Why am I passionate about this?

I am the author of a number of psychological thrillers including The Perfect Family and The Wrong Twin. I like this genre because it really makes your blood pump. For the most part, these are ordinary people who get caught in extraordinary situations so itā€™s easy to relate. Once you start reading a really good thriller you canā€™t stop, itā€™s like riding a roller coaster. It feels exhilarating but itā€™s totally safe. And the really good ones get you thinking. What would I do in that situation? How would I react?


I wrote

The Family Trap

By Lorna Dounaeva,

Book cover of The Family Trap

What is my book about?

Prudence welcomed Zoe into her home. Now sheā€™s fighting to survive.

Two simple words shatter Prudence Ahernā€™s world ā€“ ā€œIā€™mā€¦

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

The books I picked & why

Book cover of Lies, Lies, Lies

Lorna Dounaeva Why did I love this book?

Adele Parks was already accomplished at writing entertaining womenā€™s lit well before she turned to psychological thrillers so the style is engaging and accessible. It feels like youā€™re reading the confessions of an old friend. This book has a great plot too, it has more twists than you can shake a stick at. I consider myself good at figuring out whatā€™s coming, but not with this one. The pace is fast, the storytelling keeps you hooked, and you wonā€™t see the bends in the road until itā€™s too late.

By Adele Parks,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lies, Lies, Lies as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Daisy and Simonā€™s marriage isnā€™t what it seemsā€¦

After years together, the arrival of longed-for daughter Millie sealed everything in place. Theyā€™re a happy little family of three.

So what if Simon drinks a bit too much sometimesā€”Daisyā€™s used to it. She knows heā€™s just letting off steam. Until one night at a party things spiral horribly out of control. And their happy little family of three will never be the same again.

In Lies, Lies, Lies, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Adele Parks explores the darkest corners of a relationship in free fall in a mesmerizing tale of marriageā€¦


Book cover of We Need to Talk about Kevin

Lorna Dounaeva Why did I love this book?

I love books that deal with guilt, and there can be no greater guilt than being the mother of a psychopath who goes on a killing spree. This book really gets you thinking about why someone would do something like that and what, if anything, can be done to stop them. This book is beautifully written and itā€™s hard not to feel empathy for the mother, even if I struggled to find much for Kevin.

By Lionel Shriver,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked We Need to Talk about Kevin as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2010

ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD

Eva never really wanted to be a mother; certainly not the mother of a boy named Kevin who murdered seven of his fellow high school students, a cafeteria worker and a teacher who had tried to befriend him. Now, two years after her son's horrific rampage, Eva comes to terms with her role as Kevin's mother in a series of startlingly direct correspondences with her absent husband Franklyn about their son's upbringing. Fearing that her own shortcomings may have shaped what her son has become, she confesses toā€¦


Ad

Book cover of The Ascent

The Ascent by Adam Plantinga,

When a high security prison fails, a down-on-his luck cop and the governorā€™s daughter must team up if theyā€™re going to escape in this "jaw-dropping, authentic, and absolutely gripping" (Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author) USA Today bestselling thriller from Adam Plantinga.

Book cover of The Ice Twins

Lorna Dounaeva Why did I love this book?

One twin is dead, the other one survived but which is which? I love creepy twin books and this one was brilliant. I was drawn in from the moment I clapped eyes on the cover. It has an incredibly creepy atmosphere, set in the Scottish Islands. I found it truly haunting and couldnā€™t wait to find out the truth.

By S K Tremayne,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Ice Twins as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the tradition of The Girl on the Train comes the UK bestseller The Ice Twins, a terrifying psychological thriller with a twisting plot worthy of Gillian Flynn.

One of Sarah's daughters died. But can she be sure which one?

A year after one of their identical twin daughters, Lydia, dies in an accident, Angus and Sarah Moorcroft move to the tiny Scottish island Angus inherited from his grandmother, hoping to put together the pieces of their shattered lives.

But when their surviving daughter, Kirstie, claims they have mistaken her identity--that she, in fact, is Lydia--their world comes crashing downā€¦


Book cover of 99 Red Balloons

Lorna Dounaeva Why did I love this book?

