“He could find hatred in his heart for her, too, if he went looking for it. The secret of a happy marriage was not to go looking for it.”
If you loved the twisty, character-driven chaos of Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers, you’re probably craving more novels that blend domestic suspense, sharp humour, and unforgettable group dynamics. Books like Nine Perfect Strangers are hard to come by – stories that blend psychological tension with heartfelt, human moments – but there are plenty of brilliant read-alikes that capture the same irresistible vibe. Today at What We Reading, we’re curating our favourite books similar to Nine Perfect Strangers, perfect for anyone who loves contemporary suspense, layered mysteries, and plots where secrets slowly unravel. Whether you’re looking for authors like Liane Moriarty, novels with multiple POVs, or addictive domestic thrillers you can’t put down, this list is sure to help you discover your next binge-worthy read.
Nine Perfect Strangers Summary
Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Amidst all the luxury and pampering, they know that these next ten days might involve some real work. Frances Welty, the former bestselling romance novelist, arrives at Tranquillum House nursing a bad back, a broken heart, and an exquisitely painful paper cut. She’s immediately intrigued by her fellow guests. But the most intriguing person of all is the strange and charismatic owner of the resort. Could this person really have the answers Frances didn’t even know she was seeking?
It’s not long before every guest at Tranquillum House is asking the exact same question. Combining all the hallmarks that have made Liane Moriarty’s writing a must-read for anyone looking for a wickedly smart, page-turning fiction that is sure to make you laugh and gasp, Nine Perfect Strangers once again demonstrates why she is a master at her craft.
The Guest List – Lucy Foley
Kicking off our list of books like Nine Perfect Strangers is another claustrophobic thrill-ride, Lucy Foley’s The Guest List. On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together. It’s a wedding for a magazine or for a celebrity. The cell phone service might be spotty, and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been explicitly planned and will be expertly executed.
But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well-wishes. The groomsmen have been playing their drinking game since their school days. The bridesmaid no-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast. And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And, more importantly, why?
Check Out Our The Guest List Book Review
The Club – Ellery Lloyd
The Home Group is a glamorous collection of celebrity members’ clubs dotted across the globe, where the rich and famous can party hard and then crash out in five-star suites, far from the prying eyes of fans and the media. The most spectacular of all is Island Home – a closely guarded, ultraluxurious resort, just off the English coast – and its three-day launch party is easily the most coveted A-list invite of the decade.
But behind the scenes, tensions are at breaking point: the ambitious and expensive project has pushed the Home Group’s CEO and his long-suffering team to their breaking points. Like Nine Perfect Strangers, all of them have something to hide – and that’s before the beautiful people with their own ugly secrets even set foot on the island. As tempers fray and behaviour worsens, some of Island Home’s members will begin to wish they’d never made the guest list.
The Villa – Rachel Hawkins
As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their thirties, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So, when Chess suggests a girls’ trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the opportunity to reconnect with her friend. Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home. But, in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato and rented for the summer by notorious rock star Noel Gordon, fellow musician Pierce Sheldon, and Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. It was a summer that ended with Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album, and Pierce ending up being murdered.
As Emily digs further into the villa’s complicated history, she begins to think there may be more to the story. Yet the closer she gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. As secrets from the past come to light, equally dangerous betrayals from the present also emerge – and it begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends.
The Soulmate – Sally Hepworth
Picture a lovely cottage on a cliff, with sloping lawns, walking paths, and beautiful flowers. It’s Gabe and Pippa Gerard’s dream home in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house hides something sinister. The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people taking their own lives. Over the past several months, Gabe has come to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge.
Until one day, he doesn’t. When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral. Did the victim jump? Was she pushed? And would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate, lie? As the perfect facade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets start to unravel. With a thrilling and addictive edge similar to Nine Perfect Strangers, The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth reminds us that sometimes the most convincing lies are the ones we tell ourselves.
The Sanatorium – Sarah Pearse
Half hidden by forest and overshadowed by threatening peaks, Le Sommet has always been a sinister place. Long plagued by troubling rumours, the former abandoned sanatorium has since been renovated into a five-star minimalist hotel. An imposing, isolated getaway spot high up in the Swiss Alps is the last place Elin Warner wants to be. But when her estranged brother, Isaac, and his fiancée, Laure, invite her to celebrate their engagement at the new hotel, Elin has no reason not to accept.
Arriving in the midst of a threatening storm, Elin immediately feels on edge. And when they wake the following morning to discover that Laure is missing, Elin needs to trust her instincts if they hope to find her. With the storm closing off all access to the hotel, the longer Laure stays missing, the more the remaining guests begin to panic. Unbeknownst to all of them, another woman has also disappeared. And she’s the only one who could have warned them just how much danger they are all in…
Check Out Our The Sanatorium Book Review
The Perfect Guests – Emma Rous
1988. Beth Soames is fourteen years old when her aunt takes her to stay at Raven Hall, a rambling manor in the isolated East Anglian fens. The Averells, the family who lives there, are warm and welcoming, and Beth becomes fast friends with their daughter, Nina. At times, Beth even feels like she’s truly part of the family – until they ask her to help with a harmless little game, and nothing is ever the same again.
2019. Sadie Langton is an actress struggling to make ends meet when she bags a well-paying gig to pretend to be a guest at a weekend party. She is sent a suitcase of clothing, a dossier outlining the role she is to play, and instructions. It is strange, but she needs the money, and when she sees the stunning manor she’ll be staying at, she figures she has nothing to lose. Yet, as day turns to night, Sadie starts to feel something is off with the manor, its glamorous guests, and the party that gets underway. It becomes chillingly apparent that their unseen host is playing games with everyone.
The New Couple In 5B – Lisa Unger
Another one of the best mystery books like Nine Perfect Strangers comes from Lisa Unger in The New Couple in 5B. Rosie and Chad Lowan are barely making ends meet in New York City when they receive life-changing news: Chad’s uncle has left them his luxury apartment at the historic Windermere in glamorous Murray Hill. With its prewar elegance and impeccably uniformed doorman, the building is the embodiment of old New York charm. One would never suspect the dark history lurking behind its perfectly maintained facade.
At first, the building’s eccentric tenants couldn’t be more welcoming. But as the Lowans settle into their new home, Rosie begins to suspect there is more here than meets the eye. When one of the neighbours turns up dead, she needs to get to the truth about the Windermere before she, too, falls under its dangerous spell.
Check Out The Best Lisa Unger Books In Order
Something In The Water – Catherine Steadman
Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough. Mark is a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they set out on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water…
Suddenly, the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice: to speak out or to protect their secret. After all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt? Their decision will soon trigger a devastating chain of events in Catherine Steadman’s propulsive thriller, Something in the Water, which is about the lies we tell ourselves.
The Woman In The Library – Sulari Gentill
The ornate reading room at the Boston Public Library is quiet until the tranquillity is shattered by a woman’s terrified scream. Security guards take charge immediately, instructing everyone inside to stay put until the threat has been identified and contained. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers, who’d happened to sit at the same table, pass the time in conversation and friendships are struck. Each has their own reasons for being in the reading room that morning – it just so happens that one of them is a murderer.
Award-winning author Sulari Gentill delivers a sharply thrilling read similar to Nine Perfect Strangers in The Woman in the Library, an unexpectedly twisty literary adventure that examines the complicated nature of friendship and shows us that words can be the most treacherous weapons of all.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
