Six top thrillers where the victim’s body is hidden

Barbara Gayle Austin writes crime fiction. She grew up in Houston, Texas, but has spent most of her adult life in the Netherlands and the UK. She now lives in Amsterdam with her two children and her dog.

What You Made Me Do is Austin’s debut novel, a thriller set in Amsterdam and a Dutch island in the Wadden Sea. The novel was longlisted for the esteemed Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger award (under the title Lowlands). Her short stories have been longlisted in the Margery Allingham short mystery competition and in the Aestas 2022 competition.

At CrimeReads Austin tagged six "favorite thrillers where the victim’s body is hidden, only to be uncovered later… moved to a new spot… or never found at all." One title on the list:

The Family Plot by Megan Collins

Dahlia has spent a decade searching for her missing twin brother. When her estranged father dies, she reluctantly returns home for the funeral. But her world shatters when Andy’s skeletal remains are discovered in their father’s burial plot. This story has all the ingredients for a spine-tingling read. A creepy island, a family home nicknamed The Murder Mansion, Dahlia’s true-crime-obsessed mom, and a serial killer on the prowl. As Dahlia digs into the mystery, she uncovers shocking secrets about her brother—and the truth is more chilling than she ever imagined.

Read about another title on the list.

The Family Plot is among Megan Cooley Peterson's eight books exploring real life crimes, Lisa M. Matlin's six creepy novels featuring murder houses, and Steph Mullin's ten top novels inspired by true crimes.

The Page 69 Test: The Family Plot.

--Marshal Zeringue