Nannies are often portrayed as perfect caregivers, but what happens when they turn out to be anything but?  It’s not hard to see why psychological thrillers about nannies are so popular.  They tap into our fears and anxieties about the person we trust most with our children.  This book list features some of the best twisty psychological thrillers that prominently feature nannies.  These novels are sure to keep you guessing from beginning to end.  So if you’re looking for a gripping read that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat, check out one of these psychological thrillers featuring nannies!

MORE PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER BOOKS:

The Turn of the Screw is a classic for a reason! It’s THE original spooky nanny story, and it’s guaranteed to give you chills. This ghostly psychological thriller tells the story of a governess who is hired to care for two children at a remote estate. But she soon realizes that something is very wrong. The children are acting strangely, and strange things are happening in the house. Is it all in her head? Or are there truly evil forces at work? You’ll have to read to find out!

Does the title sound familiar?  The Turn of the Key is a modern update on Henry James exploring technology’s dark side. In the novel, Rowan Caine stumbles across an ad for a live-in nannying post; it seems too good an opportunity to miss.  When she arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten–by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and this picture-perfect family. What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare that will end with a dead child and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.

From two-time Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author Carol Goodman comes a new mystery, about a group of friends isolated on a remote island with a history of foul play.

For fans of The Last Mrs. Parrish comes a twisty psychological suspense about motherhood, obsession, and just how far some will go for the perfect family.

A young woman takes a job as a nanny for an impossibly wealthy family, thinking she’s found her entrée into a better life–only to discover instead she’s walked into a world of deception and dark secrets.

In this compulsively readable novel of domestic suspense, a young woman takes comfort in reconnecting with her childhood nanny, until she starts to uncover secrets the nanny has been holding for twenty years.

When Myriam decides to return to work as a lawyer after having children, she and her husband look for the perfect nanny for their son and daughter. They never dreamed they would find Louise: a quiet, polite, devoted woman who sings to the children, cleans the family’s chic Paris apartment, stays late without complaint, and hosts enviable kiddie parties. But as the couple and the nanny become more dependent on one another, jealousy, resentment, and suspicions mount, shattering the idyllic tableau.

Have you read any of these psychological thrillers?

Are any of these psychological thrillers on your TBR?  What books would you add to this list?