Books like 'The Last Laugh'
Readers who enjoyed The Last Laugh by Mindy McGinnis also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary horror mystery retellings realistic suspense
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The Plea by Steve Cavanagh
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWhen David Child, a major client of a corrupt New York law firm, is arrested for murder, the FBI ask con-artist-turned-lawyer Eddie Flynn to secure Child as his client and force him to testify against the firm.Eddie's not a man to be coerced into representing a guilty client, but the FBI have incriminating files on Eddie's wife, and if Eddie won't play ball, she'll pay the price... -
![Never Be Alone by Paige Dearth]()
Never Be Alone by Paige Dearth
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA fatal car crash. A young orphan. Can she survive the harsh life of the seedy city streets?Eight-year-old Joon has no time to grieve her parents’ sudden death. Ripped from the security of a loving family, she endures horrific abuse in a system intended to protect her... -
![The Liar by Steve Cavanagh]()
The Liar by Steve Cavanagh
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIT TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE...WHO IS DEADLIER ...Leonard Howell's worst nightmare has come true: his daughter Caroline has been kidnapped. Not content with relying on the cops, Howell calls the only man he trusts to get her back.... THE MAN WHO KNOWS THE TRUTH ...Eddie Flynn knows what it's like to lose a daughter and vows to bring Caroline home safe... -
![The Order of Brigid's Cross by Terri Reid]()
The Order of Brigid's Cross by Terri Reid
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDetective Sean O’Reilly is called in to interrogate a young boy who is the only witness to a massacre during a gang war. The child’s story is too far-fetched for most of the Chicago Police Force to believe – claims of an army of other-worldly creatures who attacked and dismembered the rival gangs. But Sean O’Reilly believes him, because he’s seen them himself... -
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![One Last Kill by Barry Eisler]()
One Last Kill by Barry Eisler
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsPreviously published as Killing Rain and One Last KillAfter nearly dying while taking out a target in Hong Kong, Rain has a new employer, the Mossad, which wants him to fix a "problem" in Manila. He also has a new partner, Dox, whose good-ol'-boy persona masks a sniper as deadly as Rain himself... -
![The Back Door of Midnight by Elizabeth Chandler]()
The Back Door of Midnight by Elizabeth Chandler
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsPsychic...or psychotic? Anna knows her family is crazy. But when she goes to visit her aunt and uncle for the summer and learns that her uncle’s charred body has been found, her life reaches a new level of insanity. Her erratic aunt’s “psychic” abilities are exaggerated by her grief, and have become borderline violent... -
![Lost Hills by Lee Goldberg]()
Lost Hills by Lee Goldberg
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsA detective’s brutal first case could make or break her career in an exhilarating thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.A video of Deputy Eve Ronin’s off-duty arrest of an abusive movie star goes viral, turning her into a popular hero at a time when the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is plagued by scandal... -
![Cyclops Road by Jeff Strand]()
Cyclops Road by Jeff Strand
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEvan Portin is at a sad, scary place in his life. While taking a long walk to compose himself and figure out where to go from here, he encounters a young woman being mugged in a park. When he tries to intervene, he discovers that she doesn't need his help. At all. Her name is Harriett. She is very, very good at defending herself. Everything she owns is in a large backpack... -
![Deity by Matt Wesolowski]()
Deity by Matt Wesolowski
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA shamed pop starA devastating fireSix witnessesSix storiesWhich one is true?When pop megastar Zach Crystal dies in a fire at his remote mansion, his mysterious demise rips open the bitter divide between those who adored his music and his endless charity work, and those who viewed him as a despicable predator, who manipulated and abused young and vulnerable girls... -
![Figment by Cameron Jace]()
Figment by Cameron Jace
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAfter her encounter with the Cheshire Cat, Alice Wonder can hardly tell reality from imagination. But when kids have their head chopped off and stuffed in watermelons all over the city, it's clear that another Wonderland Monster has arrived, possibly scarier than the Cheshire... -
