-AUTHOR-
Karen Clarke
Welcome to my website.
I'm Karen Clarke, a multi-published author of psychological thrillers and romantic comedies.
'all the beauty of life
is made up of light and shadows' Leo Tolstoy
My Best Friend's Secret
She knows her. But can she trust her?
When Rose’s old friend Elise suddenly arrives on her doorstep having just escaped a controlling marriage, she offers her a place to stay.
But Elise wants more than a safe refuge, she wants Rose to help her get her daughter back, so that she can truly start afresh with five-year-old Daisy safely in her arms. Every little girl needs her mother, after all.
Ready to insert herself into Elise’s old home, Rose gets a job as a teacher, home-schooling Daisy.
But when Rose is asked to take the little girl and bring her to Elise, she gets cold feet… Elise’s behaviour is becoming increasingly erratic, and Daisy’s father is far from the monster described…
‘WOW what an exciting thriller!! This book certainly kept me on my toes, so many twists and turns throughout.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A suspenseful drama that I couldn't put down. It had me hooked with its many twists and turns.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Husband's Secret
One year ago, my husband Jack left. I’ve longed for the moment he would walk through the door and tell me all he ever wanted was to be with me.
Now he’s back, but this isn’t the reunion I had dreamt of…
Jack has been in a hit and run accident. He doesn’t remember we aren’t together, has no clue about his other family, and no recollection of the phone call he made before the crash – I made a terrible mistake that I can’t put right. All I can do is get out.
Jack is different to the man that walked out and I’m certain he’s hiding something too.But I finally have my husband by my side, and with Jack suffering from amnesia, surely the easiest thing would be to stay quiet…
But can you really trust a man who simply vanished from your life? And should he even trust me?
From the bestselling author of My Sister’s Child comes a new emotional family drama about love, lies and the lengths that we will go to for the ones we love.
‘This book is really well written, it is clever and original and really gripping… I was completely sucked in from the very first moment. Wonderful.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
’'It literally drew me in immediately and my attention never wavered. Classic thriller with a dynamic main character. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Sister's Child
I promised her I'd protect him… and I'll do anything to keep him safe.
Five years ago, my sister Rachel left her baby boy on my doorstep. A little bundle wrapped in blankets.
I loved him. I cared for him. I called him Noah and raised him as my own.
Rachel was full of secrets, and the truth about Noah was one we shared. A secret just between sisters.
Now, my sister is dead. The police say it was an accident but I’m convinced that’s a lie.
I owe it to Rachel to uncover the truth… Even if I risk losing the family I’ve fought so hard for.
Dark family secrets rise to the surface in this gripping and emotional page-turner. My Sister’s Child will keep you reading long into the night and is perfect for fans of Nicole Trope and Claire Amarti.
A brilliant psychological thriller… the twists that happen will leave you on the edge of your seat.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A tense and emotional read, with well-drawn, menacing and intriguing, characters.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
And Then She Ran
How far would you go to keep your baby safe?
Grace bundled her eight-week-old daughter into her carry cot, opened the door and ran.
Her life in New York faded into the background – she needed to keep her baby safe. She needed to get as far away from Patrick as possible.
Now, staying in a remote cottage in Wales, Grace is trying to start again. But she can’t shake the uneasy feeling that she’s been followed.
And then she finds a note. Left on her bed. A tiny scrap of paper with scrawl in bright red pen. Keep her close. Anything could happen.
She’s been found. Patrick wants his baby back.
But Grace will do everything to stop him.
An utterly gripping cat and mouse thriller that will keep you reading long into the night for fans of Lisa Jewell, Adele Parks and Sally Hepworth.
'It had me gripped from the start and would not let go' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'An addictive and chilling read with a very dramatic ending. It had everything I love in a thriller and more.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Your Life for Mine
Meet Beth Turner...
From the outside she looks like any other thirty-three-year-old woman, with a gorgeous house and beautiful daughter.
But Beth has a secret that has haunted her past for as long as she can remember. A secret that only those closest to her know. Aged seven, she almost drowned on a family holiday… and a stranger died saving her life. Survivors guilt has been the defining characteristic of her life ever since.
So, when Beth receives a threatening text message from an anonymous number on the way to her surprise birthday party, she knows her time is up.
Enjoy your birthday, Beth. It’ll be your last.
As she arrives at her house, there’s only one thing she knows for certain. Someone at the party wants her dead.
'A satisfyingly chilling read with an explosive ending.'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vikki Patis - bestselling author of 'Girl Lost'
There’s no shortage of suspects in this gripping new thriller.” Diane Jeffrey - bestselling author of 'The Guilty Mother'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The New Wife
SHE GOT IT ALL . . . BUT NOW SHE MAY LOSE EVERYTHING
Nell Cosgrove is the second wife who got it all. She married her handsome, wealthy boss Oliver within six months of meeting him. They live in a beautiful riverside home. She has a great career.
Oliver was already separated when they met. Nell’s not a marriage-wrecker. She’s not responsible for his fragile ex-wife Fiona.
Nell’s two stepdaughters, Ruby and Poppy, don’t see it that way. They are loyal to their mother, and reject all Nell’s efforts.
And now everything is falling apart. Nell’s marriage is starting to crack. Her husband spends more and more time away on business.
She gets creepy text messages from an anonymous admirer. Bouquets of flowers arrive at her office. She starts making mistakes at work.
Everything Nell thought she knew about her marriage and her new life is about to be turned upside down.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A great book . . . Lots of suspense.
Definitely five stars from me.’ Linda S.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘What a fantastic read. I could
not put it down.’ Nauld
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Highly recommended.
A page-turner.’ Helena M.
WOW! I absolutely loved this book and stayed up way too late to finish it!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A wickedly clever page-turner.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Perfect Nanny
You trust her with your home, your husband, your baby… but she is about to destroy it all.
Sophy Pemberton is struggling to cope with the pressures of becoming a new mother. Her nine-month-old son never settles in her arms and the unrelenting tiredness from late night feeds is all consuming.
When Liv Granger from the mother and baby group offers her services as a nanny, Sophy is overcome with relief. Now she can finally get some sleep…she can stop failing at being a mother.
But Liv has a secret. She didn’t become Sophy’s nanny by accident.
And Sophy has no idea who she has let into her home.
An utterly gripping and suspenseful novel that will have you turning the pages long into the night for fans of The Mother-In-Law, Lies Lies Lies, and The Babysitter.
The Secret Sister
Can you trust a sister who is a stranger?
Ella Matthews has it all. A beautiful house, a charming husband and a precious baby daughter – her life has pretty much turned out exactly as she planned.
But when Ella’s mother tragically dies, her perfect life starts to crack. Her mother had been harbouring a life-long secret. Ella has a sister – an older sister – called Colleen.
Excited by the thought of no longer being an only child, Ella can’t wait to find her. But Colleen has a whirlwind past of her own. Desperate to escape her troubles, she is ready to go to any length to start afresh.
As their paths collide, someone is keeping secrets… and when Colleen mysteriously disappears without notice, Ella can’t help but question if she should have started looking for her at all…
'Intense, quick-paced, has well developed characters & a plot that’s full of twists. Once I started reading, I could not put it down!!’
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