Books like 'Bad Things Happen'
Readers who enjoyed Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary mystery psychological thriller crime suspense law-enforcement noir police-procedural anti-hero
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Ahead of the Game by J.D. Kirk
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhen a body is discovered at a popular Highland landmark, it seems like just another day on the job for DCI Jack Logan and his team.Except this body is missing a very vital component, and given its location - The Well of Seven Heads - it seems like someone is trying to send a message... -
One by One by Chris Carter
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 25 ratings'I need your help, Detective. Fire or water?' Detective Robert Hunter of the LAPD's Homicide Special Section receives an anonymous call asking him to go to a specific web address - a private broadcast. Hunter logs on and a show devised for his eyes only immediately begins. But the caller doesn't want Detective Hunter to just watch, he wants him to participate, and refusal is simply not an option... -
Twisted Lies by Angela Marsons
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHer stomach lurches as she sits in the windowless room. He throws her phone to the ground, grinds it against the floor with the heel of his shoe and brings his face closer to hers. There was no turning back now, her life as she knew it was gone... -
Graves on the Fens by Joy Ellis
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIt arrives in the morning. An old-fashioned airmail envelope addressed to Detective Nikki Galena. Inside, on a single sheet of blue airmail paper, are three words:You failed me.The second airmail envelope arrives at Nikki’s home address. The same message. Only this time, it’s followed by four names: Alexandra Cornfield, Ruth Baker, Bethany Lyons, Leanne Delaney.Four missing women... -
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Hunting Evil by Chris Carter
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 20 ratings'Every story one day comes to an end.' As roommates, they met for the first time in college. Two of the brightest minds ever to graduate from Stamford Psychology University. As adversaries, they met again in Quantico, Virginia. Robert Hunter had become the head of the LAPD’s Ultra Violent Crimes Unit... -
The Caller by Chris Carter
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsDon't miss GENESIS, the latest must-read serial killer thriller from master of the genre, Chris Carter. Available to order now.THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLERBe careful before answering your next call. It could be the beginning of your worst nightmare.After a tough week, Tanya Kaitlin is looking forward to a relaxing night in, but as she steps out of her shower, she hears her phone ring... -
Her Mother's Grave by Lisa Regan
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhen two young boys discover human bones buried beneath a tree in a trailer park, Detective Josie Quinn races to join her team at the scene. She used to play in those woods as a child, happier outside and away from her abusive mother, Belinda Rose... -
Losing Leah Holloway by Lisa Regan
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsFive years ago, Claire Fletcher escaped her abductor. But some scars never fade, and surviving was just the beginning…When Claire sees a car full of children careen into a river, she rushes to the rescue. But the driver, a mother named Leah Holloway, prefers to drown. For Claire and her ex, Detective Connor Parks, it doesn’t add up... -
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Missing Angel by Roger Stelljes
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIsabella pedals her bright red bike on the familiar route home, admiring her charm bracelet catching the light. But half an hour later, she is nowhere to be seen. All her frantic parents find is an angel-shaped charm discarded on the sidewalk…When twelve-year-old Isabella Farner disappears, Agent Tori Hunter races to the scene... -
The Girl in the River by Rita Herron
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe body lay in the river, arms outstretched. Long brown hair swirled in all directions, flowing with the current of the water. Her eyes were wide open in death, pale pink lips parted in a scream.Detective Ellie Reeves should be enjoying the wedding of her dear friend Mia Norman. But instead of celebrating, she is frantically searching for the missing bride... -
Her Final Confession by Lisa Regan
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWatching her friend dragged away in handcuffs, Josie couldn't believe for one second that Gretchen had killed that poor boy. Confession or not, someone else was involved. She would find out who…When the body of a young student is found on the driveway of a local Denton home, a photograph pinned to his collar, Detective Josie Quinn is first on the scene... -
Child's Play by Angela Marsons
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFinally we’re playing a game. A game that I have chosen. I give one last push of the roundabout and stand back. 'You really should have played with me,’ I tell her again although I know she can no longer hear... -
Deadly Cry by Angela Marsons
