Are you looking for books like The Last Mrs. Parrish?
When I think of The Last Mrs. Parrish, I think of twisty thrillers involving two lead women and one lead man. I also think of books where a character or characters aren’t who they seem or are playing “a role,” as well as characters of different economic classes. That’s exactly what you’ll find here.
Since The Last Mrs. Parrish, a popular Reese Witherspoon’s book club pick, has been one of the top-selling books on my blog, I am sharing books like The Last Mrs. Parrish for you to binge next below. Learn exactly what to read after The Last Mrs. Parrish below.
The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
- National Bestseller
- Reese Witherspoon’s book club pick
In The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine, Amber is a woman with a plan for a bigger life — to take over the glamourous and seemingly perfect life of Daphne Parrish, by getting Daphne out of the picture and becoming the new Mrs. Parrish, married to a handsome real estate mogul.
After Amber and Daphne become friends, the pieces of Amber’s plans start to fall in place … but then spiral into suspenseful and unexpected results.
It’s a real page-turner, full of dark secrets and diabolical characters.
Quick List of Books Similar to The Last Mrs. Parrish
Below are my top picks for books like The Last Mrs. Parrish — what to read after The Last Mrs. Parrish in order to get more of the best thriller books involving two lead women, a leading man, and characters playing “roles” and characters of different economic classes.
TOP PICK
What books are like The Last Mrs. Parrish?
Reviews of The Last Mrs. Parrish Read-a-likes
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
- Instant New York Times bestseller
- USA Today bestseller
Behind Closed Doors is a thriller about seemingly perfect newlyweds. Jack is a successful lawyer and Grace, the perfect homemaker and caretaker for her handicapped younger sister.
Even the fact that Jack and Grace are always together seems lovely… until it doesn’t. For example, Grace never answers the phone, she never carries anything, and she’s always unavailable despite not having a job. Oddest of all are the metal shutters covering the first-floor windows of their home.
As the title suggests, there is indeed more than meets the eye, just as there is with the three lead characters in The Last Mrs. Parrish.
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
- New York Times bestseller
- USA Today bestseller
- Wall Street Journal bestseller
- Winner of a 2023 ITW Thriller Award
In the insanely popular thriller, The Housemaid, Nina Winchester welcomes a new housemaid to her picture-perfect home.
The maid seeks a fresh start from her secretive past — one that soon has her wishing she could step into Nina’s shoes, literally.
But, at the same time, she discovers some oddities about the Winchesters. For example, Nina tells lies about her daughter, and her husband seems like a broken man. It seems they may have some secrets of their own.
And, when the maid discovers that her bedroom locks from the outside, it’s already too late.
I’m not the first to compare this book to The Last Mrs. Parrish, and you can probably already see why from the premise alone. Both are jaw-dropping stories involving one man and two women, as well as an outsider of a different class, and possibly even more…
The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica
New York Times bestseller
While I haven’t yet read The Other Mrs. myself, I have read other books by Kubica and liked them, and several readers named this as one of their favorite books like The Last Mrs. Parrish.
Just after Sadie and Will move from the big city to small-town Maine, their neighbor is found dead in her home.
The death puts Sadie on edge, and when eyes of suspicion look toward the new family in town, she tries to uncover what happed really happened the night of the death, giving her a lot to lose in the process.
Rebecca by Daphne duMaurier
“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again…”
– Daphne du Maurier
So begins the classic thriller Rebecca, which is on the Rory Gilmore book list. It also happens to be on Netflix as a new adaptation (but the book is definitely better!)
It’s a slow burn with a creepy and atmospheric feel. The reader never actually meets Rebecca, who has passed away when the story begins.
Rather, a lower-class woman without a family, working as a servant, meets and quickly marries Rebecca’s wealthy older widow — the owner of the vast estate known as Manderley.
Upon her arrival at Manderley, the “ghost” of his first wife, Rebecca, lingers in the actions of the staff, who refuse to let go of the memory of Rebecca and how utterly perfect she was.
But, this is a thriller, and so, there’s so much more to the truth behind Rebecca‘s tragic death.
Maurier’s writing is immersive, and the last 100 pages leave you wanting more as you wonder what a sequel may uncover.
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
Instant New York Times bestseller
The Wife Between Us is FILLED with twists and is probably the most similar overall of all the books like The Last Mrs. Parrish. Nellie is a naive teacher who senses she is being followed as she plans her wedding to an older man named Richard.
Previously, Richard had left his first wife, Vanessa, who was forced to start her life over from rock bottom. And Vanessa is determined to stop Richard’s wedding.
The twists uniquely come in the way the story is told, and this book will keep you intrigued and likely surprised!
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
- Instant New York Times bestseller
- USA Today bestseller
- One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2021: CNN, Newsweek, Vulture, PopSugar, Parade, BuzzFeed, E!Online, TimeOut, Woman’s Day, Goodreads, She Reads, Good Housekeeping, CrimeReads, Frolic, Hello!, Mystery and Suspense
- January 2021 Indie Next pick and #1 LibraryReads pick
The Wife Upstairs is one of the newer books like The Last Mrs. Parrish. In this re-telling of the classic Jane Eyre, Jane is a broke dog walker to the rich in Birmingham, Alabama, stealing from her employers.
But when she meets Eddie, a recent young widower in the wealthy community where she works, she thinks her luck has turned a corner and sets out to date and marry him.
Eddie’s wife Bea, had a rag-to-riches Southern lifestyle brand, and she had drowned in a boating accident with her best friend. As Jane and Eddie fall deeper in love, Jane feels haunted by Bea’s absence.
This is one twisted love triangle generating a lot of buzz, with some plot points you may expect and some that will surprise you. I quite enjoyed it!
The Wives by Tarryn Fisher
- An instant bestseller
- The New York Times USA Today The Globe and Mail The Toronto Star
While I haven’t yet read The Wives myself, several readers named this as one of their favorite books like The Last Mrs. Parrish.
The plot really leaves you guessing: Thursday is so in love with Seth that she marries him knowing he has two other wives, about whom she knows nothing. Then, she finds something that tells a very different and horrifying story about her husband.
Verity by Colleen Hoover
- My top pick from this list
- #1 New York Times bestseller
- USA Today bestseller
- The Globe and Mail bestseller
- Publishers Weekly bestseller
I don’t know anyone who comes away from Verity NOT in utter shock. For that reason, it’s the top book I recommend to others looking for a disturbing psychological thriller or an escape book. I read it in one sitting, and I know several others who have also done so.
When struggling writer Lowen accepts a job from Jeremy, the husband of best-selling author Verity, to complete the writing of her books after Verity sustains terrible injuries. But as Lowen sorts through Verity’s materials, she finds Verity’s autobiography, which is filled with an array of truly chilling events that are almost guaranteed to make you gasp in horror.
Meanwhile, Lowen develops feelings for Jeremy. But that’s just the beginning, and I will leave the rest of the thrilling details for you to find out.
Related Post: Books Like Verity
Conclusion
These best books like The Last Mrs. Parrish are twisty thrillers involving two lead women and one lead man. Many also similarly have a character or characters that aren’t who they seem or are playing “a role,” as well as characters of different economic classes.
SHOP THE POST
To recap and help you decide what to read next, my top pick is the popular book Verity by Colleen Hoover. You may also want to check out the prequel and sequel to The Last Mrs. Parrish.
Share your own top pick or any remaining questions you may have in the comments below.
