Books like 'Thus Bad Begins'
Readers who enjoyed Thus Bad Begins by Javier Marías also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary psychological literary-fiction historical-fiction crime suspense
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Dark Mother Earth by Kristian Novak
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAn amnesiac writer’s life of lies and false memories reaches a breaking point in this stunning English-language debut from an award-winning Croatian author.As a novelist, Matija makes things up for a living. Not yet thirty, he’s written two well-received books. It’s his third that is as big a failure as his private life...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction literary-fiction suspense 21st-century adult book coming-of-age -
![Thunder and Rain by Charles Martin]()
Thunder and Rain by Charles Martin
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThird generation Texas Ranger Tyler Steele is the last of a dying breed-- a modern day cowboy hero living in a world that doesn't quite understand his powerful sense of right and wrong and instinct to defend those who can't defend themselves. Despite his strong moral compass, Ty has trouble seeing his greatest weakness... -
![Someone Else's Baby by Ruby Speechley]()
Someone Else's Baby by Ruby Speechley
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsShe gave away her children. Now she wants them back.Charlotte Morgan knows how it feels to desperately want a baby. As a child, seeing her mum devastated by losing her longed-for babies, Charlotte wished another woman could give her mother what she so craved... -
![Fire by John Boyne]()
Fire by John Boyne
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOn the face of it, Freya lives a gilded existence, dancing solely to her own tune. She has all the trappings of wealth and privilege, a responsible job as a surgeon specialising in skin grafts, a beautiful flat in a sought-after development, and a flash car. But it wasn’t always like this. Hers is a life founded on darkness... -
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![You're Not Safe by Mary Burton]()
You're Not Safe by Mary Burton
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHE WILL NEVER FORGET The broken body hanging from a tree in Texas Hill Country . . . the frozen figure huddled in a meat locker…only at second glance does the truth become apparent. What seems like suicide is far more sinister, and the terror is only beginning . . . NEVER FORGIVE One devastating moment changed Greer Templeton’s life and ended two others... -
![Unforgiven by Rebecca Zanetti]()
Unforgiven by Rebecca Zanetti
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRun: Gemma Falls never expected to use her game theory expertise to outrun a killer. But for years, that skill is all that kept her one step ahead of a deadly stalker. When Gemma gets the chance to teach at D.C. University, she hopes she and her young daughter have found a safe harbor... -
![Hidden Obsession by Maddie Wade, India Kells]()
Hidden Obsession by Maddie Wade, India Kells
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOn the hot streets of Miami, someone is watching, waiting for the perfect moment to strike at a team member of the Alliance Agency. Cleo Darwin is the stunning violet-haired office manager of the Alliance Agency. She is capable, controlled and respected by the people she works with. But the woman who has such complete control has a secret...Categorized as:
suspense crime contemporary psychological law-enforcement military action-adventure fiction -
![Sul lato selvaggio by Tiffany McDaniel]()
Sul lato selvaggio by Tiffany McDaniel
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSix women—mothers, daughters, sisters—gone missing. Inspired by the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six, this harrowing novel tells the story of two sisters, both of whom could be the next victims, from the internationally best-selling author of Betty."Capture[s] what goes horribly wrong when women don’t fit a customary victim profile..Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction literary-fiction suspense adult audiobook book coming-of-age -
![To Save Sir by Laylah Roberts]()
To Save Sir by Laylah Roberts
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat would you do to save the person you loved? Would you die for them? Would you kill for them? She just wanted to make the world a better place... All Jenna wanted was to help people. That’s why she went to medical school. Why she joined Doctors Without Borders. She knew she could make a difference ...until the day her world is ripped apart... -
![Breaking the Silence by Diane Chamberlain]()
Breaking the Silence by Diane Chamberlain
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsLaura Brandon had promised her dying father she would visit Sarah Tolley, but her own agony is drowning out the old woman's ramblings. Her husband killed himself, and the only witness--her daughter, Emma--now refuses to speak. Desperate, Laura turns to a man she met once five years ago: Emma's real father...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction literary-fiction suspense adult audiobook book contemporary -
![Traitors Gate by Jeffrey Archer]()
Traitors Gate by Jeffrey Archer
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTHE TOWER OF LONDON…Impenetrable. Well protected. Secure. Home to the most valuable jewels on earth. But once a year, when the Queen attends the State Opening of Parliament, the Metropolitan Police must execute the most secret operation in their armory as they transport the Crown Jewels across London. SCOTLAND YARD…For decades, the elite squad at Scotland Yard have been in charge of the operation...Categorized as:
crime suspense historical-fiction literary-fiction fiction mystery law-enforcement audiobook -
![The It Girl by Ruth Ware]()
The It Girl by Ruth Ware
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsThe #1 New York Times bestselling author of One by One returns with an unputdownable mystery following a woman on the search for answers a decade after her friend’s murder. April Coutts-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford. Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit... -
![Broken Circle by Amy McKinley]()
Broken Circle by Amy McKinley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLife with Alex is simple and secure - everything she's ever wanted. Or so she thought...Upper East Side artist, Olivia Wrightwood is ready for a change. Marrying Alex Mudarra, a dedicated and up-and-coming NYPD detective, is exactly what she needs to escape the clutches and scrutiny of her family's political dynasty...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction suspense action-adventure adult audiobook book contemporary -
![Undetected by Jeffrey Marshall]()
Undetected by Jeffrey Marshall
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsUNDETECTED Suzy Perry, a lovely, accomplished older woman, has married into a new family in Westchester County, NY, after being widowed not long before in Atlanta. Her new husband, Dean Perry, is besotted with her, but his son, Alex, and daughter-in-law Lisa are troubled by how little they know about her... -
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![A Critical Tangent by Reily Garrett]()
A Critical Tangent by Reily Garrett
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“Reily has a way of combining murder, intrigue, twists and turns with just the right amount of romance…” – J. George, VINE VOICEShe doesn’t trust cops.Can the detective trust his instincts?Keiki Tallerman’s life shatters on a remote mountaintop in Pennsylvania after witnessing her best friend’s bizarre execution... -
![Shattered by Lisa Clark O'Neill]()
Shattered by Lisa Clark O'Neill
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEighteen years ago, Lucy Flannery’s young life was shattered when her mother and little brother were murdered – a crime made all the more heartbreaking by the fact that the killer was her father. However, recently uncovered evidence proves that her father was wrongfully convicted... -
![The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding]()
The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe bestselling author of The Party returns with a deliciously twisted story of friendship, retribution, and betrayal about a homeless woman fleeing a dangerous past—and the wealthy society wife she saves from drowning, who pulls her into a dark web of secrets and lies... -
![An FBI Murder Mystery Bundle by Ava Strong, Blake Pierce]()
An FBI Murder Mystery Bundle by Ava Strong, Blake Pierce
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA two-book mystery bundle by debut author Ava Strong and #1 bestselling author Blake Pierce, author of ONCE GONE, a #1 bestseller on Amazon with over 1,000 five star reviews!Here is a bundle of the first books in two different series—the Ilse Beck FBI Suspense Thriller series by Ava Strong and the Adele Sharp Mystery series by Blake Pierce—all in one convenient place... -
![Notorious by Carey Baldwin]()
Notorious by Carey Baldwin
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe woman everyone loves to hate is dead. Dallas socialite Cynthia Langhorne is infamous for her beauty, her philanthropy, and her home wrecking--until she's found shot through the heart and posed nude at a fundraising ball. The case is high profile, and there's a bigger problem: Cindy is the wife of a decorated FBI special agent--the prime suspect in her murder... -
![Only The Good Die Young : And I'm Not A Saint by Akash Verma]()
Only The Good Die Young : And I'm Not A Saint by Akash Verma