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsYou have to stop me from hurting anyone else. I don’t want to do these horrible things. Help me before I’m forced to do it again. And I will do it again because I have no choice. I’ve never had a choice.In a busy shopping centre, a little girl clutches a teddy bear, clinging to it in the absence of her mother, Katrina. Hours later, Katrina’s body is discovered in an abandoned building... -
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Lost Angels by Stacy Green
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Special Agent Nikki Hunt is called to the Boundary Waters near Stillwater, Minnesota, it’s not just the cold that shocks her to her core: the body of a young woman has been found frozen beside a remote lake... -
Such a Good Girl by Willow Rose
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFBI-profiler Eva Rae Thomas faces a devious plan in bestselling author Willow Rose’s blood-rushing thriller of murder and revenge.A girl falls from the penthouse floor of an apartment in Washington, D.C.Media Mogul Richard Wanton owns the apartment and is seen standing on the balcony when the girl falls... -
The Bones She Buried by Lisa Regan
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJosie works until her arms ache, until the paramedics arrive and pull her gently away from the woman’s cold, fragile body. Noah’s voice cracks beside her as he calls the time of death for his own, beloved mother... -
The Killer's Girl by Helen Phifer
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratings‘Mama, wake up.’ The little girl reached for her mother’s face with one pudgy hand. But the eyes stayed closed, and the blood continued to trickle across the floor. When the body of a young woman is found, tied to her bed and the victim of a brutal attack in her own home, Detective Morgan Brookes is sickened by what she finds as she searches the house... -
Written in Blood by Chris Carter
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsDon't miss GENESIS, the latest must-read serial killer thriller from master of the genre, Chris Carter. Available to order now. ‘Wonderful storytelling, with a superbly drawn killer, it underlines exactly how good Carter has become’ Daily MailTHE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER A serial killer who will stop at nothing… The Killer His most valuable possession has been stolen... -
Silenced Girls: An absolutely addictive mystery thriller by Roger Stelljes
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsShe moved far away to try and forget her past. A past that would seep back in when she least expected it and crushed her soul over and over. She tried to keep the evidence packed away in boxes high up on a closet shelf like carefully packing away a tragic part of her life. As if sealing the boxes, was sealing away a time in her life she desperately wanted to go back and change... -
Thicker than Water by J.D. Kirk
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsNot all monsters are make-believe.When a badly mutilated body washes up on the shores of Loch Ness, DCI Jack Logan's dream of a quiet life in the Highlands is shattered.While the media speculates wildly about monster attacks, Jack and the Major Investigations Team must act fast to catch the killer before they can strike again... -
Hillary's Back! by Faith Martin
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsONE OF THE WORLD’S FAVOURITE DETECTIVES RETURNS. A BRAND NEW MYSTERY IN THE MILLION-SELLING SERIES. DETECTIVE HILLARY GREENE IS BACK! Eighteen months after Hillary suffered a personal tragedy, she is throwing herself into her work to try to get over it. Former soldier Gareth Proctor joins her team and finds himself quickly growing to enjoy his new environment... -
The Girl That Vanished by A.J. Rivers
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsRing...Ring...One call from her past was all it took to change everything.A ten-year-old girl has vanished on her way home from camp.And things took a turn for the worse when another child, a child that Emma knows, goes missing.Disappearances, death, and tragedies has followed Emma Griffin throughout her childhood... -
The Girl With No Name by Lisa Regan
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsDetective Josie Quinn is horrified when she’s called to the house of a mother who had her newborn baby snatched from her arms... -
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Impostor by L.J. Ross
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE DCI RYAN MYSTERIES There’s a killer inside all of us… After an elite criminal profiling unit is shut down amidst a storm of scandal and mismanagement, only one person emerges unscathed...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement literary-fiction police-procedural suspense thriller action-adventure adult -
Unbound Ties: When the past unravels, all that’s left is death ... by Liz Mistry
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen the past unravels, all that’s left is death.Lavender’s blue, dilly dilly,When DI Gus McGuire is called out to the murder of a pregnant woman, the crime scene tells him that this killer is not only taunting them … he’s also just getting started.Lavender’s green,With ritualistic precision, the killer has placed a series of clues beneath the victim’s feet...Categorized as:
suspense crime law-enforcement police-procedural hard-boiled thriller mystery domestic-drama -
The Viaduct Killings by Wes Markin
