Books That Showcase The Dark Side of Relationships

Joe has always thought that his parents, William and Mary, are the quintessential loving couple who've been married six decades. But when Joe's father is brutally attacked, he wonders who would hurt an old man...but upon investigating, Joe discovers there's a lot he doesn't know about his parents. If you like The Other Wife by Michael Robotham, you'll enjoy Guilty by Laura Elliot. 

Marcie thought her position as Jason's new, sexy, younger second wife was secure...until Jason's business partner returns home from a trip abroad with his own second wife, a woman named Keisha. Everyone seems enamored with Keisha, including Jason, which means that Marcie must go to extreme lengths to keep everything she's fought for.

When Jason tells Karla that he's fallen in love with someone else, Karla acts like a stunned, heartbroken wife. She watches as Jason packs up everything, leaving behind their precious memories. But Karla isn't stunned at all, and she's not about to let Jason slip away so easily.

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Jo is devastated when her husband Will disappears, and no one can tell her where he has gone. Wracked with guilt over a fight they had and desperately worried, she tries to move on a year later by applying for house-sitting positions for a change of scenery. But when she finds a house full of photos of Will, she begins to realize that her relationship was a lie.

Libby and Dan head out for a routine date night, leaving their little girl at home with the teenage babysitter, Sasha. But when their evening goes awry, they return home early to find their daughter alone and the sitter missing. Days later, Libby is arrested for Sasha's murder, and when she tells the police about the threatening letters she'd been receiving and the secrets her husband kept, it might just be too late.

Alexis first met Austin in the ER, where she works as a doctor. Their relationship develops quickly, and Austin asks Alexis to travel with him to Vietnam, a country he's always wanted to visit. She agrees, but one evening while Alexis waits for Austin to return to the hotel, he vanishes. Desperate to find answers, Alexis begins searching for him, and uncovers a shocking series of lies.

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One day, Lila's husband vanishes without a trace. He's the second unexplained disappearance their small town has experienced, and while people speculate whether he's alive or dead, Lila knows for certain that he's dead. After all, she was the last person to see his body, before it disappeared without explanation. If you enjoyed Pretty Little Wife, you'll like You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott.

It was supposed to be easy. Thursday would share her husband, Seth, with his other two wives, Monday and Tuesday—two women she’s never met and knows nothing about. No questions asked, no hurt feelings. And for a while, the arrangement works…until Thursday finds a scrap of paper with a name—Monday’s real name—and an address. Now Thursday can’t stop herself. She wants to know more about this woman: who she is, what she’s like…what Seth sees in her that Thursday doesn’t have. 
 

From the acclaimed author of Blood Orange, a dark new psychological thriller about the perfect mother, the perfect wife, the perfect family—and the perfect murder. If you liked The Lies You Told, you'll love The Family by Louise Jensen.