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSometimes when you're desperate to leave the past behind, the past is eager to catch up!Anuradha leaves Gurgaon when Dhruv chooses his family over her. She thinks that chapter of her life hasended, and starts afresh in Mumbai. But strangely, it seems her past is trying to catch up. Dhruv suddenlycomes back into her life... -
![Close Encounter, Part 1 by Stephanie St. Klaire]()
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![All That Is Mine I Carry with Me by William Landay]()
All That Is Mine I Carry with Me by William Landay
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA mother vanished. A father presumed guilty. There is no proof. There are no witnesses. For the children, there is only doubt. From the New York Times bestselling author of Defending Jacob. . . .One afternoon in November 1975, ten-year-old Miranda Larkin comes home from school to find her house eerily quiet. Her mother is missing. Nothing else is out of place. There is no sign of struggle... -
![Underneath by Andie M. Long, Michelle Dunbar]()
Underneath by Andie M. Long, Michelle Dunbar
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom the Author of The Alphabet Game comes a tale of drama and suspense. LAUREN LAWLER’s life is visually perfect. However husband Niall seems to have forgotten she exists. Running a Vintage shop on Ebay and meeting her best friend Monique for coffee and shopping, Lauren feels settled but bored... -
![Glen Affric by Karine Giébel]()
Glen Affric by Karine Giébel
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBestselling French author of psychological suspense Karine Giebel makes her American debut with this dark and haunting novel about the unbreakable bond between two brothers, both treated unfairly by the world—for fans of Karin Slaughter and Stieg Larsson.“I’m so stupid. I barely have a brain at all... -
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![Ring Around the Rosie by Jullian Scott]()
Ring Around the Rosie by Jullian Scott
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRosie Thompson is an eighteen-year-old girl with her whole life ahead of her. The Homecoming Dance is just one night away and she can already feel the weight of the crown upon her head. But when she leaves her home that Friday night, it’s for the very last time. When her body is found in a park the next morning, a whole town is turned upside down and a family is torn apart... -
![Juste une ombre by Karine Giébel]()
Juste une ombre by Karine Giébel
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCloé Beauchamp est une jeune femme à qui tout semble réussir; belle, brillante, sur le point d'être nommée à la tête d'une prestigieuse agence de publicité... Et amoureuse, depuis peu, d'un homme charmant. Elle cache à la perfection ses failles et les horreurs qui ont jalonné son passé. Mais lentement, sa vie va se transformer en cauchemar... -
![The Marriage Betrayal by Shalini Boland]()
The Marriage Betrayal by Shalini Boland
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratings‘Daddy has been lying.’ Faye Townsend has planned the perfect summer trip for her family. But returning to the small seaside town her husband grew up in does not go to plan, the rain pours and the long days become stifling. And then the unthinkable happens… Her husband Jake and her six-year-old son Dylan go for an early morning walk along the beautiful, windswept clifftops. They don’t come back... -
![Til Death Do Us Part by Daniel Hurst]()
Til Death Do Us Part by Daniel Hurst
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMegan thinks that she has the perfect husband and the perfect life. Craig works so that she doesn't have to, leaving her free to relax all day in their beautiful and secluded country home.But when she starts to long for friends and purpose again, Megan applies for a job in London, much to her husband's disappointment. She thinks that he is upset because she is unhappy. But she has no idea... -
![The Last Thing She Told Me by Linda Green]()
The Last Thing She Told Me by Linda Green
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsEven the deepest buried secrets can find their way to the surface...Moments before she dies, Nicola's grandmother Betty whispers to her that there are babies at the bottom of the garden.Nicola's mother claims she was talking nonsense. However, when Nicola's daughter finds a bone while playing in Betty's garden, it's clear that something sinister has taken place... -
![Never Lie by Freida McFadden]()
Never Lie by Freida McFadden
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsNewlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams.But when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace four years earlier, a violent winter storm traps them at the estate… with no chance of escape until the blizzard comes to an end... -
![Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Koller Croft]()
Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Koller Croft
