15 Best Psychological Thrillers About Family Secrets
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If you love dysfunctional families, shocking revelations, and twists that make you question everyone, these 15 psychological thrillers about family secrets belong on your reading list.
Every family has secrets. But in psychological thrillers, those secrets have a nasty habit of turning deadly. A long-buried betrayal, a mysterious inheritance, a relative who isn’t who they claim to be – sometimes the people you think you know best are the ones hiding the most.
And the next time your family gets together for dinner? Just remember, things could be a whole lot worse.
Looking for psychological thrillers about family secrets? These 15 books are packed with buried lies, dysfunctional families, shocking betrayals, and twists that change everything.
- The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
- Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
- The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
- The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
- Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena
- Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent
- The Only One Left by Riley Sager
- The Family Game by Catherine Steadman
- The Perfect Family by Robyn Harding
- The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas
- Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
- The Family Plot by Megan Collins
- The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave
- The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark
- A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson
15 Best Psychological Thrillers About Family Secrets
Suspicious deaths, mysterious inheritances, missing relatives, and long-buried lies – these 15 psychological thrillers prove that the people closest to you may have the biggest secrets.
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
Why You’ll Like It: If you love creepy family dynamics, mysterious inheritances, and secrets that refuse to stay buried, this one delivers. Jewell gradually reveals the disturbing history of a London mansion and the people who once lived there, keeping you guessing about what really happened.
My Take: The Family Upstairs is one of the books that turned me into a Lisa Jewell fan. I love the way she builds suspense around complicated characters and unsettling family relationships. Let’s just say that after reading this one, I wanted more Lisa Jewell! If you’re new to her books, my Lisa Jewell Books in Order guide is a good place to explore what to read next.
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Why You’ll Like It: This is dark, gritty psychological suspense at its best. A woman revisits the murder of her family decades earlier, forcing her to question memories she’s lived with since childhood. Perfect if you enjoy morally complicated characters and mysteries that challenge everything you thought you knew.
The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
Why You’ll Like It: Two sisters, a complicated bond, and very different versions of their childhood make this a fascinating family thriller. The shifting perspectives keep you questioning who deserves your sympathy – and whether either sister is telling the whole truth.
The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
Why You’ll Like It: An unexpected inheritance draws a struggling young woman into a wealthy family’s secrets. With its atmospheric English estate, suspicious relatives, and questions about identity, this is ideal for readers who love an old-fashioned mystery with modern psychological suspense.
My Take: I’m a huge Ruth Ware fan, although I haven’t read The Death of Mrs. Westaway yet. It’s definitely on my reading list! A mysterious inheritance, a gloomy English estate, and a family hiding secrets? That sounds like classic Ruth Ware to me, and exactly the kind of story I love.
Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena
Why You’ll Like It: When a wealthy couple is murdered after a disastrous family dinner, their three adult children become prime suspects. Everyone has a motive, everyone has something to hide, and the family fortune gives them plenty of reasons to turn on one another.
Lying In Wait by Liz Nugent
Why You’ll Like It: A murder and a carefully concealed secret threaten to destroy a seemingly respectable family. Nugent explores obsession, guilt, and the disturbing lengths people will go to protect their comfortable lives. Expect deeply flawed characters and plenty of uncomfortable revelations.
The Only One Left by Riley Sager
Why You’ll Like It: A young caregiver arrives at a crumbling mansion to look after a woman accused of murdering her family decades earlier. As the woman begins communicating her story, the truth becomes increasingly difficult to untangle. A terrific choice if you enjoy gothic atmosphere, isolated settings, and family mysteries.
The Family Game by Catherine Steadman
Why You’ll Like It: Marrying into a wealthy, powerful family sounds wonderful—until your future in-laws start playing some very disturbing games. This one combines family secrets, psychological manipulation, and the unsettling question of just how far someone will go to belong.
The Perfect Family by Robyn Harding
Why You’ll Like It: The seemingly successful Adler family has a beautiful home and plenty of secrets. When someone begins targeting their house, each family member has reason to wonder whether their own hidden behavior is responsible. Great for readers who enjoy suburban suspense and families whose perfect appearances are anything but.
The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas
Why You’ll Like It: Two sisters exchange homes, but a shocking crime exposes tensions and secrets that go much deeper than either expected. With family history, jealousy, and buried truths at its center, this is an excellent pick for readers who enjoy twisty domestic mysteries.
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
Why You’ll Like It: When a mother disappears, her four adult children begin questioning everything they thought they knew about their parents’ marriage. Moriarty combines sharp observations about family relationships with an intriguing mystery, making this especially appealing if you like character-driven suspense.
