Oh, here’s an idea: Let’s make pictures of our internal organs and give them to other people we love on Valentine’s Day. That’s not weird at all.

Jimmy Fallon

Last week was for the lovers. This week is for the not-yet-lovers, the single-and-loving-it, the spurned exes, and the I-don’t-do-love people. You won’t find a single romance on this list. It might be almost Valentine’s Day, but not everyone likes it, and that’s totally fine.

We’re going dark this post. Murderous tales of couples. Manipulation. Deceit. Suspense. Death, oh my!

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

Yes, this is a retelling of Jane Eyre (sorry I haven’t read it), so while it was new to me, you might be able to guess what’s coming. That doesn’t take away from how great this book was. Rachel Hawkins has quite a few great books out there and this is one of my favorites. It had me hooked on page 1.

Jane is a dog walker with clients in a well-to-do in a gated community. It’s so well off that no one really notices when she takes little items for herself. Enter recently widowed Eddie who is the community’s most mysterious resident. With his wife recently deceased, Jane spots an opportunity to change her life. However, the memory of his ex wife is everywhere and Jane’s past starts to catch up her in unexpected ways.

Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alice Feeney

Alice Feeney is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Her books are dark, mysterious, twisty, and all have really interesting and complicated characters. This is my absolute favorite by her and happens to be perfect for everyone who really dislikes Valentine’s Day.

On the outside, Adam and Amelia are the perfect couple. Every anniversary for the past 10 years Adam and Amelia exchange traditional gifts like paper, cotton, tin, etc. Amelia also writes her husband a letter that he’s never allowed to read until this anniversary. It’s a special one, especially since they won a trip to Scotland. They both know this trip will make or break their marriage, but one of them is lying about something and someone doesn’t want them to have a happily ever after.

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

Wouldn’t it be incredible to stumble upon something extremely valuable while you’re scuba diving on your honeymoon? In reality, yeah. In this book? Erin and Mark decide to keep their discovery a secret, after all who could it hurt? It must be fate! One decision can turn into a chain of unfortunate and life-altering events as they’re about to find out.

Who doesn’t love books about sunken treasure? You don’t see many books about honeymoons gone wrong or found treasure like this, so I was instantly hooked. It was the perfect amount of suspenseful that all of it was believable which made it even more thrilling to read.

Last Girl Ghosted by Lisa Unger

After falling for someone she matched with on a dating app, she suddenly is stood up and ghosted. Changed his number and deleted all his social media level of ghosted. Deciding to investigate, she learns she wasn’t the only one. However, all of those women went missing. Chasing his digital trail just got a lot more dangerous, dark, and mysterious since she’s not the only one doing some hunting.

A little cat and mouse action going on here, but in a very modern way. I loved the suspense and twists throughout the book. I’ll 100% be tracking down her previous books to read through. There are never enough thrillers a lady can read in my opinion, especially good ones.

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth

A successful heart surgeon husband, an ex wife, resentful children, and a much younger wife with secrets, what could possible go wrong? In this book dysfunctional family dynamics meet psychological thriller full of lies and mystery.

Sally Hepworth is so good at intertwining psychological thrills with deceit and unexpected twists with an emphasis on interesting female characters. Her books are always a fun surprise and unputdownable.

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Avery is an unorthodox therapist with controversial methods. Marissa and Matthew are trying to heal their relationship after infidelity. When all three meet, they are set on a path that they can’t turn away from. Secrets aren’t meant to be kept in this book and everyone has something they want to hide.

This duo is perfection when it comes to writing psychological thrillers. I know going into these books that trust is something that is going to get smashed and every character is unreliable. It makes for such a twisty and suspenseful read.

Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

Amber wakes up in a hospital and can’t move or speak but she is aware of everything happening around her. While she doesn’t remember how she ended up in this state, she has a suspicion her husband is the cause. That won’t keep her from lying though.

This book takes you on a wildly deceitful ride between the present and the events leading up to Amber ending up in the hospital. Who is telling the truth and who is spinning lies? Can you trust the author if she doesn’t even trust herself?

The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon

Aidan Thomas is the kind of man everyone loves and is always lending a helping hand. No one would ever suspect he has a dark secret, especially not one involving 8 murdered women and a woman imprisoned in his shed.

When he’s forced to move with his daughter, Aidan brings his captive with him and pretends she’s renting a room. He thinks she’s brainwashed, but is she or is she playing a game of her own?

Power dynamics, different viewpoints, suspense, and survival, what more could you want in a thriller?

Bonus Comedy: Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

It’s not a romance and I absolutely loved this book, so it’s making my list. All of the above books are twisty, deceitful, and dark. This murderous book and hilarious. Sometimes that’s just what you need.

Newly-single mom, Finlay, is a smidge stressed out and overwhelmed personally and professionally. When Finlay is overheard pitching a plot to her literary agent, she’s mistaken for a killer for hire and accidentally accepts the hit on a problematic husband. Committing a crime in real life is a lot harder than it is in her books, especially when she finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation.