Books Like Big Little Lies: Twisty, Suspenseful Reads with Secrets, Scandals, and Suburbia

Liane Moriarty’s Big Lit­tle Lies is more than a domes­tic thriller — it’s a smart, lay­ered explo­ration of moth­er­hood, mar­riage, and the secrets that lie beneath a per­fect sub­ur­ban facade. If you were hooked by the dark humor, shift­ing per­spec­tives, and an unrav­el­ing mys­tery sur­round­ing a shock­ing crime, you’re in for a treat. Below are sev­en grip­ping reads that echo the themes, emo­tion­al depth, and dra­ma of Big Lit­tle Lies.

1. The Husbands by Chandler Baker

Key Highlights:

• Sub­ur­ban mys­tery with a fem­i­nist twist
• Secre­tive, Step­ford-like neigh­bor­hood
• Explores gen­der roles and mar­riage dynam­ics

Why You Should Read It:
The Hus­bands deliv­ers domes­tic sus­pense wrapped in sharp social com­men­tary. Like Moriarty’s work, it pulls back the cur­tain on seem­ing­ly ide­al lives to expose some­thing far more sin­is­ter — all while ques­tion­ing mod­ern expec­ta­tions placed on women.

2. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Key Highlights:

• Ten­sion between two moth­ers with oppos­ing val­ues
• Themes of iden­ti­ty, priv­i­lege, and rebel­lion
• A fire ignites — lit­er­al­ly and fig­u­ra­tive­ly

Why You Should Read It:
Much like Big Lit­tle Lies, this nov­el takes place in a pic­turesque sub­urb where fam­i­lies appear per­fect until secrets come to light. The emo­tion­al depth and moral com­plex­i­ty make it a must-read for fans of lay­ered sto­ry­telling and strong female leads.

3. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

Key Highlights:

• A miss­ing baby at a din­ner par­ty
• Fast-paced and filled with jaw-drop­ping twists
• Trust and decep­tion in rela­tion­ships

Why You Should Read It:
If you loved the mys­tery ele­ment in Big Lit­tle Lies, this thriller offers a grip­ping plot and shock­ing turns. It explores how well we real­ly know the peo­ple clos­est to us — espe­cial­ly the ones we live next to.

4. The Push by Ashley Audrain

Key Highlights:

• A dark, psy­cho­log­i­cal look at moth­er­hood
• Themes of trau­ma, gen­er­a­tional pain, and doubt
• Nar­rat­ed by an unre­li­able moth­er

Why You Should Read It:
The Push cap­tures the emo­tion­al weight and com­plex­i­ty of par­ent­ing, sim­i­lar to Big Lit­tle Lies, but with a dark­er, more dis­turb­ing lens. It’s thought-pro­vok­ing, intense, and impos­si­ble to put down.

5. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Key Highlights:

• A young Black babysit­ter is false­ly accused of kid­nap­ping
• Explores race, priv­i­lege, and per­for­ma­tive ally­ship
• Set in a priv­i­leged, image-con­scious com­mu­ni­ty

Why You Should Read It:
While not a thriller in the tra­di­tion­al sense, this nov­el offers the same sharp, social­ly aware writ­ing. Reid’s explo­ration of race and class in afflu­ent soci­ety res­onates with the themes of iden­ti­ty and hid­den truths present in Big Lit­tle Lies.

6. The Perfect Nanny by Leïla Slimani

Key Highlights:

• Opens with a chill­ing crime
• Slow­ly builds psy­cho­log­i­cal ten­sion
• Inspired by real-life events

Why You Should Read It:
Fans of Big Lit­tle Lies will appre­ci­ate this nov­el­’s reverse struc­ture — start­ing with a crime and work­ing back­ward to reveal how it hap­pened. It’s a dis­turb­ing, well-writ­ten por­trait of con­trol, iso­la­tion, and men­tal unrav­el­ing in a domes­tic set­ting.

7. The Secrets You Keep by Kate White

Key Highlights:

• A sus­pense­ful sto­ry about mem­o­ry, lies, and mar­riage
• Female pro­tag­o­nist piec­ing togeth­er a for­got­ten past
• Dark secrets in a seem­ing­ly lov­ing rela­tion­ship

Why You Should Read It:
This psy­cho­log­i­cal thriller blends the intrigue of a mys­tery with the emo­tion­al pull of a woman grap­pling with hid­den truths. Like Big Lit­tle Lies, it explores what hap­pens when care­ful­ly main­tained appear­ances begin to crum­ble.

Final Thoughts: Why These Books Belong on Your List

If Big Lit­tle Lies drew you in with its blend of sus­pense, com­plex women, and bit­ing com­men­tary on mod­ern life, these nov­els will do the same — with their own unique spins. Whether you’re in the mood for slow-burn­ing dra­ma or page-turn­ing thrillers, each book deliv­ers secrets, lies, and rev­e­la­tions that will keep you read­ing long into the night.