57 books like The Wife Before

By Shanora Williams,

Here are 57 books that The Wife Before fans have personally recommended if you like The Wife Before. Shepherd is a community of 10,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

Jessie Weaver Author Of Live Your Best Lie

From my list on YA thrillers with twist endings you won’t see coming.

Why am I passionate about this?

Before writing about flawed, funny teens with big hearts, I spent ten years teaching them English. I completed the Stanford University online novel writing program in 2019. Though I’m an East Coast girl at heart, I currently live just outside Denver, Colorado with my husband and two daughters, who thankfully, are all as obsessed with books as I am. 

Jessie's book list on YA thrillers with twist endings you won’t see coming

Jessie Weaver Why did Jessie love this book?

In A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, everyone in Pippa’s small town knows that five years ago, Sal Singh murdered Andie Bell. But Pippa disagrees. For her senior project, she sets out to unravel the cold case of Andie’s murder. Narrated using media like police interviews, newspaper articles, and Pippa’s project notes, this book asks the question: Is something true just because everyone believes it? Read if you’re a justice seeker who loved Nancy Drew as a kid or if you’d totally open the locked basement door in a scary movie even though you know it’s a bad idea. 

By Holly Jackson,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked A Good Girl's Guide to Murder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

THE MUST-READ MULTIMILLION BESTSELLING MYSTERY SERIES• Everyone is talking about A Good Girl's Guide to Murder! With shades of Serial and Making a Murderer this is the story about an investigation turned obsession, full of twists and turns and with an ending you'll never expect.

Everyone in Fairview knows the story.

Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.

But she can't shake the feeling that there was more…


Book cover of Ruthless Creatures

Shan R.K Author Of Capo Dei Capi

From my list on crime fiction that will leave you breathless.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was always a peculiar child with no friends, so I found my friends in books. As I got older I turned to writing my own. I wrote many stories, until one night I wrote my first book. It was paranormal fiction. Quite horrid actually. However, it started my obsession with crime romance. I love romance, but I find them a bit dull at times, but a crime novel never leaves me wanting. I decided to join the two worlds, and create my own. It's the reason even after 20 books published, my books are all linked to the biggest crime of all. But that is a secret you need to figure out for yourself.

Shan's book list on crime fiction that will leave you breathless

Shan R.K Why did Shan love this book?

When all is not as it seems, and you fall in love with what you don’t know. Faced with a choice, what will you choose?

I chose Ruthless Creatures because it is a crime fiction about love, desire, and growth. Our first choice is not always our best. We sometimes fail to understand why. The more you read, the deeper your understanding grows. 

Personally, I love the thrill of an idea, of loving someone who is dark and mysterious. Kage was that for Nat, and he hid a big secret, whether they overcame it or not. Well, you would need to find out for yourself.

This book taught me that we don’t really know to who we open our hearts to until it’s too late.

By J.T. Geissinger,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Ruthless Creatures as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An Amazon Top 10 bestselling series with more than 2 million copies sold worldwide
Winner of the Holt Medallion for Best Erotic Romance

Five years ago, my fiancé disappeared. He left me with a wedding dress I’d never wear. Left me with the kind of scars that can’t be healed. The man I built my future on vanished like a ghost. All that remained were my broken heart and a million unanswered questions.

Until a mysterious stranger arrives in town.

Tall, dark, and dangerous, Kage is as full of secrets as he is sex appeal. Though I know he’s hiding…


Book cover of Bound to Cruelty

Shan R.K Author Of Capo Dei Capi

From my list on crime fiction that will leave you breathless.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was always a peculiar child with no friends, so I found my friends in books. As I got older I turned to writing my own. I wrote many stories, until one night I wrote my first book. It was paranormal fiction. Quite horrid actually. However, it started my obsession with crime romance. I love romance, but I find them a bit dull at times, but a crime novel never leaves me wanting. I decided to join the two worlds, and create my own. It's the reason even after 20 books published, my books are all linked to the biggest crime of all. But that is a secret you need to figure out for yourself.

Shan's book list on crime fiction that will leave you breathless

Shan R.K Why did Shan love this book?

I have a thing for Mafia crime books, and I have read plenty. My reason for choosing Bound to Cruelty was because it is still fresh in my mind. I read it three months ago. And it was cruel, brutal but so deliciously breathtaking. 

How do you know when you are wrong for someone? When do death and honor intertwine? How do you face yourself, and the one you love, knowing you are the biggest monster? 