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA perfectly wicked debut thriller about an ambitious woman who, after a lifetime of conning alongside her mother, wants to leave her dark past behind and marry the heir to one of the country's wealthiest families.Like any enterprising woman, Bea knows what she’s worth and is determined to get all she deserves—it just so happens that what she deserves is to marry rich. Filthy rich... -
![When A Snail Falls in Love 1 如果蜗牛有爱情 (典藏版) - 上 by Ding Mo, 丁墨]()
When A Snail Falls in Love 1 如果蜗牛有爱情 (典藏版) - 上 by Ding Mo, 丁墨
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings某天，例行谈完工作，季白话锋一转：“追了你这么久，有什么想法？” 许诩诧异，“你在追我？” 季白隐忍地点了根烟，黑眸紧盯着她，“每天陪你晨练、手把手教你射击、整个警队的人叫你嫂子……你以为我在干什么？” 许诩沉默片刻，“哦……不用追。” 季白心头一沉，语气冷下来：“什么意思？” “我也喜欢你，所以不用追。” “……” 他是深沉冷酷的资深神探，她是研究犯罪心理的天才新人，他们是关系冷淡的师徒，也是生死相依的战友。 在联手破获一系列大案后，他对这个单纯睿智的“爱徒”渐生好感，奈何无论他如何明追暗夺，这个如“蜗牛”般迟钝的女孩，就是收不到爱的信号。... -
![Safe and Sound by Laura McHugh]()
Safe and Sound by Laura McHugh
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSix years after their cousin vanished from their home while they were sleeping, two sisters set out to learn the truth behind what happened—even if it puts their own lives in danger—in this haunting thriller from the internationally bestselling author of What's Done in DarknessIn a town no one ever leaves, there are only so many places to hide... -
![Positively Murder by Netta Newbound]()
Positively Murder by Netta Newbound
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFor Melissa May, happily married to Gavin for the best part of thirty years, life couldn’t get much better. Her world is ripped apart when she discovers Gavin is HIV positive. The shock of his duplicity and irresponsible behaviour re-awakens a psychiatric condition Melissa has battled since childhood... -
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![Black for Remembrance by Carlene Thompson]()
Black for Remembrance by Carlene Thompson
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCaroline Webb knows what it means to lose the person you love most. Twenty years ago, her five-year-old daughter, Hayley, was the light of her life, her treasure, her angle. Then came the terrible day when Hayley was kidnapped from her favorite swing. More than a month passed before her burned, lifeless body was found. All that remained was the silence of Caroline's heartache--and her guilt.. -
![The Perfect Family Man by M.M. DeLuca]()
The Perfect Family Man by M.M. DeLuca
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFive years ago, my little boy went missing. Now my husband’s vanished, too.I wish I could say that the tragedy of little Jack disappearing brought me and Nate closer together. But my husband is more distant from me now than he’s ever been. Perhaps that’s why I don’t ask him exactly where he’s going when he sets off on another business trip...Categorized as:
crime suspense literary-fiction psychological contemporary mystery fiction amateur-sleuth -
![A Cursed Inheritance by Kate Ellis]()
A Cursed Inheritance by Kate Ellis
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe brutal massacre of the Harford family at Potwoolstan Hall in Devon in 1985 shocked the country and passed into local folklore. And when a journalist researching the case is murdered twenty years later, the horror is reawakened...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction suspense literary-fiction mystery fiction archaeology law-enforcement -
![Don't Blink by L.G. Davis]()
Don't Blink by L.G. Davis
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratings*This book was previously published under the titles The Girl in the Rain and The Girl in the Storm.* Two years ago, Paige Wilson watched helplessly as her brother Ryan was shot, right on her doorstep. He survived the attack, but never fully recovered from the trauma. Stuck in a wheelchair, Ryan refuses to accept the life of a paraplegic... -
![The Halo Effect by Anne D. LeClaire]()
The Halo Effect by Anne D. LeClaire
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn this tour de force, a father, shaken by tragedy, tries to avenge his daughter’s murder—and restore his family’s shattered life. It was supposed to be a typical October evening for renowned portrait artist Will Light... -
![When I Was Ten by Fiona Cummins]()
When I Was Ten by Fiona Cummins
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsShe had lived a lie for thirteen years, and the perfect life as she had known it was about to change forever.Everyone remembered Sara and Shannon Carter, the little blonde haired sisters. Their Dad was the local GP and they lived in the beautiful house on the hill. Their best friend, Brinley Booth, lived next door... -
![The Ex by Freida McFadden]()
The Ex by Freida McFadden
