Frank Szatowski is shocked when his estranged daughter, Maggie, calls him for the first time in three years and invites him to her upcoming wedding.
He arrives to find that the wedding is at a private estate—secluded, luxurious, very much out of his league. What Maggie failed to mention was that she’s marrying Aidan Gardner, the son of a famous tech billionaire. But it’s clear there’s more to Aidan and his family than meets the eye. And Frank is determined to get to the bottom of it…
Family is the gift that keeps on giving — if nothing else, in fiction. Fair warning: you won’t find very many healthy families within the pages of these books. A couple, sure, but if you’re looking for heartwarming, may I gently direct you to another genre?
Thrillers are the ideal medium to explore the tangled web of connections that can make up a family. For one thing, few relationships are as complex and complicated, if only because family relationships — of any variety — span a much longer period of time than most others. Secrets are another hallmark of thrillers focused on family, which adds yet another layer of interest.
These books don’t just follow a family through an ordeal; they explore what family means and how it can enrich your life — or make it miserable. Are you a sucker for long-hidden family secrets? Secret societies? What about gangsters and their teenage daughters on the run? Then, you will love these eight family thrillers.
Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown
A decade after graduating, Maya returns to Princeton for her reunion,and for her sister Naomi’s graduation. But things take a horrific turn when Naomi ends up dead, leading Maya to throw herself into solving the case. Now Maya must confront the secrets of her own college experience, and perhaps accept that Naomi was doing no more than following in her footsteps.
What You Leave Behind by Wanda M. Morris
Deena Wood is not having a good year. After her mother dies, her marriage falls apart, and she loses her job, she heads back to her hometown. But a man’s disappearance throws her into a situation where her family and her community find themselves at risk.
The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas
When Alice suggests doing a life swap with her sister Tasha, neither expects it to result in the death of Alice’s husband and Alice’s own stay at the hospital. But it was a burglary gone wrong; there’s nothing anybody could have done.
Until Tasha receives a message saying, “It was supposed to be you.”
The Night of the Storm by Nishita Parekh
Worried about her son’s safety, single mom Jia Shah accepts her sister and her husband’s offer to stay with them during Hurricane Harvey. Soon, other family arrives, too. But when somebody ends up dead, Jia seems the most likely suspect.
The Haven by Fiona Neil
After waking up in the woods with a head injury, 16-year-old Cass remembers nothing. But soon, memories of her family begin to resurface. As she wanders the abandoned buildings of The Haven, she tries to piece together what happened and where her family is now.
The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave
When Liam Noone dies, it is ruled an accident. But estranged siblings Nora and Sam disagree: together, they begin to uncover a history that shocks them. Their father has been keeping a secret for 50 years, and it may have led to his death.
Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra
Few things are as terrifying as an intruder in your house. For a woman putting her children to bed, it’s a reality. Now, she has to keep herself and her kids safe, tucked away in a tiny, secret room of the house. The situation gets even more dangerous when she realizes that she recognizes him and she knows exactly what he wants.
My Favorite Scar by Nicolás Ferraro
Ámbar wants to do what other 15-year-old girls do. But that’s hard when your father is a gangster you regularly have to patch up. Now, with her father’s life threatened, the two go on a trip across Argentina in pursuit of revenge. Along the way, Ámbar begins to suspect her father is keeping secrets from her.
Can’t get enough of books about family secrets? I’ve got you. Or you could take a quiz to get a book recommendation about family.