![Fallen Reign by Nazri Noor]()
Fallen Reign by Nazri Noor
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHalf human, half angel, 100% pissed off. Mason Albrecht’s life changed the day the angels tried to kill him. As the son of a fallen angel king, Mason is an abomination, one who can command the Vestments, divine arms and armor summoned from heaven’s own arsenals. And everybody wants a piece: death witches, demon princes, even deities of ancient myth... -
![Shadows from the Grave by T.L. Haddix]()
Shadows from the Grave by T.L. Haddix
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen it comes to murder, the past is never really dead... For ten years, Chase Hudson has carried the weight of his college girlfriend’s unsolved murder on his shoulders. When a ghost from the past comes calling, Chase’s friends and family become the targets of a serial killer who’ll stop at nothing to make Chase suffer... -
![What Waits in the Water by Kieran Scott]()
What Waits in the Water by Kieran Scott
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHannah is excited to spend some time at her best friend Jacob's lake house this summer. The catch? Hannah's annoying new stepsister, Katie, is tagging along. Katie is wild and pretty and seems to have a THING for Jacob. Hannah's not jealous...or is she? To make matters worse, the town they're staying in is sort of...creepy...Categorized as:
realistic suspense action-adventure book contemporary fiction horror law-enforcement -
![Twelve by Jennifer Lynn Barnes]()
Twelve by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCassie Hobbes has been working with the FBI since she was a teenager. Now twenty-three years old, she and her fellow Naturals have taken over running the program that taught them everything they know. As a unit, they're responsible for identifying new Naturals--and solving particularly impossible cases... -
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![Disturbed by Jennifer Jaynes]()
Disturbed by Jennifer Jaynes
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA captivating psychological thriller from #1 USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Jaynes.On Halloween night five years ago, Chelsea Dutton’s college roommates were viciously stabbed to death, and Chelsea was critically injured. She was found hiding in her apartment’s bathtub, barely clinging to life... -
![Because She Loves Me by Mark Edwards]()
Because She Loves Me by Mark Edwards
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA gripping tale of jealousy, obsession, and murder, from the #1 bestselling author of The Magpies . When Andrew Sumner meets beautiful, edgy Charlie, he is certain his run of bad luck has finally come to an end. But as the two of them embark on an intense affair, Andrew wonders if his grasp on reality is slipping. Items go missing in his apartment. Somebody appears to be following him... -
![I'm a Therapist, and My Patient is a Vegan Terrorist: 6 Deadly Social Media Influencers by Dr. Harper]()
I'm a Therapist, and My Patient is a Vegan Terrorist: 6 Deadly Social Media Influencers by Dr. Harper
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Explosive Conclusion to the Dr. Harper Therapy seriesI'm a therapist, and I've worked with the wildest internet celebrities… A vigilante who treated humans as factory farm animals. A germaphobe who warned of the next major plague. My own best friend. A rapist who got cancelled online — and in real life. A psychic medium with a disturbing prediction... -
![Phantom by Laura DeLuca]()
Phantom by Laura DeLuca
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe “Phantom” was a musical phenomenon that Rebecca had always found enchanting. She had no idea that her life was about to mirror the play that was her obsession. When her high school drama club chooses “Phantom” as their annual production, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of an unlikely love triangle and the target of a sadistic stalker who uses the lines from the play as their calling card... -
![Get Dirty by Gretchen McNeil]()
Get Dirty by Gretchen McNeil
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe members of Don’t Get Mad aren’t just mad anymore . . . they’re afraid. And with Margot in a coma and Bree stuck in juvie, it’s up to Olivia and Kitty to try to catch their deadly tormentor. But just as the girls are about to go on the offensive, Ed the Head reveals a shocking secret that turns all their theories upside down... -
![Don't Look Back by Christine Kersey]()
Don't Look Back by Christine Kersey
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt is strongly recommended that you read He Loves Me Not (which is FREE) before reading Don't Look Back. The following product description contains spoilers for He Loves Me Not. Hiding from her estranged husband Trevor, Lily Jamison has changed her name and settled in a small town in the California Central Valley... -