This book was brilliant because the characters are so well developed, that you are transformed into a world that is thrilling. 

A must-read if you love Crime romance.

By J.L. Beck, Monica Corwin,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

I’m the shadows that reach out and take a bite. No one sees me coming, which is why I’m sent to do the things even our fearless leader won’t touch.

After months of watching our enemies it’s time to take them out. I’m ready to feel their blood on my hands, their worthless lives ground to dust.

But I don’t get the chance, when a dark haired beauty comes crashing into my plans, seeking sanctuary from our enemies. Now I’m stuck on guard duty, babysitting a mafia princess.

As tensions rise, the flames of desire flicker between us. We shouldn’t…


Book cover of What Happened to the Bennetts

Shan R.K Author Of Capo Dei Capi

From my list on crime fiction that will leave you breathless.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was always a peculiar child with no friends, so I found my friends in books. As I got older I turned to writing my own. I wrote many stories, until one night I wrote my first book. It was paranormal fiction. Quite horrid actually. However, it started my obsession with crime romance. I love romance, but I find them a bit dull at times, but a crime novel never leaves me wanting. I decided to join the two worlds, and create my own. It's the reason even after 20 books published, my books are all linked to the biggest crime of all. But that is a secret you need to figure out for yourself.

Shan's book list on crime fiction that will leave you breathless

Shan R.K Why did Shan love this book?

If I was stuck on a train, and I could pick any book to reread, What Happened to the Bennetts is my first choice. 

As a married woman, with a child of my own. I find myself at times drawn to stories like these. I live in South Africa, so it can become quite dangerous at times. I always wonder, how far does one goes with justice can’t be served? Do we stay a law-abiding citizen? Or do we protect our loved ones? Jason had to figure that out for himself. He tried it the right way, but things don’t always go the way you think they should. 

This book taught me a lot when it comes to the way a man sees a situation versus a woman’s point of view. It also affirmed my initial thought that a man, in fact, does have a hero complex and that complex…

By Lisa Scottoline,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked What Happened to the Bennetts as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From #1 bestselling author Lisa Scottoline comes a pulse-pounding new novel.

Your family has been attacked, never again to be the same.
Now you have to choose between law…and justice.

     Jason Bennett is a suburban dad who owns a court-reporting business, but one night, his life takes a horrific turn. He is driving his family home after his daughter’s field hockey game when a pickup truck begins tailgating them, on a dark stretch of road. Suddenly two men jump from the pickup and pull guns on Jason, demanding the car. A horrific flash of violence changes his life forever.
 
Later…


Book cover of Colorado's Fourteeners: From Hikes to Climbs

Eric and Matthew Gilbertson Author Of Twins to the Tops: The Quest for the North American Country High Points

From my list on peakbagging and highpointing.

Why are we passionate about this?

We are twin brothers that like climbing mountains and peakbagging around the world. Our goal is to climb the highest mountain in every country on earth, and we’ve so far gotten up the highpoints of 139 countries out of 196 total. We got started doing long bicycle tours in Europe climbing country highpoints on the cheap after graduate school at MIT. Recently we've climbed some of the most difficult country highpoints in the world like Pik Pobeda (24,406ft), the Kyrgyzstan highpoint, Noshaq (24,580ft), the Afghanistan highpoint, and K2 (28,261ft), the Pakistan highpoint.

Eric's book list on peakbagging and highpointing

Eric and Matthew Gilbertson Why did Eric love this book?

Gerry Roach has climbed extensively in Colorado and has done a great job compiling his wealth of first-hand knowledge into this guidebook. This is the best resource we know of for climbing all the 14,000ft peaks in Colorado, and it was our main resource when climbing these peaks. He gives very detailed color-coded route maps, and describes a half dozen different route options for each peak. This is a must-have book if you are hiking and peak-bagging in Colorado.

By Gerry Roach,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Colorado's Fourteeners as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Standard, alternate, and technical routes for all 58 Colorado Fourteener peaks

A classic guidebook known for its accuracy and comprehensiveness, Colorado's Fourteeners has been updated for this thirtieth anniversary edition to include GPS coordinates, revised topographic maps, expanded route details, and new descriptions reflecting alterations to trail access. Besides the often-climbed standard routes, the guide describes many alternative and technical routes.

The trusted source for over 30 years, this is the guide to bring with you to peaks websites can't reach.


Book cover of An Owl on Every Post

Rae Meadows Author Of I Will Send Rain

From my list on the heart of the Dust Bowl.