The Family Plot by Megan Collins
Why You’ll Like It: Growing up in a family obsessed with true crime is strange enough. Discovering a body buried on the family property makes things considerably worse. This unusual thriller blends an eccentric upbringing, sibling relationships, and deeply buried secrets into one disturbing family mystery.
The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave
Why You’ll Like It: When two estranged siblings investigate their father’s suspicious death, they uncover a secret he’s kept for decades. This is a wonderful choice if you prefer your suspense with emotional depth, complicated relationships, and a mystery that reaches far into the past.
My Take: I loved The Night We Lost Him, and it’s one of the books that made me a Laura Dave fan. What appeals to me about her writing is that the family relationships matter just as much as the mystery. I love a good twist, but I also want to care about the people involved – and Laura Dave gives me both. If you’re curious about her other novels, you can explore them in my Laura Dave Books in Order guide.
The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark
Why You’ll Like It: A ghostwriter agrees to help her estranged father tell his story, only to confront a decades-old mystery involving the murders of his siblings. If you enjoy unreliable family histories, suspicious relatives, and secrets hidden in plain sight, this premise is irresistible.
My Take: I haven’t read The Ghostwriter yet, but I’ve read Julie Clark before and loved her writing. She’s already an author I want to read more from, and a thriller involving an estranged father and a long-buried family tragedy sounds right up my alley.
A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson
Why You’ll Like It: When a teenage girl is accused of murder, her parents are forced to confront how little they may know about their own daughter. Told through three different perspectives, this Swedish psychological thriller raises fascinating questions about family loyalty, truth, and what parents will do to protect their children.
How I Chose These Psychological Thrillers
For this list, I focused on psychological thrillers where family secrets are central to the story, not just an interesting subplot. These books explore buried lies, complicated relationships, betrayals, and the sometimes shocking things people do to protect themselves – or each other. These are some of the elements I looked for.
- Psychological suspense: Stories that keep you questioning characters’ motives, memories, and loyalties.
- Complicated family dynamics: Siblings, parents, spouses, and relatives whose relationships are anything but straightforward.
- Unexpected revelations: Secrets that gradually unravel and change how you see the characters.
- Variety: A mix of established favorites, newer releases, and lesser-known titles.
Some are books I’ve personally read and loved, while others come from authors I enjoy or are high on my own reading list.
Frequently Asked Questions About Psychological Thrillers Featuring Family Secrets
What are the best psychological thrillers about family secrets?
Some of the best psychological thrillers about family secrets include The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell, Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena, The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth, and A Nearly Normal Family by M. T. Edvardsson. Each explores hidden truths, complicated family relationships, and shocking revelations.
What is the difference between a psychological thriller and a domestic thriller?
Psychological thrillers focus on characters’ thoughts, motives, fears, and perceptions, often using unreliable narrators or deception to build suspense. Domestic thrillers center on relationships within families, marriages, or households. The genres frequently overlap, especially in stories about family secrets.
Are there psychological thrillers about family secrets without horror?
Absolutely! Books like Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty, The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave, and The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware rely on family mysteries, deception, and psychological tension rather than supernatural or horror elements.
What should I read if I loved The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell?
If you loved The Family Upstairs, try The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware for another atmospheric inheritance mystery, The Family Game by Catherine Steadman for a wealthy family hiding disturbing secrets, or The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark for a decades-old family mystery.
What To Read Next
If you love a good family secret, chances are you also enjoy unreliable narrators, shocking twists, and characters who aren’t quite what they seem. Here are a few more reading lists and author guides to help you find your next can’t-put-it-down thriller.
- Liv Constantine Books in Order – Discover twisty domestic thrillers filled with betrayal, dangerous secrets, and characters you can’t quite trust.
- Mystery & Thriller Books in Order – Explore more mystery and thriller authors, from psychological suspense to traditional whodunits.
- Ruth Ware Books in Order – Atmospheric mysteries, suspicious characters, and plenty of unexpected twists.
- 13 Books Like The Housemaid to Read Next – More addictive psychological thrillers filled with deception, manipulation, and shocking revelations.
Conclusion: Some Family Secrets Are Better Left Buried
Families can be complicated enough without adding murder, betrayal, suspicious inheritances, and decades of carefully concealed lies. But that’s exactly what makes psychological thrillers about family secrets so irresistible.
Whether you prefer the unsettling family dynamics of The Family Upstairs, the emotional suspense of The Night We Lost Him, or a good old-fashioned inheritance mystery, there’s plenty here to keep you turning pages.
Have you read any of these books? Or do you have a favorite family-secrets thriller I missed? I’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments.
After reading a few of these, you may never look at your next family reunion quite the same way.