![Return to the Dark House by Laurie Faria Stolarz]()
Return to the Dark House by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIvy Jensen survived the Dark House once, but can she make it out a second time? Two months have passed since Ivy narrowly escaped the Nightmare Elf’s grip, but the memories of Parker, Natalie, Shayla, Frankie, and Garth continue to haunt her. Their killer is still out there—somewhere. The police trail has gone cold, though, and it’s up to Ivy to piece together the clues to find him... -
![The Black Queen by Jumata Emill]()
The Black Queen by Jumata Emill
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNova Albright was going to be the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High--but now she's dead. Murdered on coronation night. Fans of One of Us Is Lying and The Other Black Girl will love this unputdownable thriller.Nova Albright, the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High, is dead... -
![The Curse by Bill Myers, James Riordan]()
The Curse by Bill Myers, James Riordan
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“I think someone—or something—doesn’t want us here. And I think whatever it is is very powerful.”Becka Williams isn’t convinced that this trip to Louisiana was such a good idea...Categorized as:
realistic suspense action-adventure book children children-books christian coming-of-age -
![DARK PRAYER by Natasha Mostert]()
DARK PRAYER by Natasha Mostert
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEloise Blake is on the run from a life she can no longer remember. And from a killer who will stop at nothing to protect a secret as old as time. From the award-winning author of SEASON OF THE WITCH comes a thriller about memory, identity and the murderous consequences of a quest gone wrong... -
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![The Shotgun Rule by Charlie Huston]()
The Shotgun Rule by Charlie Huston
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe first stand-alone thriller by critically acclaimed author Charlie Huston, The Shotgun Rule is a raw tale of four teenage friends who go looking for a little trouble–and find it.Blood spilled on the asphalt of this town long years gone has left a stain, and it’s spreading.Not that a thing like that matters to teenagers like George, Hector, Paul, and Andy... -
![Secret Whispers by V.C. Andrews]()
Secret Whispers by V.C. Andrews
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThere's no place like home...On the eve of her graduation from an exclusive private school, shy wallflower Semantha Heavenstone is caught in a whirl of scandal and betrayal. Now, she's returned to the grand Kentucky mansion where painful memories of her mother and her older sister, Cassie, are as potent as newly mown bluegrass... -
![The Doll's House by Tania Carver]()
The Doll's House by Tania Carver
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom the outside, the house was unremarkable. Just one of many on an ordinary, suburban estate. But inside was a different matter. With pink ribbons and pink walls, stuffed toy animals everywhere and a dining table laid out for a tea party, it was a doll's house.The doll was sitting at the table. Life size, with blonde, pigtailed hair and rosy red cheeks, dressed in her best pink party dress... -
![Lucky Day by Barry Lyga]()
Lucky Day by Barry Lyga
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThis is the story of the small town sheriff who captured one of the world's most ruthless and cunning murderers.It all started with Dead Girl #1 and Dead Girl #2, the first killings in the sleepy town of Lobo's Nod in decades. Two murders: just a coincidence, or something more sinister? One thing's for sure -- it was definitely inconvenient in a year when Sheriff G... -
![The Beast of Barcroft by Bill Schweigart]()
The Beast of Barcroft by Bill Schweigart
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFans of Stephen King and Bentley Little will devour The Beast of Barcroft, Bill Schweigart’s brilliant new vision of dark suburban horror. Ben thought he had the neighbor from hell. He didn’t know how right he was. . . . Ben McKelvie believes he’s moving up in the world when he and his fiancée buy a house in the cushy Washington, D.C., suburb of Barcroft... -
![Silent Victim by Caroline Mitchell]()
Silent Victim by Caroline Mitchell
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsEmma’s darkest secrets are buried in the past. But the truth can’t stay hidden for long.Emma is a loving wife, a devoted mother…and an involuntary killer. For years she’s been hiding the dead body of the teacher who seduced her as a teen.It’s a secret that might have stayed buried if only her life had been less perfect... -
