Friday, August 15, 2025

Ten psychological thrillers with explosive family secrets

Claire Douglas is the Sunday Times number-one bestselling author of eleven stand-alone novels, including The Sisters, Local Girl Missing, Last Seen Alive, Do Not Disturb, Then She Vanishes, Just Like The Other Girls, The Couple at No. 9, The Girls Who Disappeared, The Woman Who Lied, and The Wrong Sister.

[Writers Read: Claire Douglas (December 2017)]

At The Strand Magazine she tagged ten "favourite psychological thrillers with explosive family secrets." One title on the list:
THE FAMILY GAME by Catherine Steadman

A rollercoaster ride of a thriller about Harriet, newly engaged to the heir of a powerful family, Edward Holbeck. When she goes to visit them she is drawn to the family, who seem welcoming and happy about their impending marriage. But when Edward’s father, Robert, gives Harriet a tape of a book he’s been working on, she’s shocked that it’s actually a confession to an horrific crime. A murder. Is this just a ploy from Edward to test Harriet’s loyalty to the family or is there something much darker going on?
Read about the other thrillers on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue