“Sometimes, when you wear a mask too long, you find it sticks to the skin.”
JP Delaney is the pseudonym for bestselling author Anthony Capella, who has published multiple books across genres under different names. Publishers and retailers often ask multi-genre authors to write under pseudonyms as a way of avoiding confusing audiences over why a writer they know for one genre is now suddenly selling in another. Nevertheless, Delaney has established himself as one of the most recognisable names in the domestic psychological thriller world in recent times. His stories often involve stripped-back and intimate scenarios, which are quickly ramped up through fast pacing and sudden, shocking twists. If you love all things thriller, check out What We Reading as we run you through our favourite JP Delaney books!
The Girl Before (2017)
Kicking off our list of JP Delaney books is 2017’s The Girl Before. Nominated for Best Mystery & Thriller in the Goodreads Choice Awards, the story follows two women, Emma and Jane, who both move into an ultra-minimalist apartment at One Folgate Street. An architectural marvel designed by one of the most revered designers in the world, Edward Monkford. Edward is a perfectionist and requires his tenants to follow strict instructions during their time living in the apartment. Instructions that are designed to transform its occupant.
Following a personal tragedy, Jane is in need of a fresh start. And, upon moving in, it appears One Folgate Street is the perfect place. She soon learns about the untimely death of the previous tenant. But, as she tries to untangle the truth about this woman before her, she unwittingly begins following the same patterns, making the same choices, crossing paths with the same people, and experiencing the same terrors she did.
Check Out Our The Girl Before Book Review
Believe Me (2018)
As a struggling actor and a Brit in the United States without a green card, Claire is in desperate need of some work and some money. Then, she gets both. Only nothing like what she expected. She agrees to become a decoy for a firm of divorce lawyers. Hired to entrap unfaithful husbands, her role is to catch on tape with seductive propositions. The only rule is to never come on directly, only to let them know that she is available. As they claim, the innocent have nothing to hide.
But, when the wife of one of Claire’s targets is killed violently, the police make the husband the sole suspect. Desperate to catch him before he strikes again, they enlist Claire to lure him into a confession. For a woman who has mastered the art of manipulation, how difficult can it be to tempt a killer into a trap?
The Perfect Wife (2019)
Abbie wakes up in a daze with no memory of who she is, or how she wound up in this jarring condition. The man by her side claims to be her husband. He claims to be a titan in the tech world and a founder of one of the most innovative start-ups in Silicon Valley. He informs Abbie that she is a passionate artist, an avid surfer, a loving mother to their young son and the perfect wife. Finally, he tells her that she suffered a massive accident five years ago and that was only through a huge technological breakthrough that she was able to be brought back.
But, as drips of Abbie’s memory start to return to her, she begins questioning her husband and his version of events. Can she trust him when he says he wants them to be together forever? And what really happened half a decade ago? One of the best JP Delaney books for demonstrating his deft use of unreliable narration, The Perfect Wife is a gripping mystery thriller.
Playing Nice (2020)
2020’s Playing Nice follows Pete Riley, who answers the door one morning to find every parents’ worst nightmare waiting behind it. On his doorstep is Miles Lambert, a stranger, who breaks the devastating news that Pete’s son, Theo, isn’t actually his son. Instead, he is the Lamberts’. He had been swapped at birth by the overworked nurses whilst his real son was sent home with Miles and his wife, Lucy. For Pete, his wife, Maddie, and the boy they’ve been raising for two years, their lives are upended forever.
Reeling from the shock, the two families attempt to put their shared good intentions together and form an unconventional modern family. But, a plan to sue the hospital triggers an official investigation that reveals some disturbing questions about the evening their children were switched. How much can they trust the other parents – or even each other? And, what other secrets are behind the Lamberts’ pristine front door?
My Darling Daughter (2022)
Out of the blue, Susie Jones is contacted on social media by Anna, the girl she gave up for adoption fifteen years ago. But, when they meet, Anna’s home life sounds unnervingly strange to Susie and her husband, Gabe. When the couple that adopted Anna appears to overreact to the fact that she has contacted them, Susie begins to suspect that Anna needs her help.
But, is Anna’s own behaviour simply the sort of behaviour one would expect to see from someone who endured a traumatic childhood? Or, are there other secrets at play here – secrets that Susie has also been hiding over the past fifteen years?
The New Wife (2023)
The latest JP Delaney book to be released to date, The New Wife is a 2023 mystery thriller. When Finn Hensen receives a call from his sister, Jess, to tell him their father has died, neither is heartbroken. Their parents divorced many years ago, with their father, Jimmy, continuing his luxury lifestyle in sun-soaked Mallorca, while the rest of the family moved back to the UK. Ownership of his home, a beautiful but ramshackle farmhouse passes down to Finn and Jess. The only problem? Their father’s new wife, Ruensa, is still living there.
The pair agree that Finn is best suited to travel to Mallorca and take possession of the property tactfully. But, when he arrives, he is surprised to find Finca Siquila completely transformed into a chic Mediterranean getaway by Ruensa and her daughter, Roze. Despite this, the Spanish police are starting to ask awkward questions about Jimmy’s death. Are Ruensa and Roze the victims of circumstance? Or are they determined to get their hands on Finca Siquia, no matter the cost?
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).