![Haunted Sister by Lael Littke]()
Haunted Sister by Lael Littke
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHow can you have a ghost story without a ghost? What if the ghost is only in your head? How would you know that you aren't losing your mind? By medical standards, sixteen-year-old Janine Palmer dies on the day of her automobile accident. When her spirit travels to the "other side," however, she is told that it isn't her time to die, and is sent back to live out her life... -
![NIGHT STALKER by Carol Davis Luce]()
NIGHT STALKER by Carol Davis Luce
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“Night Stalker – a dandy read – tense, original…Add Carol Davis Luce to your list of writers not to be overlooked.” – Tony Hillerman author of Talking GodThings were looking up for Alexandra Carlson. She had finally gotten her life back together again... -
![Dead Ringer by Kate Kessler]()
Dead Ringer by Kate Kessler
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA gripping thriller by Kate Kessler (author of the Audrey Harte novels), in which an FBI agent becomes entwined in a missing persons case that directly connects to a horrific event from her past.Eighteen years ago, FBI Agent Rachel Ward's mirror twin, Hannah, was taken by the Gemini killer, a serial killer who delights in sending photos of his victims to their twins...Categorized as:
realistic suspense mystery fiction audiobook contemporary psychological serial-killers -
![Asleep by Krystal Wade]()
Asleep by Krystal Wade
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"To cure fear, you must use fear." Rose Briar claims no responsibility for the act that led to her imprisonment in an asylum. She wants to escape, until terrifying nightmares make her question her sanity and reach out to her doctor... -
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![Remedy by Eireann Corrigan]()
Remedy by Eireann Corrigan
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCara's been sick all her life . . . but in this case the cause might be more shocking than the cure.It's a mystery - why is Cara so sick? It feels like she's been sick all her life . . . but she and her mom have never stayed in one place long enough for doctors to really understand what's happening to her. Now, at fourteen, Cara is tired of being tired, and sick of being sick... -
![Oblivion Road by Alex McAulay]()
Oblivion Road by Alex McAulay
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFive stranded teenagers must battle for their lives against a group of escaped convicts, and each other, in this shocking survival thriller from the author of Bad Girls and Lost Summer. Courtney Stanton thinks she's on just another ski trip with her friends -- until a horrific car accident strands them all on an isolated Colorado road during a blizzard... -
![You're Next by Gregg Hurwitz, Scott Brick]()
You're Next by Gregg Hurwitz, Scott Brick
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsMike Wingate, abandoned by his father at four and raised in foster care, is finally living the life he always dreamed of — he’s happily married with a precocious 8-year-old daughter, and his construction company is about to finish a “green” housing development that will secure a solid future for them all... -
![When We Were Lost by Kevin Wignall]()
When We Were Lost by Kevin Wignall
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen their plane crashes in a remote rainforest with no adults left alive, a group of high school students struggles to survive against sinister threats from the jungle—and one another—in this tense thriller... -
![To Right the Wrongs by Sheryl Scarborough]()
To Right the Wrongs by Sheryl Scarborough
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSheryl Scarborough continues the adventures of teen amateur sleuth and aspiring forensic scientist Erin Blake in To Right the Wrongs , the sequel to To Catch a Killer.Erin Blake has one goal for summer leave behind her reputation as the girl whose mom was murdered, and just be normal girl enjoying her first real romance... -
![Black by Fleur Ferris]()
Black by Fleur Ferris
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEbony Marshall is in her final year of high school. Five months, two weeks and four days . . . She can't wait to leave the town where she's known only as ‘Black'. Because of her name, of course. But for another reason, too. Everyone says Black Marshall is cursed. Three of her best friends have died in tragic accidents. After Oscar, the whispers started. Now she's used to being on her own... -
![To Die For (Slumber Party & Weekend) by Christopher Pike]()
To Die For (Slumber Party & Weekend) by Christopher Pike
