Staff Picks
22 Psychological Thrillers Which Are All About the 'Wife' or 'Wives'
- Mona Verma
- Saturday, July 03, 2021
Collection
I am a fan of psychological thrillers and thought it would be fun to compile a list of titles in this genre which have the words 'Wife' or 'Wives' in them. It is all about the wives! They rule these suspense novels.
The Loyal Wife
Published in 2018
She thought they had the perfect marriage... Tamra never dreamed she would marry someone like Mike Mitchell: handsome, rich, a wonderful husband... until she finds out that Mike is having an affair. But Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and Mike Mitchell should have remembered that before he made a fool of her. Because Tamra knows something about Mike. Something he did. Something evil. And she was prepared to carry the secret to her grave. Not anymore. To make matters worse, Mike's daughter Madison has come to visit for a few days, and Madison doesn't like Tamra. Well, that's too bad, because Tamra doesn't have time to argue. She's too busy ruining Mike's life while remaining, on the surface at least, the perfect, loyal wife. But when Tamra's plan spirals out of control, she finds that things are not what they seem. And now, it's too late.
Dear Wife
Published in 2019
A woman who has changed her identity to escape domestic abuse and another who has gone missing under suspicious circumstances find their lives connected in unexpected ways.
The Wife Who Knew Too Much
Published in 2020
"Tabitha Girard had her heart broken years ago by Connor Ford. He was preppy and handsome. She was a pool girl at his country club. Their affair should have been a summer fling. But it meant everything to Tabitha. Years later, Connor comes back into Tabitha's life-older, richer, and desperately unhappy. He married for money, a wealthy, neurotic, controlling woman whom he never loved. He has always loved Tabitha. When Connor's wife Nina takes her own life, he's free. He can finally be with Tabitha. Nina's home, Windswept, can be theirs. It seems to be a perfect ending to a fairy tale romance that began so many years ago. But then, Tabitha finds a diary. "I'm writing this to raise an alarm in the event of my untimely death," it begins. "If I die unexpectedly, it was foul play, and Connor was behind it. Connor-and her." Who is Connor Ford? Why did he marry Nina? Is Tabitha his true love, or a convenient affair? As the police investigate Nina's death, is she a convenient suspect? As Tabitha is drawn deeper into the dark glamour of a life she is ill-prepared for, it becomes clear to her that what a wife knows can kill her"--Provided by publisher.
The Hunting Wives
Published in 2021
"The Hunting Wives share more than target practice, martinis, and bad behavior in this novel of obsession, seduction, and murder. Sophie O'Neill left behind an envy-inspiring career and the stressful, competitive life of big-city Chicago to settle down with her husband and young son in a small Texas town. It seems like the perfect life with a beautiful home in an idyllic rural community. But Sophie soon realizes that life is now too quiet, and she's feeling bored and restless. Then she meets Margot Banks, an alluring socialite who is part of an elite clique secretly known as the Hunting Wives. Sophie is completely drawn to Margot and swept into her mysterious world of late-night target practice and dangerous partying. As Sophie's curiosity gives way to full-blown obsession, she slips further away from the safety of her family and deeper into this nest of vipers. When the body of a teenage girl is discovered in the woods where the Hunting Wives meet, Sophie finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation and her life spirals out of control"-- Provided by publisher.
The Wife Stalker
A Novel
Published in 2020
Westport, Connecticut. When Piper Reynard meets Leo Drakos, the wedding ring on his finger is the only thing she doesn't like about him -- but she knows no marriage is permanent. Joanna fell in love with Leo years ago. They have two children together, and Joanna has been waiting for Leo to re-emerge from the severe depression that has engulfed him. When she discovers that it's not her loving support that's sparked his renewed happiness, Joanna is determined to find something, anything, to use against this woman who has stolen her life and her true love. When she unearths disturbing secrets about Piper, her concerns are dismissed as paranoia. Can she find the proof she needs? -- adapted from jacket
The Perfect Wife
A Novel
Published in 2019
"A missing woman receives a second chance at life, thanks to her billionaire husband--but the consequences are deadly in this gripping psychological thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Before. Abbie awakens in a daze with no memory of who she is or how she landed in this unsettling condition. The man by her side claims to be her husband. He's an icon of the tech world, the founder of a lucrative robotics company. He tells Abbie that she is a gifted artist, an avid surfer, a loving mother to their young son, and the perfect wife. He says she had a terrible accident five years ago, and that, through a huge technological breakthrough, she has been brought back from the abyss. She is a miracle of science. But as Abbie pieces together memories of her marriage, she begins questioning her husband's motives--and his version of events. Can she trust him when he says he wants them to be together forever? And what really happened to Abbie half a decade ago?"-- Provided by publisher.
The Wife Before Me
Published in 2020
"How well do you know the man you love? One evening as the sun is setting, Amelia Madison's car slides into the sea off Mason's Pier. Her body is never found. Two years later, Elena Langdon meets Nicholas Madison. She is grieving the loss of her mother, he is grieving for his wife. Together they can help each other. Now Elena is living with Nicholas. But Elena doesn't really know him. She doesn't know what he is capable of. More importantly, she doesn't know what really happened to Amelia. That is, untilthe day she discovers the torn page of a letter and the words she reads chill her to the bone. Elena must find the person who wrote these letters if she is to save herself. A totally breathtaking page-turner about the darker side of love, The Wife BeforeMe dares to show what really goes on behind closed doors."--from back cover.
The Wives
Published in 2019
Shes never met the other wives. None of them know each other, and because of this unconventional arrangement, she can see her husband only one day a week. But she loves him so much she doesn't care. Or at least that's what she told herself. But one day, while she's doing laundry, she finds a scrap of paper in his pocket, an appointment reminder for a woman named Hannah, and she knows it's another of the wives. She thought she was fine with her arrangement, but she can't help herself: she tracked her down, and, under false pretenses, she strikes up a friendship. Hannah has no idea who she is. Then, Hannah starts showing up to her coffee dates with telltale bruises, and she realize she's being abused by her husband. Who, of course, is also her husband. But shes never known him to be violent, ever. Who exactly is her husband, and how far would she go to find the truth? Would she risk her own life? And who is his mysterious third wife?
The Echo Wife
Published in 2021
"'When they said all happy families are alike, I don't think this is what they meant...' Evelyn Caldwell's husband Nathan has been having an affair - with Evelyn Caldwell. Or, to be exact, with a genetically cloned replica. After a morning that begins with a confrontation and ends with Nathan's body bleeding out on the kitchen floor, the two Caldwell wives will have to think fast--before sharing everything includes sharing a jail cell. The Echo Wife is a non-stop thrill ride of lies, betrayal, and identity, perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and Killing Eve"-- Provided by publisher.
The Charmed Wife
Published in 2021
"Cinderella married the man of her dreams--the perfect ending she deserved after diligently following all the fairy-tale rules. Yet now, two children and thirteen and a half years later, things have gone badly wrong and her life is far from perfect. One night, fed up, she sneaks out of the palace to get help from the Witch who, for a price, offers love potions to disgruntled housewives. But as the old hag flings the last ingredients into the cauldron, Cinderella doesn't ask for a love spell to win back her Prince Charming"-- Provided by publisher.
The Wife Upstairs
Published in 2021
"A delicious twist on a Gothic classic, Rachel Hawkins's The Wife Upstairs pairs Southern charm with atmospheric domestic suspense, perfect for fans of B.A. Paris and Megan Miranda. Meet Jane. Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates--a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name. But her luck changes when she meets Eddie Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates' most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can't help but see an opportunity in Eddie--not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she's always yearned for. Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea, an ambitious beauty with a rags-to-riches origin story, who launched a wildly successful southern lifestyle brand. How can she, plain Jane, ever measure up? And can she win Eddie's heart before her past--or his--catches up to her? With delicious suspense, incisive wit, and a fresh, feminist sensibility, The Wife Upstairs flips the script on a timeless tale of forbidden romance, ill-advised attraction, and a wife who just won't stay buried. In this vivid reimagining of one of literature's most twisted love triangles, which Mrs. Rochester will get her happy ending?"-- Provided by publisher.
The Wife Between Us
Published in 2018
A tangle of lies binds together a divorced man, his new fiancée, and his ex-wife.
Three Single Wives
A Novel
Published in 2020
"A trio of women break bad after after too much wine, too many secrets, and too perfect inspiration from the bestseller they discussed at book club. No one is exactly sure what happened when night fell, but in the morning there's one dead body and three women with a lot to lose. Somehow these women begin discussing the ways they might bury the body of an unfaithful husband. Of course, it's nothing more than a joke. None of them would ever mistake these plans as reality...However, at brunch the next morning, the women are alarmed by a visit from the police announcing that a man is dead... in a way eerily similar to the previous night's best laid plans. Did one woman take everything a step too far, or is the truth really more twisted than fiction?"-- Provided by publisher.
The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives
A Novel
Published in 2021
"Meet the trophy wives of Presidio Terrace, San Francisco's most exclusive--and most deadly--neighborhood in this shrewd, darkly compelling novel from the New York Times bestselling author of In Her Shadow."-- Provided by publisher.
The Other Wife
Published in 2018
When his father, a celebrated surgeon, is brutally attacked and a strange woman shows up at his bedside covered in blood, Joe O'Loughlin is forced to question everything he believes about his father and soon discovers that the truth comes with a high price.
The Next Wife
Published in 2021
Kate and Tish Nelson are two halves of a very similar coin: John's ex- and trophy- wife, respectively. Both have enjoyed the luxury that he (and Kate) earned through founding a successful company, but Kate works hard and raises their daughter while Trish is encouraging him to go on a romantic getaway to celebrate their new love. But they both know John's eye wanders, after all, Tish seduced him out of Kate's marriage and into her own, and when needed, they're each ready to go to extremes to preserve the lives they've build.
The Silent Wife
A Novel
Published in 2020
Investigating the killing of a prisoner during a riot inside a state penitentiary, GBI investigator Will Trent is confronted with disturbing information. One of the inmates claims that he is innocent of a brutal attack for which he has always been the prime suspect. The man insists that he was framed by a corrupt law enforcement team led by Jeffrey Tolliver and that the real culprit is still out there--a serial killer who has systematically been preying on women across the state for years. If Will reopens the investigation and implicates the dead police officer with a hero’s reputation of wrongdoing, the opportunistic convict is willing to provide the information GBI needs about the riot murder. Only days ago, another young woman was viciously murdered in a state park in northern Georgia. Is it a fluke, or could there be a serial killer on the loose? As Will Trent digs into both crimes it becomes clear that he must solve the cold case in order to find the answer. Yet nearly a decade has passed--time for memories to fade, witnesses to vanish, evidence to disappear, and lies to become truth. But Will can’t crack either mystery without the help of the one person he doesn’t want involved: his girlfriend and Jeffrey Tolliver’s widow, medical examiner Sara Linton. When the past and present begin to collide, Will realizes that everything he values is at stake . . .