Lisa Jewell has made a name for herself as the queen of psychological thrillers. Every year, her fans have come to expect a new novel full of thrilling plot twists, slow-build tension that builds to unbearable suspense, and character-driven storylines that give in-depth insights into complex (read: morally bankrupt) characters’ lives and the traumas that have shaped them.
If you’re up to date with Jewell’s latest work, or simply looking to explore new writers, we recommend the following authors who are similar to Lisa Jewell: they write character-driven, psychological thrillers that explore the sordid side of human nature. Expect dysfunctional family dynamics, claustrophobic close-knit communities, and atmospheric storytelling in the works of the following eight thriller authors.
1. Ruth Ware
Why they’re similar: Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell both explore themes of deception, where danger comes from people you know but can’t trust, and place a strong emphasis on character psychology, with unreliable narrators who doubt their memory.
Key themes and style: Ware combines classic whodunnit set-ups with the tropes of a modern psychological thriller: atmospheric, isolated settings and relatable but flawed protagonists who experience psychological trauma. Her novels are fast-paced, compulsive and plot-driven yet you still feel immersed in each character’s thoughts.
Books to read first:
- The Lying Game: A text message makes Isa reunite with her school friends, as their darkest secret threatens to be revealed.
- The Woman in Cabin 10: A journalist on a cruise ship believes she saw someone go overboard but nobody on the ship is missing.
- One By One: A corporate retreat turns deadly when someone is murdered, in this modern psychological suspense inspired by Agatha Christie.
2. Liz Nugent
Why they’re similar: Liz Nugent and Lisa Jewell write psychologically complex characters shaped by traumatic pasts, using multiple POV narration. Both write disturbing domestic noir that makes for compulsive reading.
Key themes/style: Liz Nugent’s novels are more ‘whydunnit’s than ‘whodunnits’: they’re in-depth character studies that explain why a person commits monstrous acts, with a key theme being appearance vs. reality. Her writing style is addictive – you’ll often be left saying ‘just one chapter’ – and her tone is just as dark as Lisa Jewell.
Books to read first:
- Unravelling Oliver: Nugent’s debut gives a voice to the charming man who, for no apparent reason, attacks his wife and puts her in a coma. This character-driven whydunnit explores the personal history that shaped this abusive man.
- Lying in Wait: Lydia and her husband go to extreme (and fatal) lengths to protect their family and reputation. The first line alone will reel you in: “My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it.”
- The Truth About Ruby Cooper: Two teenage sisters grapple with the fall-out from a violent incident. Years later, the past gradually comes to light.
3. Liane Moriarty
Why they’re similar: Both authors are masters at writing domestic suspense, often set in seemingly idyllic communities, featuring psychological intrigue and seemingly ordinary characters keeping dark secrets.
Key themes/style: Liane Moriarty explores secrets in suburbia, with seemingly ordinary people leading a double life and experiencing traumatic events. Her novels, like Jewell’s, focus on dysfunctional relationships and friendships, with a gradual reveal of unhealthy dynamics, but Moriarty writes in a lighter tone that balances humour with emotional depth.
Books to read first:
- Big Little Lies: In Moriarty’s most famous domestic suspense, vicious rumours between parents escalate into murder.
- Apples Never Fall: A beloved mother goes missing, leaving her family to wonder if they ever truly knew her.
- The Husband’s Secret: Cecilia finds an envelope with ‘to be opened in the event of my death’ written in her husband’s handwriting. She opens it and learns of his shocking betrayal.
4. Shari Lapena
Why they’re similar: Shari Lapena and Lisa Jewell both write books with a strong central premise, usually focused on domestic secrets and betrayal. You can expect close-knit communities, deceptive characters and multiple POV narration from both authors, too.
Key themes/style: Shari Lapena’s fast-paced, plot-first storylines are frequently described as page-turners you could read in one sitting. They contain multiple POVs, short chapters with cliffhanger endings, and surprising plot twists where you don’t know who to believe. They also have punchy concepts: a child is missing from their home, or a local teenager has been killed, for instance.
Books to read first:
- The Couple Next Door: In this domestic thriller, a couple leaves their baby at home to have dinner with a neighbour. Then the baby goes missing.
