a pitted track, with the glorious Yorkshire moors stretching behind it. Just a simple two up, two down, the cottage holds the promise of a new start for two very different women, but it is also full of secrets. Fifty years ago, newly-wed Stella is relishing making the little cottage a happy home... -
![Saving Sarah by Melissa Storm, Sweet Promise Press]()
Saving Sarah by Melissa Storm, Sweet Promise Press
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSarah Campbell loves living vicariously through the residents in the Redwood Cove Rest Home. Each day, she and her Golden Retriever, Lucky, treat and care for patients in hospice, making their final days as comfortable as possible while listening to all of their lives’ greatest stories. But a surly patient named Eleanor insists she can’t die before “setting things right”... -
![Lethal Lobster by Hope Callaghan]()
Lethal Lobster by Hope Callaghan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratings~~ Click the “Buy now with 1 click” button at the top of the page OR Read it for FREE with Kindle Unlimited or Amazon Prime ~~ Lethal Lobster Is Book 3 In The Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series BONUS: Recipe Included! Assistant Cruise Director, Millie Sanders' day is off to a shockingly bad start when her boss “volunteers” her to be his Guinea pig for a stun gun self-defense class in... -
![Redemption by Traci Hunter Abramson]()
Redemption by Traci Hunter Abramson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGage Stewart has spent five years trying to overcome his past. Once an abused and troubled teenager, he has worked tirelessly to move beyond the fateful day he was manipulated into holding a group of teenagers hostage. Now, with a new identity and a college degree in criminal psychology, he accepts an unlikely job teaching others what to do during mass shootings... -
![Cross the Line by C.C. Warrens]()
Cross the Line by C.C. Warrens
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAn unexpected, late-night visitor.And a missing teenage girl.Holly’s quiet evening at the investigative agency takes a curious turn when a frantic woman shows up on the doorstep after closing with a tale about a missing prostitute.With JGH Investigations in financial distress, and a client who can’t afford their services, Holly decides to tackle this investigation on her own time... -
![Touch of Innocence by Robin Patchen]()
Touch of Innocence by Robin Patchen
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom a USA Today bestselling author comes a gripping story of mystery, romance, and pulse-pounding suspense.How can she save the little girl next door from being exploited if nobody believes her?Grace used to try to save people, but that was before she realized how powerless she is. Now, she avoids emotional ties, working from her secluded cabin, content with her aloneness... -
![Vicious Cycle by Terri Blackstock]()
Vicious Cycle by Terri Blackstock
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen fifteen-year-old Lance Covington finds an abandoned baby in the backseat of a car, he knows she’s the newborn daughter of a meth addict he’s been trying to help. But when police arrest him for kidnapping, Lance is thrust into a criminal world of baby trafficking and drug abuse... -
![Where Women Are Kings by Christie Watson]()
Where Women Are Kings by Christie Watson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsElijah, seven years old, has a history of disruptive behaviour. His adoptive mother Nikki believes that she and her husband Obi are strong enough to accept his difficulties – and that her being white will not affect her ability to raise a black son... -
![I Am In Here by Creston Mapes]()
I Am In Here by Creston Mapes
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratings"Little do they know, I can hear and see everything."Eighteen-year-old Hale Frodele is presumed braindead from a tragic church bus accident in which he lost his younger brother, Nate.Little does anyone know-Hale hears and understands everything with crystal clarity.Hale remembers when his mom died at age 44 of pancreatic cancer and his dad turned his back on God... -
![Jude by Kate Morgenroth]()
Jude by Kate Morgenroth
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen fifteen-year-old Jude's father is brutally murdered, Jude is a witness. But to save his own life, he can't tell the police what he knows. Still, Jude is determined to clear his name and win the approval of his mother -- the district attorney he has not seen since he was an infant. At the urging of his mother's longtime companion, Jude agrees to a crazy scheme to protect her political future... -
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![Mink River by Brian Doyle]()
Mink River by Brian Doyle
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsLike Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood and Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio, Brian Doyle’s stunning fiction debut brings a town to life through the jumbled lives and braided stories of its people... -
![Unspoken by Dee Henderson]()