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsCassie thinks she has met the perfect man. Joel is sweet, handsome, romantic, and best of all, he’s crazy about Cassie. She thinks she’s found the guy she’ll spend the rest of her life with. Have children with. Grow old with. Yes, she knows about his perfect ex-girlfriend, Francesca. The beautiful, brilliant chef, beloved by all his friends. But she thinks Francesca is out of the picture... -
![When You Disappeared by John Marrs]()
When You Disappeared by John Marrs
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsWhen Catherine wakes up alone one morning, she thinks her husband has gone for a run before work. But Simon never makes it to the office. His running shoes are by the front door. Nothing is missing - except him.Catherine knows Simon must be in trouble. He wouldn't just leave her. He wouldn't leave the children.But Simon knows the truth - about why he left and what he's done... -
![Before the Storm by Diane Chamberlain]()
Before the Storm by Diane Chamberlain
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFifteen-year-old Andy Lockwood is special. Others notice the way he blurts out anything that comes into his mind, how he cannot foresee consequences, that he's more child than teenager. But his mother sees a boy with a heart as open and wide as the ocean. Laurel Lockwood lost her son once through neglect...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction literary-fiction suspense audiobook book contemporary disability -
![Secrets She Left Behind by Diane Chamberlain]()
Secrets She Left Behind by Diane Chamberlain
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsOne afternoon, single mother Sara Weston says she's going to the store--and never returns. In her absence, she leaves her teenage son alone with his damaged past and a legacy of secrets...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction literary-fiction suspense adult audiobook book contemporary -
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![The Accident by Natalie Barelli]()
The Accident by Natalie Barelli
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIf only she'd said no... Katherine knew she’d had too many drinks, but they were only going a short distance. And as Eve pointed out, it was late, there was no traffic anyway... Now, Katherine would do anything to turn back the clock. If anyone ever found out about the accident, it would ruin Katherine’s life... -
![Come Back to Me by Sara Foster]()
Come Back to Me by Sara Foster
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsDo you have to honour a promise you made in the past if it means losing all you have now? When Mark introduces his date, Julia, to Chloe and her husband at a London restaurant, it's obvious that something is very, very wrong. Alex and Julia pretend not to know one another, but the shocked expressions on their faces tell another story... -
![Valentina by S.E. Lynes]()
Valentina by S.E. Lynes
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Glasgow journalist Shona McGilvery moves with her partner Mikey and their baby to an idyllic cottage in rural Scotland, they believe that all that lies ahead of them is happiness.But with Mikey working offshore, the frightening isolation of the Aberdeenshire countryside begins to drive her insane...That is, until she is rescued by a new friendship with the enchanting Valentina... -
![Nightwork by Irwin Shaw]()
Nightwork by Irwin Shaw
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA dead man’s briefcase presents a down-on-his-luck pilot with the chance of a lifetime.Pilot Douglas Grimes’s best days are long behind him. Grounded due to a medical condition, Douglas has resigned himself to menial work as a desk clerk at a seedy hotel. But his fortune flips when he discovers a hotel guest dead from a heart attack and, next to him, a tube jammed with hundred-dollar bills... -
![The Breakdown by Arianne Richmonde]()
The Breakdown by Arianne Richmonde
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOne day she had the perfect life. The next it was gone…I stand at the very edge of the cliff face, looking at the roaring ocean below my feet. I’m in no danger, in fact my husband and his sister talk just feet away from me, watching my every move.Behind them sits a place my husband refers to as our summer house. Apparently it’s my favorite place in the world, not that I can remember... -
![Her No.1 Fan by Abby Davies]()
Her No.1 Fan by Abby Davies
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRachel Brown plays Doctor Elouise Sparks in the popular TV series 'Emergency'. Though successful in her career, Rachel has just learned that her chance of conception is small, and she is devastated by the information.That’s when Mikey Bell takes Rachel from her home to a remote mountain cottage. But Mikey’s motive isn’t ‘normal’. He has a strange request...Categorized as:
suspense literary-fiction crime psychological retellings fiction thriller contemporary
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