- Everyone Here is Lying: A suburban street descends into paranoia when 9-year-old Avery goes missing.
- She Didn’t See It Coming: In this domestic suspense, a woman disappears from within her own home, and her husband suspects their friends and neighbours.
5. Mark Edwards
Why they’re similar: Both authors write domestic suspense, with intimate relationships full of secrets at their core and characters not knowing who to trust. Both write stories with multiple timelines and gradual reveals, which makes for compulsive reading.
Key themes/style: Mark Edwards writes high-concept thrillers with continual plot twists that create forward momentum. His novels, like Jewell’s, are compulsively readable, with a big emphasis on dysfunctional relationships and buried secrets coming to light through a series of reveals.
Books to read first:
- The Wasp Trap: In this tense thriller, a university reunion at a dinner party ends in murder, as someone becomes a killer to protect their secret.
- One of the Family: In this chilling domestic suspense, Patrick meets his girlfriend’s family and fears they have sinister intentions.
6. Gillian Flynn
Why they’re similar: Gillian Flynn and Lisa Jewell are both masters at writing domestic settings that turn sinister, as well as creating psychologically complex, morally grey characters who are unreliable narrators.
Key themes/style: Flynn is known for writing thorny, unlikeable protagonists who are provocative but have complex psychological reasons for their actions. Her books are equal measures entertaining and disturbing and stay with you long after you’ve finished them (see: the cultural impact of Gone Girl’s ‘Cool Girl’ monologue) and her writing style skews more literary.
Books to read first:
- Gone Girl: This is the book that reignited the psychological thriller genre. Nick Dunne’s wife Amy goes missing on their fifth anniversary. His suspicious behaviour makes him the prime suspect.
- Sharp Objects: A journalist is sent to her hometown to investigate the murder of two young girls, in this addictive, thought-provoking psychological thriller.
- Dark Places: Twenty-five years after her family were murdered, Libby investigates the case and ponders if her brother was really the culprit. This gritty suspense novel takes family dysfunction to a whole new level.
7. Claire Douglas
Why they’re similar: Both authors write slow-burn domestic noir with claustrophobic atmospheres that escalate into unbearable tension. They brilliantly balance plot twists with character depth, too.
Key themes/style: In Claire Douglas’ novels, there’s a strong central hook and looks are proven to be deceiving, especially when it comes to trusting your neighbours. Her novels, like Jewell’s, use multiple POV narration and timelines to gradually reveal the truth, making them impossible to put down.
Books to read first:
- Just Like the Other Girls: This claustrophobic, tightly plotted novel sees Una take a job as a live-in carer for an elderly woman. But what happened to the girls who lived there before?
- The New Neighbours: In this compelling domestic thriller, Lena overhears her neighbours plotting a crime but nobody believes her.
- The Wrong Sister: In this tense, addictive psychological suspense novel, Tasha’s sister is attacked while babysitting her kids. Then Tasha receives a note: “It was supposed to be you.”
8. M. J. Arlidge
Why they’re similar: Both authors write dark, gritty novels that explore the worst aspects of human nature, including morally bankrupt characters with traumatic backstories.
Key themes/style: While M. J. Arlidge writes detective fiction, his books have the psychological depth and disturbing atmosphere of a thriller. His DI Helen Grace novels depict more visceral scenes of violence than Lisa Jewell’s, but both authors explore depraved characters who inflict pain on others.
Books to read first:
- Eeny Meeny: This disturbing serial killer thriller has a gripping central premise: someone is kidnapping people in pairs and refusing to release them until one kills the other.
- Pop Goes the Weasel: This fast-paced cat-and-mouse thriller sees a serial killer on the loose, targeting family men leading double lives.
- The Doll’s House: This creepy, disturbing thriller introduces a resourceful predator who kidnaps victims without their family ever noticing they’re missing.
Don’t miss Lisa Jewell’s new book, It Could Have Been Her, out 2nd July 2026
What’s your favourite Lisa Jewell book? Let us know in the comments below…
I’ve four of the books on here and I am looking forward to the new Lisa Jewell when it comes out next year.
I love Lisa Jewell but The House We Grew Up In is one of my favourites. A really good book which I’ll never forget!