Unspoken by Dee Henderson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsCharlotte Graham is at the center of the most famous kidnapping in Chicago history. The task force of FBI and local cops found her two abductors, killed them, rescued her, but it took four very long years. The fact she was found less than three miles from her home, had been there the entire time, haunts them. She's changed her identity, found a profession she loves, and rebuilt her life... -
![Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner]()
Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWhat if you could spend one last day with someone you lost?One day Carver Briggs had it all—three best friends, a supportive family, and a reputation as a talented writer at his high school, Nashville Academy for the Arts.The next day he lost it all when he sent a simple text to his friend Mars, right before Mars, Eli, and Blake were killed in a car crash... -
![The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page]()
The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA charming, uplifting debut novel—full of humor and depth—that has taken readers around the world by surprise. Everyone has a story to tell. But does Janice have the power to unlock her own?She can’t recall what started her collection... -
![The Baltimore Boys by Joël Dicker]()
The Baltimore Boys by Joël Dicker
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsSwiss Sensation Joel Dicker's compulsive follow-up to the phenomenally bestselling The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair... -
![Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett]()
Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"A lost young woman returns to small-town New Hampshire under the strangest of circumstances in this one-of-a-kind novel of life, death, and whatever comes after from the acclaimed author of Rabbit Cake. The Starlings live in Everton, an ordinary enough New Hampshire town... -
![Mysterious Abduction by Rita Herron]()
Mysterious Abduction by Rita Herron
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe’ll never give up on finding her baby. And neither will the sheriff of Whistler.For five years, Cora Reeves has searched for her baby, who went missing in a fire—a baby she swears is still out there. When the private investigator sniffing out clues ends up dead, Sheriff Jacob Maverick’s on the cold case. As old evidence takes on new meaning, Jacob is deperate to ensure Cora’s safety... -
![Rising Darkness by Nancy Mehl]()
Rising Darkness by Nancy Mehl
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSophie Wittenbauer left her strict Mennonite hometown under a cloud of shame and regret. Certain she's left her past far behind her, she's now focused on her job at a newspaper and is shocked when she stumbles upon the name of someone she knew in her old life... -
![Protecting Her Daughter by Lynette Eason]()
Protecting Her Daughter by Lynette Eason
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA classic tale of danger on the ranch by bestselling author Lynette Eason After someone attempts to abduct her daughter, single mom Zoe Collier flees to a remote ranch for safety. But when the would-be kidnappers follow them to Wrangler’s Corner, Zoe must figure out why somebody wants Sophia... -
![What They Don't Know by Nicole Maggi]()
What They Don't Know by Nicole Maggi
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThree secrets. One decision. A friendship that will change everything.Mellie has always been the reliable friend, the good student, the doting daughter. But when an unspeakable act leads her to withdraw from everyone she loves, she is faced with a life-altering choice―a choice she must face alone.Lise stands up―and speaks out―for what she believes in... -
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![No Best Friends for a Cowboy by Alexa Verde]()
No Best Friends for a Cowboy by Alexa Verde
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSmall-town romance with faith, humor, and more than a dash of danger!Can a plus-size teacher with a daughter and a dangerous secret and an ex-cowboy player with wanderlust build a future together?Genevieve loves her daughter, books, and sweets, in that order—mostly. Since men just see her as a friend, she gave up on romantic relationships. Besides, nobody outside her family can know her secret... -
![Our Happy Time by Gong Jiyoung, Sora Kim-Russell]()
Our Happy Time by Gong Jiyoung, Sora Kim-Russell
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAlready a wildly popular bestseller in South Korea, this gripping and passionate debut novel is a death row love story of crime, punishment, and forgiveness—vividly told by the exquisitely talented Gong Ji-young.Yu-Jung, beautiful, wealthy, and bright, is lying in her hospital bed, recovering from her third suicide attempt, when she receives a life-changing visit... -
![Einstein's Beach House by Jacob M. Appel]()
Einstein's Beach House by Jacob M. Appel
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA couple adopts a depressed hedgehog; a stranger shows up, claiming to be the father of a girl's imaginary friend; a woman kidnaps her ex-husband's turtle; a family is evicted from their home, but was it ever really theirs? Heartbreaking and hilarious, the eight stories of Einstein's Beach House examine how we deceive ourselves and others, all to arrive at something far more real... -
![Kincaid's Hope: A Virginia Country Roads Novel by Grace Greene]()
Kincaid's Hope: A Virginia Country Roads Novel by Grace Greene
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBeth Kincaid left her hot temper and unhappy childhood behind and created a life in the city free from untidy emotionalism, but even a tidy life has danger, especially when it falls apart. In the midst of her personal disasters, Beth is called back to her hometown of Preston, a small town in southwestern Virginia, to settle her guardian’s estate... -
![The Disappearance of Sloane Sullivan by Gia Cribbs]()
The Disappearance of Sloane Sullivan by Gia Cribbs
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNo one wants me to tell you about the disappearance of Sloane Sullivan.Not the lawyers or the cops. Not her friends or family. Not even the boy who loved her more than anyone. And most certainly not the United States Marshals Service... -
![June Bug by Chris Fabry]()
June Bug by Chris Fabry
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the best-selling author of War Room comes a Christy Award finalist, now a Lifetime original movie called Child of Grace."I believed everything my daddy told me until I walked into Wal-Mart and saw my picture on a little poster . . -
![Taken by Dee Henderson]()
Taken by Dee Henderson
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA Compelling New Mystery from Dee Henderson! Abducted at the age of sixteen and coerced into assisting the Jacoby crime family, Shannon Bliss has finally found a way out. She desperately wants to resume some semblance of normal life, but she also knows she has some unfinished business to attend to. She has enough evidence to put her captors behind bars for a very long time... -
![92 Pacific Boulevard by Debbie Macomber, Sandra Burr]()
92 Pacific Boulevard by Debbie Macomber, Sandra Burr
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsOlivia Lockhart-GriffinCedar Cove, WashingtonDear Listener,I'm sorry to say that our good sheriff, Troy Davis, has suffered a disappointment in love. He was hoping to marry his onetime girlfriend, Faith Beckwith, who recently moved back to town. Well, the latest is that Faith ended the relationship last month, even though both of them are widowed and available...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family friendship literary-fiction realistic spirituality suspense -
![Call the Canaries Home by Laura Barrow]()
Call the Canaries Home by Laura Barrow
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThree estranged sisters reconnect in their Louisiana hometown to face an unresolved past in a heartfelt novel about family, grief, secrets, and forgiveness.Savannah was four years old when her twin sister, Georgia, went missing from their small Louisiana town, fracturing their family... -
![Flee the Darkness by Carol J. Post]()
Flee the Darkness by Carol J. Post
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhere do you run when there's nowhere to hide?Melissa Langston flees Georgia to escape a relentless stalker, but soon anonymous notes and a menacing figure lurking in the shadows shatter the fragile sense of security she has found in her small Florida hometown. The only one who takes the danger seriously is the cop who broke her heart years ago. She doesn’t want his protection... -
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![Shield of Protection by Dana Mentink]()
Shield of Protection by Dana Mentink
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsProtecting and serving in the Big AppleHer uncle’s business practices have put a target on April Reed’s back. He’s gone into hiding, and April’s the only link the drug runners have to him. NYPD K-9 Unit officer Declan Maxwell and his dog Storm will do anything to keep her safe. With danger stalking them, they’ll race to save her uncle without losing their lives in the process... -
![Smolder by Desiree Douglas]()
Smolder by Desiree Douglas
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsScarlett Barrington left the small town of Greenshade behind forever, along with unspeakable emotional wounds. She is preparing to begin her dream job when she's called home to help her estranged mother, a hoarder, clean out her mess or risk losing her house. Reluctantly returning home, nothing prepares her for the shock of coming face to face with her first love... -
![Stone Girl by Eleni Hale]()
Stone Girl by Eleni Hale
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI’m at the police station. There’s blood splattered across my face and clothes. In this tiny room with walls the colour of winter sky I hug a black backpack full of treasures. Only one thing is certain . . . no one can ever forgive me for what I’ve done.An unspeakable event changes everything. No more Mum, school or bed of her own... -
![You Don't Even Know by Sue Lawson]()
You Don't Even Know by Sue Lawson
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAlex Hudson is a good guy. He plays water polo. He has a part-time job. He’s doing okay at school.Then the thing that anchors Alex is ripped away and his life seems pointless... -
![Freeze Frame by Heidi Ayarbe]()
Freeze Frame by Heidi Ayarbe
