Books to read if you like The Girlfriend

Why read this: If you liked the show, you'll love the book. Laura has it all. The career, a happy marriage, and a kind and handsome twenty-three year-old son, Daniel. Then Daniel meets Cherry, who hasn’t led Laura’s golden life . . . and she wants it. This is the story of a mother, a son, his girlfriend and an unforgivable lie.

If you’re looking for: The original story behind your TV obsession, psychological thriller, suspense, family dynamics, twisted relationships, secrets and lies.

What the experts think: ‘I was blown away. The Girlfriend is the most marvelous psychological thriller . . .I couldn’t put it down and kept sneaking upstairs to read another few pages . . . Please read this genuinely exciting novel.’ – Jilly Cooper, author of Rivals

Why read this: Instant Sunday Times bestseller Beautiful Ugly is a gripping and deliciously dark thriller about marriage and revenge. When Grady Green finds his wife’s car by a cliff edge, the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there . . . but she is nowhere to be seen. A year later, still in the depths of grief and on a trip to a remote island in search of a fresh start, he sees the impossible: a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife. Prepare for a tense, atmospheric read with a chilling twist.

If you’re looking for: A dark thriller, psychological suspense, revenge, unreliable narrator, atmospheric thriller, missing person mystery, remote setting suspense, identity thriller.

What the experts think: 'I was consumed by this book, it's her best ever, a work of genius.' – Lisa Jewell, author of None of This is True. ‘Her best book yet.’ – Harlan Coben

Why read this: Turns out it's not only girlfriends who can be a bit iffy. Amy is approaching thirty with everything she wants in life – except a relationship. When she comes round following a serious fall, she can't remember anything from the last six months, including the handsome Dr Jack Stewart, who seems to be the boyfriend she had been dreaming of. When he goes with her on a birthday skiing holiday, everyone is smitten with him, but Amy is finding his presence increasingly chilling. Is her broken mind playing tricks? Or is something really wrong?

If you’re looking for: Too good to be true romance, toxic family, family secrets, books that keep you guessing.

What the experts think: ‘An intricate plot which leaves you never knowing who to trust.’ – Catherine Cooper, author of The Chalet

Why read this: You know your followers don't know the truth about you. But do you know the truth about your followers? Ellery Lloyd's debut is a sinister story for the influencer age. Emmy Jackson is Instagram phenomenon Mamabare, loved for her truthful, unvarnished videos about parenthood. Except Emmy isn't as truthful as she's led her fans to believe. And someone out there knows the truth and plans to make her pay . . .

If you’re looking for: Social commentary, ethical dilemma, multiple narrators, addictive page-turner, paranoia.

What the experts think: 'Plotted to perfection with skillfully woven twists and turns.' – Alice Feeney, author of Beautiful Ugly. 'Breathlessly fast, brilliantly original.' – Clare Mackintosh, author of I Let You Go 

Why read this: One of the Good Guys is a chilling and timely exploration of presumed innocence and hidden darkness. When two young women vanish, a newly single man seeking a fresh start and his reclusive artist neighbour become entangled in a police investigation, revealing that people are rarely who they seem. A must-read for fans of psychological thrillers, One of the Good Guys explores gendered violence and what happens when women have had enough . . .

If you’re looking for: Hidden darkness, community secrets, psychological manipulation.

What the experts think: 'Razor-sharp, spine-tinglingly convincing and unputdownable.' – Lisa Jewell, author of None of This is True. 'One of the most daring and intriguing writers working today.' – Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl.

Why read this: This audaciously gripping thriller has also been adapted for the screen, in a film starring Mila Kunis. Ani FaNelli has it all, but is hiding a dark past. When a documentary producer invites Ani to tell her side of the chilling and violent incident that took place when she was a teenager at the prestigious Bradley school, she hopes it will be an opportunity to prove how far she’s turned her life around since then. But as filming starts, Ani’s past threatens to come back and haunt her. 

If you’re looking for: Hidden secrets, dark past, shocks and surprises, thought-provoking.

What the experts think: ‘Biting and shocking, it kept me riveted from cover to cover. I absolutely loved it.’ – Lauren Weisberger, author of The Devil Wears Prada

Why read this: Twenty-one years ago, Dr Richard Carter and his wife Pamela were killed by their ten year old daughter in what has become the most infamous double murder of the modern age. Having spent eight years in a secure unit, Sara now lives quietly under an assumed name with a family of her own. But a documentary team has tracked down her sister and convinced her to break her silence. For the first time, the two are forced to confront what really happened that night – with devastating consequences for them both.

If you’re looking for: A tense, creepy read, hidden secrets, domestic thriller, non-linear storytelling, twists.

What the experts think: ‘Grips like a vice.’ – Val McDermid, author of the Karen Pirie series