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Quick answer: If you loved Blood Orange, read Michael Connelly's The Lincoln Lawyer, then J.P. Delaney's The Girl Before, then Alex Michaelides's The Silent Patient, and Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl and Sharp Objects and Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies. All are legal and psychological thrillers.
Harriet Tyce's 2019 novel Blood Orange follows a barrister with a secret life. These picks share its legal and domestic tension.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Lincoln Lawyer | Michael Connelly | Adult | modern legal thriller |
| The Girl Before | J.P. Delaney | Adult | creepy houses |
| The Silent Patient | Alex Michaelides | Adult | readers who like psychological thrillers |
| Gone Girl | Gillian Flynn | Adult | readers who like unreliable narrators |
| Big Little Lies | Liane Moriarty | Adult | readers who want drama |
| The Last Mrs. Parrish | Liv Constantine | Adult | rich-people drama |
| My Lovely Wife | Samantha Downing | Adult | killer couple |
| Defending Jacob | William Landay | Adult | readers who like courtroom thrillers |
| Local Girl Missing | Claire Douglas | Adult | the author's hit |
| The Woman in the Window | A.J. Finn | Adult | readers who like voyeur thrillers |
| Behind Closed Doors | B.A. Paris | Adult | readers who like psychological dread |
| Sometimes I Lie | Alice Feeney | Adult | more Alice Feeney |
| His & Hers | Alice Feeney | Adult | readers who like duel narrators |
| Mad Honey | Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan | Adult | issues-driven drama |
| Sharp Objects | Gillian Flynn | Adult | readers who like psychological thrillers |
1. The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
Mickey Haller works out of his car and defends clients across Los Angeles. Sharp, fast and clever.
Best for: modern legal thriller.
2. The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney
A woman moves into a minimalist house with strict rules and learns of the previous tenant. Cold and clever.
Best for: creepy houses.
3. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Theo investigates why a woman has stopped speaking after murdering her husband. A big twist ending.
Best for: readers who like psychological thrillers.
4. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Amy disappears on her wedding anniversary, and her husband becomes the main suspect. A twisty, cynical marriage thriller.
Best for: readers who like unreliable narrators.
5. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Parents at a school in Australia have secrets that come out after a trivia night ends in death. Sharp, funny and dark.
Best for: readers who want drama.
6. The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
A woman schemes to take over another woman's perfect life. Glossy and devious.
Best for: rich-people drama.
7. My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
A suburban couple's secret hobby is murder. Dark and funny.
Best for: killer couple.
8. Defending Jacob by William Landay
A district attorney's son is accused of murder, and the family comes under strain. A legal thriller with a family twist.
Best for: readers who like courtroom thrillers.
9. Local Girl Missing by Claire Douglas
A woman returns to her hometown after her friend's body is found. Twisty, with a strong sense of place.
Best for: the author's hit.
10. The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
An agoraphobic woman thinks she sees a crime in a neighbor's home. Hitchcock-style suspense.
Best for: readers who like voyeur thrillers.
11. Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
A seemingly perfect marriage hides a horrifying secret. Dark and quick.
Best for: readers who like psychological dread.
12. Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney
Amber wakes in a coma and cannot move, though she can hear and think. A debut that sets up a hard-to-solve puzzle.
Best for: more Alice Feeney.
13. His & Hers by Alice Feeney
Two narrators, a detective and a TV news anchor, are drawn into a murder in a small village. Twisty and fast.
Best for: readers who like duel narrators.
14. Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
A mother questions what happened when her son is accused of killing his girlfriend, while a love story unfolds in parallel. Emotional and thought-provoking.
Best for: issues-driven drama.
15. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Camille returns to her hometown to report on the murder of two girls and faces her family. Dark and stylish.
Best for: readers who like psychological thrillers.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Blood Orange: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Blood Orange. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For legal thrillers, read The Lincoln Lawyer. For domestic suspense, try The Girl Before. For twisty reads, pick The Silent Patient.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Blood Orange?
Harriet Tyce, in 2019.
What is it about?
A barrister, a murder case and a troubled marriage.
Is it a standalone?
Yes.
Which book here is best for readers who like psychological thrillers?
Try Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, which suits readers looking for readers who like psychological thrillers.
Which book here is best for issues-driven drama?
Try Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan, which suits readers looking for issues-driven drama.
Which book here is best for readers who like duel narrators?
Try His & Hers by Alice Feeney, which suits readers looking for readers who like duel narrators.