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsStill grieving from the tragic death of her colleague, DCI Emma Gardner continues to blames herself and is struggling to focus. So, when she is seconded to the wilds of Yorkshire, Emma hopes she’ll be able to get her mind back on the job, doing what she does best - putting killers behind bars.But when she is immediately thrown into another violent murder, Emma has no time to rest... -
The Shape of Lies by Rachel Abbott, Lisa Coleman
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsYesterday, Scott was dead.Today, he’s back.And Anna doesn’t believe in ghosts.Fourteen years ago Scott was Anna’s boyfriend. She loved him, but he ruined her life. When he died, she should have been free.But today Scott is on the radio, talking about her. Threatening to spill her secrets.Anna is a mother, a wife, and head teacher of a primary school. And she’s a very good liar... -
The Stolen Boys by Joy Ellis
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom #1 best-selling author Joy Ellis, a totally absorbing mystery full of stunning twists and turns. Discover the author everyone’s talking about. A MYSTERY WHICH WILL CAPTIVATE YOU TILL THE STUNNING ENDING A crime wave has hit town. The target is a highly sought-after brand of streetwear called Hybird X, clothing that costs a fortune and resells for unbelievable prices... -
Where The Truth Lies by M.J. Lee
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA killer in total control. A detective on the edge. A mystery that HAS to be solved. DI Thomas Ridpath was on the up in the Manchester CID: a promising young detective whose first case involved capturing a notorious serial killer. But ten years later he’s recovering from a serious illness and on the brink of being forced out of the police... -
The Night of the Party by Anna-Lou Weatherley
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTwo Couples. Three Secrets. One Murder.In a beautiful house surrounded by woodland, the Drayton family and their dearest friends are enjoying dinner together. The wine is flowing, the meal has been lovingly prepared, and it’s going to be an evening none of them will ever forget…A doting motherwith a manipulative daughter.A loving husbandlying to his family.A close friendkeeping a shocking secret... -
Broken Girls by Joy Kluver
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBrambles catch her dress, scratch her legs. She has no option but to go barefoot if she’s going to outrun her hunter. They’d been laughing a few minutes before, but things can change in the blink of an eye. Then he’s on her, and the world goes dark.The woman is young, judging by the short red dress, and dark-haired...Categorized as:
crime thriller suspense law-enforcement police-procedural mystery audiobook female-mc -
City of The Dead by Jonathan Kellerman
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe past comes back to haunt psychologist Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis when they investigate a grisly double homicide and uncover an even more unspeakable motive in this riveting thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense.Los Angeles is a city of sunlight, celebrity, and possibility. The L.A. often experienced by Homicide Lt... -
Something to Hide by Elizabeth George
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsDetective Sergeant Barbara Havers and Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley are back in the next Lynley novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth George.When a police detective is taken off life support after falling into a coma, only an autopsy reveals the murderous act that precipitated her death... -
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The Lucky Ones by Mark Edwards
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIt was the happiest day of her life. Little did she know it was also the last.When a woman’s body is found in the grounds of a ruined priory, Detective Imogen Evans realises she is dealing with a serial killer—a killer whose victims appear to die in a state of bliss, eyes open, smiles forever frozen on their faces.A few miles away, single dad Ben Hofland believes his fortunes are changing at last... -
Perfect Remains by Helen Sarah Fields
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsOn a remote Highland mountain, the body of Elaine Buxton is burning. All that will be left to identify the respected lawyer are her teeth and a fragment of clothing... -
Missed Connections by Alexandria Clarke
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHow far would you go for revenge? Veronica Bauer isn’t above homicide. Twelve years after a ruthless attack killed her mother and put her father in prison, she embarks on a mission to bring the real culprits to justice. As bodies start to drop, Detective Sheila Arden is assigned to the gruesome case, but she soon discovers that the truth is more complicated than she thought...Categorized as:
suspense crime law-enforcement police-procedural literary-fiction thriller mystery fiction -
If Angels Fall by Rick Mofina
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn the bestselling tradition of Jonathan Kellerman and Mary Higgins Clark, comes this powerful psychological thriller from newcomer Rick Mofina. "If Angels Fall" is the story of a man beset by tragedy, who moves from mourning...to madness...to murder.There are some horrors a man can never forget. Sounds so chilling that they can never be silenced. The frantic screams of drowning children... -
Run For Your Life by C.M. Sutter
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWith the weekend right around the corner, Homicide Detective Mitch Cannon is looking forward to Saturday night. It isn’t often he has a date, and this one will be particularly interesting. His new friend Liza is beautiful, edgy, outspoken, and somewhat odd.But Mitch’s usual Friday-morning phone call to his mom sets the wheels in motion for five days of pure hell...Categorized as:
crime suspense thriller law-enforcement police-procedural mystery fiction contemporary -
No Way Out by Cara Hunter
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIt's one of the most disturbing cases DI Fawley has ever worked. The Christmas holidays, and two children have just been pulled from the wreckage of their burning home in North Oxford. The toddler is dead, and his brother is soon fighting for his life... -
Hysteria by L.J. Ross
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE DCI RYAN MYSTERIES In a beautiful world, murder is always ugly… Recently returned from his last case in Ireland, elite forensic psychologist and criminal profiler Dr Alexander Gregory receives a call from the French police that he can’t ignore... -
And So It Begins by Rachel Abbott
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsMark and Evie had a whirlwind romance. Evie brought Mark back to life after the sudden death of his first wife. Cleo, Mark's sister, knows she should be happy for him. But Cleo doesn't trust Evie...When Evie starts having accidents at home, her friends grow concerned... -
All The Rage by Cara Hunter
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA teenage girl is found wandering the outskirts of Oxford, dazed and distressed. The story she tells is terrifying. Grabbed off the street, a plastic bag pulled over her face, then driven to an isolated location where she was subjected to what sounds like an assault. Yet she refuses to press charges.DI Fawley investigates, but there's little he can do without the girl's co-operation...Categorized as:
crime hard-boiled law-enforcement police-procedural suspense thriller adult audiobook -
Remnants by Carolyn Arnold
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSavannah, Georgia used to be a tranquil tourist destination—until human body parts started floating down the river.FBI Agent Brandon Fisher trusts his team with his life—or at least he did. It’s only been six months since Brandon’s boss almost died at the hands of a serial killer when the team is called to Savannah, Georgia... -
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The Dark by Sharon J. Bolton
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsONCE, SHE SAVED HIS LIFE...NOW, HE'LL TAKE HERS. When a baby is snatched from its pram and cast into the river Thames, off-duty police officer Lacey Flint is there to prevent disaster. But who would want to hurt a child?DCI Mark Joesbury has been expecting this...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement suspense thriller police-procedural literary-fiction mystery fiction -
Nothing to Lose by Victoria Selman
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHe’s looking for his next victim. She looks just like his last.Primrose Hill, London. Offender Profiler Ziba MacKenzie arrives at the scene of a gruesome murder with a disturbing sense of déjà vu. Nine days earlier, another woman’s body was found: same location, same MO, same physical appearance. For the police, it’s clear a new serial killer is on the loose... -
Day of the Dead by Nicci French
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsAt long last, a final reckoning is coming for Frieda Klein...On a north London high street, a runaway vehicle crashes to a halt. The man in the driving seat was murdered a week earlier.On Hampstead Heath, a bonfire blazes: in the flames lies the next victim.As autumn leaves fall, a serial killer runs amok in the capital, playing games with the police... -
Close Your Eyes by Michael Robotham
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen a former student bungles a murder investigation, clinical psychologist Joseph O'Loughlin steps in to face a ruthless killer.A mother and her teenage daughter are found murdered in a remote farmhouse, one defiled by multiple stab wounds and the other posed like Sleeping Beauty waiting for her Prince... -
Shatter The Bones by Stuart MacBride
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA bestseller from the award-winning Stuart MacBride. The seventh DS Logan McRae thriller is a gripping page-turner in which fame and fortune crash head-on with crime and punishment.No suspects. No clues. No rest for the wicked.'You will raise money for the safe return of Alison and Jenny McGregor. If you raise enough money within fourteen days they will be released. If not, Jenny will be killed...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement literary-fiction noir police-procedural suspense thriller action-adventure -
Hidden in Shadows by Viveca Sten, Marlaine Delargy
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSecrets, vengeance, and a brutal murder unsettle an idyllic winter paradise in a blood-chilling novel of suspense by the acclaimed author of Hidden in Snow and the Sandhamn Murder series.In the Swedish resort of Åre, crime is rare. Certainly nothing so brutal as the murder of Johan Andersson, a former Olympic skier found bound and beaten to death in the forest...
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