Books like The Last Temptation by Val McDermid

A 2012 crime thriller that explores a marriage in turmoil as one wife disappears, leaving her husband to confront suspicion and secrets.

A psychological thriller about a psychopathic serial kidnapper/murderer who calls himself the Son of Lindbergh, and a homicide detective with a Ph.D. in psychology who must outmaneuver him.

Alex Cross uncovers a new pair of rivals and a mysterious serial murderer in Washington and Paris, seeking revenge and justice for Gary Soneji's suicide and the murder of his fiancee.

Detective Alex Cross investigates a case of serial murders in Washington, D.C., and uncovers a terrifying secret about his beloved grandmother.

Alex Cross, a police detective, is called back to Washington, DC, to solve the gruesome murders of criminals and escape artists.

Chattanooga grief counselor Audrey Sherrod, who assists the police, must confront a dark past when a series of new murders links back to the brutal crimes she once tried to forget.

In this gripping mystery, Dr. Tony Hill and rookie agent Carol Jordan team up to track a serial killer who may be a television star.

From McDermid's webpage: "Four in the morning, mid-December, and snow is smothering St Andrews. Student Alex Gilbey and his three best friends are staggering home from a party when they stumble upon the body of a young woman. Rosie Duff has been raped, stabbed and left for dead in the ancient Pictish cemetery. And the only suspects are the four young students stained with her blood. Twenty-five years later, Fife police mount a cold case review. Among the unsolved murders they’re examining is that of Rosie Duff. But someone else has their own idea of how justice should be done. One of the original quartet dies in a suspicious house fire. Soon after, a second is killed in what looks like a burglary gone sour. But Alex fears the worst. Someone is taking revenge for Rosie Duff. He has to find out who it is before he becomes the next victim. And it might just save his life if he can uncover who really killed Rosie all those years ago."

Twenty-five years ago, the daughter of Scotland's richest man and her baby son were kidnapped and held to ransom. But Catriona Grant ended up dead and little Adam's fate is still unknown. When a new clue is discovered in a deserted Tuscan villa -- along with grisly evidence of a recent murder -- cold case expert DI Karen Pirie is assigned to follow the trail. She's already working a case from the same year. During the Miners' Strike of 1984, pit worker Mick Prentice vanished. He was presumed to have broken ranks and fled south with other 'scabs'! but Karen finds that the reported events of that night don't add up. Where did he really go? And is there a link to the Grant mystery?

Detective Profiler Tony Hill must confront a relentless, online‑oriented serial killer who targets innocent teens while battling his own past.\n

When Dexter Morgan becomes a father, his nightly killings and Miami police investigations collide as he hunts a missing girl and an unseen stalker while training his offspring to control their bloodlust.

Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan returns to Bradfield after a violent assault, only to find psychologist Dr. Tony Hill on the scene as a new post at a high‑security mental hospital. When a prostitute is found murdered in a pattern echoing a previous case, Jordan must rely on Hill to unravel a chilling serial killer that may be hiding within the force.

Kate Brannigan, a spirited Manchester private investigator, tackles the strange disappearance of conservatories while navigating crooked land deals, mortgage scams, and murder plots.

When best‑selling author Penny Varnavides is murdered in a manner that mirrors the plot of her upcoming novel, private investigator Lindsay Gordon must sift through the glittering London publishing scene to find the killer.

Tony Hill and his partner Carol investigate a serial killer targeting single women at weddings in northern England, confronting a chilling moral dilemma as they chase a killer who lures victims to remote, burned‑out cars.

A serial killer has been terrorizing New York City, and only a renowned expert on criminal behavior can stop him.

Fiona Cameron, academic psychologist, used to help the police track serial offenders. She vowed never to work again for the Met when they ignored her advice but, when her friend's fellow crime novelist is murdered, she is forced to respond.(Google Books) Psychologist Fiona Cameron uses state of the art computer programming to develop a serial profiling system, but not the typical sexual based type that dominates the field. The professor believes that other factors can also pinpoint a personality besides the sexual approach. She has helped the police solve several homicides though she is not always believed. Her lover, best selling author Kit Martin, informs Fiona that someone murdered a peer, using a modus operandi found in the deceased's novel. Other killings of authors using a page or two out of their books soon follow. Fiona working with the Toledo, Spain police struggles to put together a clear profile of the killer, but refuses to quit because she thinks Kit is on the murderer's short list. KILLING THE SHADOWS is an engaging serial killer investigative tale starring a wonderful lead character with a location that embellishes the plot. The enjoyable story line widens the common belief in profiling with a believable technique that is also quite frightening with what Fiona can do with it. Though the reluctance by the police to accept a serial killer on the loose seems ridiculous with the body count, the who-done-it is fun and the heroine is as good a character as Kate Brannigan is. Val McDermid shows why she is an award-winning author with this strong story. (Allreaders)