Jodi Picoult writes intense family dramas in which sympathetic characters must grapple with life and death ethical issues. Her multilayered plots contain detailed medical and legal situations. Here are some authors that write in a similar fashion:
Diane Chamberlain concentrates on relationships and weaves romance and suspense throughout her plots. The Good Father is Travis Brown, a devoted single dad who’s struggling to provide for his child. His desperation to make quick money pulls him into criminal activity that puts him and his daughter in danger. (2012)
Kristin Hannah looks at the difficult emotions people experience after life-shattering events. In Night Road, lonely freshman Lexi Baill feels lucky to meet twins Mia and Zach Farrady and become part of their fun-loving family. Four years later, when Lexi and the twins make a tragic mistake, Lexi takes the blame. Can the characters overcome their anger and grief to forgive each other? (2011)
Rosamund Lupton provides intricate mysteries against a backdrop of strong family ties. Afterwards uses Grace, a woman lying unconscious in a hospital bed, to eerily narrate the story of how and why she and her daughter were critically injured in a fire. The effect is chilling. (2012)
Lisa Scottoline, famous for her Rosato and Associates series, now writes stand-alone thrillers that combine family situations with runaway suspense. Come Home examines the bond between a mother, Jill Farrow, and her former stepdaughter, Abby, when Jill jeopardizes the stability of her new family in order to help Abby investigate her father’s suspicious death. (2012)
Graham Swift unfolds psychological drama with restrained tension. In Wish You Were Here, Jack Luxton, a British seaside park owner, gets word that his younger brother, Tom, has died in combat in Iraq. The news pushes Jack to near-madness and his irrational actions frighten away his wife. (2012)
Recommendations courtesy of Maple Grove Librarian Ann Pieri