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNo matter how many times Kyle rewrites the scene, he can't get it right. He tries it in the style of Hitchcock, Tarantino, Eastwood, all of his favorite directors—but regardless of the style, he can't remember what happened that day in the shed. The day Jason died... -
![Learning Not to Drown by Anna Shinoda]()
Learning Not to Drown by Anna Shinoda
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFamily secrets cut to the bone in this mesmerizing debut novel about a teen whose drug-addicted brother is the prodigal son one time too many.There is a pecking order to every family. Seventeen-year old Clare is the overprotected baby; Peter is the typical, rebellious middle child; and Luke is the oldest, the can’t-do-wrong favorite. To their mother, they are a normal, happy family... -
![Under One Roof by Samantha Tonge]()
Under One Roof by Samantha Tonge
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPerfect for fans of Beth O'Leary and Paige Toon.One forgotten discovery will change three women’s lives for ever…Robin hasn’t been home for decades. After running away to London, she never expected to see her cantankerous mother, Faye, again. But when Faye has a fall, the two women are thrown together once more... -
![Aftermath by Kelley Armstrong]()
Aftermath by Kelley Armstrong
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThree years after losing her brother Luka in a school shooting, Skye Gilchrist is moving home. But there's no sympathy for Skye and her family because Luka wasn't a victim; he was a shooter. Jesse Mandal knows all too well that the scars of the past don't heal easily. The shooting cost Jesse his brother and his best friend--Skye... -
![Trouble Makes a Comeback by Stephanie Tromly]()
Trouble Makes a Comeback by Stephanie Tromly
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratings“How do you like life in the fast lane?” Digby said. “Is it everything you thought it would be?”Good question.Achieving high school “normal” wasn’t as hard as Zoe Webster expected, but she’s beginning to think Hollywood oversold how much fun it all is... -
![The Lying Woods by Ashley Elston]()
The Lying Woods by Ashley Elston
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsOwen Foster has never wanted for anything. Then his mother shows up at his elite New Orleans boarding school cradling a bombshell: his privileged life has been funded by stolen money... -
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![I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak]()
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 67 ratingsprotect the diamondssurvive the clubsdig deep through the spadesfeel the heartsEd Kennedy is an underage cabdriver without much of a future. He's pathetic at playing cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and utterly devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery... -
![Virgil Wander by Leif Enger]()
Virgil Wander by Leif Enger
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe first novel in ten years from award-winning, million-copy bestselling author Leif Enger, Virgil Wander is an enchanting and timeless all-American story that follows the inhabitants of a small Midwestern town in their quest to revive its flagging heart.Midwestern movie house owner Virgil Wander is "cruising along at medium altitude" when his car flies off the road into icy Lake Superior...Categorized as:
family friendship humor literary-fiction magical-realism realistic 21st-century adult -
![Right Behind You by Gail Giles]()
Right Behind You by Gail Giles
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen he was nine, Kip set another child on fire. Now, after years in a juvenile ward, he is ready for a fresh start. But the ghosts of his past soon demand justice, and he must reveal his painful secret... -
![Diamonds in the Rough by Michelle Madow]()
Diamonds in the Rough by Michelle Madow
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAll-access doesn't mean no problems. The three Diamond sisters survived the summer in style after coming to live with their long-lost billionaire father. But making a place for themselves at their exclusive new Las Vegas private school is throwing them any number of gold-plated curves... -
![A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis]()
A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLydia Chass doesn’t mind living in a small town; she just doesn’t want to die in one. A lifetime of hard work has put her on track to attend a prestigious journalism program and leave Henley behind—until a school error leaves her a credit short of graduating. Undeterred, Lydia has a plan to earn that credit: transform her listener-friendly local history podcast into a truth-telling exposé... -
![Aftermath by Clara Kensie]()
Aftermath by Clara Kensie
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCharlotte survived four long years as a prisoner in the attic of her kidnapper, sustained only by dreams of her loving family. The chance to escape suddenly arrives, and Charlotte fights her way to freedom. But an answered prayer turns into heartbreak. Losing her has torn her family apart...
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