A child is taken. A family is shattered. But this plays out a little differently than most missing child cases. I definitely did not expect that epic twist. Itā€™s well written and youā€™ll tear through the pages with the song 99 Red Balloons playing in your head the whole time.

By Elisabeth Carpenter,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked 99 Red Balloons as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Two girls go missing, decades apart. What would you do if one was your daughter?

Eight-year-old Grace is last seen in a sweetshop. Her mother Emma is living a nightmare. But as her loved ones rally around her, cracks begin to emerge. What are the emails sent between her husband and her sister? Why does her mother take so long to join the search? And is there more to the disappearance of her daughter than meets the eye?
Meanwhile, ageing widow Maggie Sharples sees a familiar face in the newspaper. A face that jolts her from the pain of herā€¦


Ad

Book cover of A Beggar's Bargain

A Beggar's Bargain by Jan Sikes,

Historical Fiction Post WW2.

A shocking proposal that changes everything.

Desperate to honor his fatherā€™s dying wish, Layken Martin vows to do whatever it takes to save the family farm.
Once the Army discharges him following World War II, Layken returns to Missouri to find his legacy in shambles andā€¦

Book cover of Anything You Do Say

Lorna Dounaeva Why did I love this book?

This is another one that revolves around guilt. A young woman thinks she is being followed as she walks home one night. Her fight or flight instincts kick in and she turns and shoves the man to his death, only to realize he was an innocent jogger. Now she has to live what she has done and she is faced with the ultimate dilemma. Does she own up to her crime and make amends, or does she stay quiet and suffer a lifetime of guilt?

By Gillian McAllister,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Anything You Do Say as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Would you run, or stay and call an ambulance, if it was you that pushed him?

'A terrific premise, delivered with panache' CLARE MACKINTOSH

'Dark and intense . . . an exhilarating, hold-your-breath read!' Prima

It's the end of the night. You're walking home on your own.

Then you hear the sound every woman dreads. Footsteps. Behind you. Getting faster.

You're sure it's him - the man from the bar who wouldn't leave you alone.

You make a snap decision. You turn. You push. Your pursuer tumbles down the steps. He lies motionless, face-down on the floor.

Now what?

Callā€¦


Explore my book šŸ˜€

The Family Trap

By Lorna Dounaeva,

Book cover of The Family Trap

What is my book about?

Prudence welcomed Zoe into her home. Now sheā€™s fighting to survive.

Two simple words shatter Prudence Ahernā€™s world ā€“ ā€œIā€™m pregnant.ā€ Her son Nathan is only eighteen when his new girlfriend Zoe drops that little bombshell and Prudence feels obliged to let Zoe move in. Right from the start, she knows something isnā€™t right. When Nathan is around, Zoe is sweet and funny but as soon as itā€™s just the two of them, she becomes menacing and sullen. She tries to warn her son that something is wrong with Zoe, but he refuses to listen, so itā€™s left to Prudence to figure out what's going on. Who is the mysterious Zoe? What exactly does she want from them? And whose child is she really carrying?

Book cover of Lies, Lies, Lies
Book cover of We Need to Talk about Kevin
Book cover of The Ice Twins

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,897

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

šŸ“š You might also likeā€¦

Book cover of The Mailman

The Mailman by Andrew Welsh-Huggins,

This book is the first in a new thriller series introducing Mercury Carter, a freelance courier whose deliveries often come with dangerous complications. Carter's business model is simple: he delivers items, information, and sometimes even people for a price. He's never missed a delivery, and will do almost anything toā€¦

Book cover of Death on a Shetland Longship: The Shetland Sailing Mysteries

Death on a Shetland Longship by Marsali Taylor,

Liveaboard sailor Cass Lynch thinks her big break has finally arrived when she blags her way into skippering a Viking longship for a Hollywood film. However, this means returning to the Shetland Islands, the place she fled as a teenager. When a corpse unexpectedly appears onboard the longship, she canā€¦

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in family secrets, New York State, and secrets?

Family Secrets 212 books
New York State 573 books
Secrets 277 books