Why am I passionate about this?

Photographs, for me, are essential to writing about a particular period. They ignite my imagination like nothing else. For this book I pored over the Library of Congress archives of 1930s FSA photographs, particularly those by Dorothea Lange. Her photos capture humanity at its most desperate, most determined, and they walloped me. Such ruin and poverty, and lives upended. But those faces of Lange’s were what helped me find my characters. I hope that the story of the Bell family transports you to a time and place like none other in American history. These five selections will give you further insight into what life what like.

Rae's book list on the heart of the Dust Bowl

Rae Meadows Why did Rae love this book?

Babb’s memoir recounts her years as a child of bumbling pioneers on the high plains of Colorado. Her family lived underground in a dugout and eked out existence from the drought-ravaged prairie. The book predates the Dust Bowl, but there are warning signs of what’s to come. Told in a voice of lyric precision with a memorable cast of characters, it’s a compelling story of a singular girlhood that left me marveling at how this family survived. 

By Sanora Babb,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked An Owl on Every Post as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Sanora Babb experienced pioneer life in a one-room dugout, eye-level with the land that supported, tormented and beguiled her; where her family fought for their lives against drought, crop-failure, starvation, and almost unfathomless loneliness. Learning to read from newspapers that lined the dugout's dirt walls, she grew up to be a journalist, then a writer of unforgettable books about the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, most notably Whose Names Are Unknown.

The author was seven when her parents began to homestead an isolated 320-acre farm on the western plains. She tells the story through her eyes as a sensitive,…


Book cover of The Beast in the Garden: A Modern Parable of Man and Nature

Melissa Crandall Author Of Elephant Speak: A Devoted Keeper's Life Among the Herd

From my list on wild animals and the humans that care for them.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a child, let loose to wander the woods around my home, I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t fascinated by animals, not only the dogs and cats we kept at home, but the wild critters I encountered. As I grew, so did my admiration and respect for the creatures that live in the wild. When I volunteered at Oregon’s Washington Park Zoo, and met Senior Elephant Keeper Roger Henneous, a new level of interest opened up as I observed the relationships between the animals and those who care for them. It bothered me that I often read nasty things about keepers, when I knew that most are devoted to those in their care.

Melissa's book list on wild animals and the humans that care for them

Melissa Crandall Why did Melissa love this book?

I’m captivated by this book every time I read it (and I’ve read it a lot). It brings to light the uneasy relationship we have with wild creatures, especially when we unwittingly invite them into our own backyards. A thought-provoking (and often nerve-wracking) narrative about the clash between the citizens of Boulder, CO and the local population of mountain lions, and the distressing expansion of human beings into the few wild areas remaining to them (and, in fact, to all animals). When those pockets of wilderness are gone, where are they supposed to go? How can we alleviate human/animal conflict over resources?

By David Baron,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Beast in the Garden as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When residents of Boulder, Colorado, suddenly began to see mountain lions in their backyards, it became clear that the cats had returned after decades of bounty hunting had driven them far from human settlement. In a riveting environmental tale that has received huge national attention, journalist David Baron traces the history of the mountain lion and chronicles one town's tragic effort to coexist with its new neighbors. As thought-provoking as it is harrowing, The Beast in the Garden is a tale of nature corrupted, the clash between civilization and wildness, and the artificiality of the modern American landscape. It is,…


Book cover of Woman Between the Worlds: A Call to Your Ancestral and Indigenous Wisdom

Daina Middleton Author Of Grace Meets Grit

From my list on ambitious women embracing their authentic selves.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been passionate about personally and professionally lifting women up throughout my career. Today, it is how I spend my time and energy – in a way that makes a difference to those individuals and the greater world. Books have always filled my insatiable desire to continuously learn and explore mysterious, unknown worlds. As a writer, I read books to expand my understanding and push my comfort zones. I also read them so that I can share with others what I have learned in the hopes they will have a positive impact on them – a pay-it-forward of sorts. I hope you enjoy the books on this list as much as I have!

Daina's book list on ambitious women embracing their authentic selves

Daina Middleton Why did Daina love this book?

As someone who has deep ties to Mother Earth and the outdoors, this book spoke to my soul whose roots are attached to some primitive calling.

Apela shares her lifelong journey of connecting with the essence of indigenous spirituality and culture and her passionate work to communicate, conserve, and celebrate sacred indigenous ways.

It made me think about the cost of living in our modern world and how healing Earth begins from within.

