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 it’s easy to relate. Once you start reading a really good thriller you can’t stop, it’s like riding a roller coaster. It feels exhilarating but it’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 she’s fighting to survive.

Two simple words shatter Prudence Ahern’s world – “I’m…

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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 women’s lit well before she turned to psychological thrillers so the style is engaging and accessible. It feels like you’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 what’s coming, but not with this one. The pace is fast, the storytelling keeps you hooked, and you won’t see the bends in the road until it’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 Simon’s marriage isn’t what it seems…

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

So what if Simon drinks a bit too much sometimes—Daisy’s used to it. She knows he’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 marriage…


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 it’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 to…


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 couldn’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 down…


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. It’s well written and you’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 her…


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?

Call…


Explore my book 😀

The Family Trap

By Lorna Dounaeva,

Book cover of The Family Trap

What is my book about?

Prudence welcomed Zoe into her home. Now she’s fighting to survive.

Two simple words shatter Prudence Ahern’s world – “I’m pregnant.” 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 isn’t right. When Nathan is around, Zoe is sweet and funny but as soon as it’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 it’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

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Ferry to Cooperation Island

By Carol Newman Cronin,

Book cover of Ferry to Cooperation Island

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Why am I passionate about this?

Author Sailor Olympian Editor New Englander Rum drinker

Carol's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

James Malloy is a ferry captain--or used to be, until he was unceremoniously fired and replaced by a "girl" named Courtney Farris. Now, instead of piloting Brenton Island’s daily lifeline to the glitzy docks of Newport, Rhode Island, James spends his days beached, bitter, and bored.

When he discovers a plan for a private golf course on wilderness sacred to his dying best friend, James is determined to stop such "improvements." But despite Brenton's nickname as "Cooperation Island," he's used to working solo. To keep historic trees and ocean shoreline open to all, he'll have to learn to cooperate with…

Ferry to Cooperation Island

By Carol Newman Cronin,

What is this book about?

Loner James Malloy is a ferry captain-or used to be, until he was unceremoniously fired and replaced by a girl named Courtney Farris. Now, instead of piloting Brenton Island's daily lifeline to the glitzy docks of Newport, Rhode Island, James spends his days beached, bitter, and bored.

When he discovers a private golf course staked out across wilderness sacred to his dying best friend, a Narragansett Indian, James is determined to stop such "improvements." But despite Brenton's nickname as "Cooperation Island," he's used to working solo. To keep rocky bluffs, historic trees, and ocean shoreline open to all, he'll have…


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