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Christopher Pike is back for a whole new generation of teens!It's the perfect weekend...for murder. A snowbound ski resort. A tropical beach paradise.Who wouldn't want to spend their vacations in these dream places?For two different groups of friends, though, the dreams will quickly turn to nightmares... -
![The Philanthropist's Danse by Paul Wornham]()
The Philanthropist's Danse by Paul Wornham
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTwelve people. Five days. One fortune. Johnston Thurwell, one of the world’s richest men, dies unexpectedly. His family expects to inherit his wealth, but instead discover the dying philanthropist has spent his last days planning something called The Danse. The twelve most important people in his life are brought together to decide the most important question at the end of it... -
![The Fall by Tristan Bancks]()
The Fall by Tristan Bancks
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the middle of the night, Sam is woken by angry voices from the apartment above.He goes to the window to see what’s happening – only to hear a struggle, and see a body fallfrom the sixth-floor balcony. Pushed, Sam thinks.Sam goes to wake his father Harry, a crime reporter, but Harry is gone. And when Sam goes downstairs, the body is gone, too... -
![All That Glitters by V.C. Andrews]()
All That Glitters by V.C. Andrews
Rated: 3.85 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsDriven from the Dumas Mansion back to her beloved bayou, Ruby's only hope is that fate will let her begin anew...Living again in a humble shack, Ruby is determined to make a secure and happy home for her precious infant daughter, Pearl. Paul Tate-- her first love, whom she was forced to abandon-- is at her side once more, now a man of dazzling wealth... -
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![Stunden der Nacht by V.C. Andrews, Uschi Gnade]()
Stunden der Nacht by V.C. Andrews, Uschi Gnade
Rated: 3.85 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsLillian's world is as thrilling as the fairy tales Mama spins for her and her little sister, Eugenia. No one, not even her cold, stern Papa and her Bible spouting sister Emily, can crush her spirits — until the day Emily reveals the shattering secret at Lillian's birth. Still Lillian refuses to believe Emily's hateful claim that she is evil, a curse... -
![Doubt by C.E. Tobisman]()
Doubt by C.E. Tobisman
Rated: 3.85 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhen Caroline Auden lands a job at a top Los Angeles law firm, she’s excited for the challenge—and grateful for the chance to put her dark past as a computer hacker behind her. Right away, her new boss asks her to find out whether a popular GMO causes healthy people to fall ill... -
![The Lost by Natasha Preston]()
The Lost by Natasha Preston
Rated: 3.85 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIn the small town of Aurora, teens go missing all the time. But when one of Piper and Hazel's classmates disappears, they become determined to find out the truth of what happened to her.While investigating, they meet three handsome and rich grad students...who kidnap them. The girls are taken to a building in the middle of a privately-owned forest... -
![Green Lake by S.K. Epperson]()
Green Lake by S.K. Epperson
Rated: 3.85 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe suicide of Madeleine Heron's husband leaves her at her sister's lake house for the summer, until she can "sort things out" for herself and find a new direction, but life in the lake community is anything but conducive to calm; right away a three year old girl goes missing from the dam, Madeleine is nearly assaulted when her truck breaks down, and she discovers her neighbors have an affinity... -
![Winter Haven by Athol Dickson, Katherine Kellgren]()
Winter Haven by Athol Dickson, Katherine Kellgren
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA remote island shrouded in heavy mist and cloaked in secrecy...Thirteen years ago, Siggy Gamble ran away from home, never to be found--until his body washes ashore on the tiny island of Winter Haven off the coast of Maine. Now his sister, Vera, travels north to claim the body and finds herself tangled in the impossible.Her brother hasn't aged a day since last she saw him... -
![Deadfall by Stephen Wallenfels]()
Deadfall by Stephen Wallenfels
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTwin brothers Ty and Cory Bic are on the run. When they encounter a dying deer in the middle of a remote mountain road with fresh tire tracks swerving down into a ravine, they know they have to help. But when they reach the wrecked car the vehicle appears empty, with signs that the driver escaped.Until they hear a sound coming from the trunk.Ty and Cory are escaping demons of their own...
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