By Apela Colorado,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Woman Between the Worlds as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Apela Colorado shares her knowledge and experiences of indigenous wisdom and promotes an understanding between the indigenous and modern world perspectives.

A ceremonial journey to reconnect with the essence of indigenous spirituality and awaken to its beauty, power and potential in contemporary society.

In this book, Apela Colorado, the inspirational authority on indigenous wisdom, shares her lifelong journey of connecting with the essence of indigenous spirituality and culture. From China to Alaska, Benin to France, Apela recounts her passionate work to communicate, conserve, and celebrate sacred indigenous ways, all while reawakening to the wisdom of her Native American and French…


Book cover of Catering to Nobody

Ellie Alexander Author Of Muffin But the Truth

From my list on heartwarming foodies to cozy up with this winter.

Why am I passionate about this?

I wrote my first mystery in second grade, thinking I was writing a page-turning thriller when in reality I penned a sweet, little cozy where everything turns out okay in the end and everyone always has a cup of hot chocolate and a vanilla cookie in hand. Somehow, I’ve managed to turn my love of baking and writing into a long-term career. With over 30 mysteries and counting I’m not sure if I’m going to run out of recipes or ways to kill someone off first. 

Ellie's book list on heartwarming foodies to cozy up with this winter

Ellie Alexander Why did Ellie love this book?

This is the series that got me hooked on culinary mysteries and Diane Mott Davidson is the GOAT. If you’re looking for a cozy winter escape filled with food and a side of delectable murder, this is the book for you. Could you pick up any of the books in this long-running series, sure, but don’t do it—resist temptation. Start at the beginning when we meet Colorado caterer Goldy Bear as she whips up delicious sweet and savory eats while solving a murder. Trust me, you’ll thank me later because once you finish this book you’ll be running to the nearest bookstore for the next installment and running to your kitchen for a midnight snack.

By Diane Mott Davidson,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Catering to Nobody as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

MEET THE CATERER WHO WHIPPED UP THE
MULTIMILLION-COPY MYSTERY SERIES–
AS GOLDY SOLVES HER FIRST MURDER!

Diane Mott Davidson’s winning recipe of first-class suspense and five-star fare has won her and caterer Goldy critical raves and a regular place on major bestseller lists across the country. In Goldy’s tantalizing debut, she serves up a savory dish of secrets, suspicions, and murder....

Catering a wake is not Goldy’s idea of fun. Yet the Colorado caterer throws herself into preparing a savory feast including Poached Salmon and Strawberry Shortcake Buffet designed to soothe forty mourners. And her culinary efforts seem to be…


Book cover of Perfect Murder, Perfect Town: The Uncensored Story of the JonBenet Murder and the Grand Jury's Search for the Truth

Rick Geary Author Of A Treasury Of Victorian Murder Compendium: Including: Jack The Ripper, The Beast Of Chicago, Fatal Bullet

From my list on unsolved murders.

Why am I passionate about this?

I trace my interest in true crime back to the early 1970s when I worked as a staff cartoonist for a weekly newspaper in Wichita, Kansas. A former cop lent me his vast collection of mugshots. Looking into the literal face of crime awakened in me a lasting interest. He also gave me a copy of the complete police file of an unsolved murder from years earlier. Scrutinizing it gave birth to my passion for real-life mysteries like Jack the Ripper, Lizzie Borden, Mary Rogers, and the Black Dahlia. To my mind, questions are always more fascinating than answers.  

Rick's book list on unsolved murders

Rick Geary Why did Rick love this book?

This is the most detailed account we’re likely to get of what remains an enduring mystery: the 1996 murder of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey in her home in the affluent town of Boulder, Colorado. From the beginning, police and all other observers were baffled, although the victim’s parents remained under a cloud of suspicion. An added bizarre element was the mother’s grooming of her daughter to compete in child beauty pageants.

By Lawrence Schiller,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

In Perfect Murder, Perfect Town, Lawrence Schiller thoroughly recreates every aspect of the complex case of the death of JonBenét Ramsey. A brilliant portrait of an inscrutable family thrust under the spotlight of public suspicion and an affluent, tranquil city torn apart by a crime it couldn't handle, Perfect Murder, Perfect Town uncovers the mysteries that have bewildered the nation.

Why were the Ramseys, the targets of the investigation, able to control the direction of the police inquiry?

Can the key to the murder be found in the pen and writing pad used for the ransom note?

Was it possible…


5 book lists we think you will like!

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