Shari Lapena
Shari Lapena has published 13 books across 2 series. The recommended reading order starts with Things Go Flying (2007).
Shari Lapena is a Canadian author who writes psychological thrillers. She came to prominence in 2016 with the release of The Couple Next Door, a novel that became a significant success and topped numerous bestseller lists. This book is often recommended as a starting point for readers new to her work.
Lapena's books, including A Stranger in the House, An Unwanted Guest, Someone We Know, The End of Her, Not a Happy Family, and Everyone Here is Lying, have achieved international recognition and have been featured on The Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller lists. Her stories have been sold in forty territories worldwide. Lapena resides in Toronto. One of her earlier books, Things Go Flying, received a nomination for the Sunburst Award.
Shelf & Shadows
Order of Anthologies
- TagsthrillersuspenseDescriptionA book club. A circle of friends. A deadly pact. deadly secret. Dr. Margaret Richter has a life many envy: wealth from her self-help books, a stunning Cape Cod home, and an exclusive monthly book club. But the elegant gatherings hide a dark reality. Behind the wine and hors d'oeuvres lies a web of deceit and murder. Every member harbors secrets. Many are guilty. And Margaret herself has the most to conceal. This collection of connected stories brings together leading thriller writers for a suspenseful exploration of what happens when ordinary lives unravel into something far more sinister.Publication date2025Amazon rating3.6/5LanguageEnglishPublisherAudible Originals
Order of Standalone Novels
- TagsmysterysuspensethrillerDescriptionWhat happens when the past refuses to stay buried? Harold Walker, adrift in a listless mid-life, is haunted by the abrupt death of his best friend and the return of his long-deceased mother. He possesses a gift for opening doors to the past, a talent he desperately wishes to return. Meanwhile, his wife Audrey, a frustrated housewife and mother of two, harbors an explosive secret that could shatter their world. As Harold’s mother materializes, the Walker household is thrown into chaos. Audrey fears for her secret’s exposure and her ability to control anything, let alone her precious china. Harold, a lifelong avoider of confrontation, must now grapple with finding meaning in his life and the terrifying possibility that life—and the past—might go on forever.Publication date2007Amazon rating3.4/5Print length224LanguageEnglishPublisherBrindle & Glass Pub Ltd
- Tags---DescriptionWill Thorne is a poet whose career has stalled. His wife, a celebrity economist, doesn't understand his art. When a fellow poet pushes him, Will starts an organization to help poets. But to get funding, he must make a deal with his wife: write advertising slogans. His days become filled with toilet paper jingles and administrative work. Inspiration for his own poetry vanishes. Then he meets Lily White, a muse who ignites his passion. Suddenly, Will is inspired not just to write, but to take guerrilla action. Poetry clashes with parkour. Culture confronts commerce. This is a hilarious look at the value of art.Publication dateSeptember 6, 2011Amazon rating3.5/5Print length232LanguageEnglishPublisherBrindle & Glass Pub Ltd
- TagssuspensecrimemysterythrillerDescriptionIt all started at a dinner party. Anne and Marco Conti appear to have the perfect life: a loving relationship, a beautiful home, and their baby daughter, Cora. But their idyllic existence shatters when a terrible crime is committed during a dinner party next door, and suspicion immediately falls on the parents. The truth, however, is far more complex. As Detective Rasbach investigates, he senses the panicked couple is hiding something. Anne and Marco soon realize they are both concealing long-held secrets from each other. What unfolds is the unsettling unraveling of a family, a chilling narrative of deception and unfaithfulness that builds to a shocking twist.Publication dateAugust 23, 2016Amazon rating4.1/5Print length320LanguageEnglishPublisherPamela Dorman Books
- TagssuspensemysterythrillercrimeDescriptionKaren and Tom Krupp have a lovely home in upstate New York. They are practically newlyweds, their life comfortable and uninterrupted. Then Tom returns home to find Karen gone. Her car is missing, her purse left behind. The police take Tom to the hospital: Karen has had a car accident, losing control as she sped through town. She has a concussion, and with it, memory loss. She cannot recall where she was or what she was doing when she crashed. The police find her amnesia convenient. When Karen returns home, she realizes something is not right. Someone has been in the house. The police continue their questions. In this house, everyone is a stranger, hiding secrets they might kill to keep quiet.Publication dateAugust 15, 2017Amazon rating4.1/5Print length417LanguageEnglishPublisherDiversified Publishing
- TagsthrillersuspensemysterycrimeDescriptionA weekend retreat in the Catskills turns deadly when a blizzard cuts off Mitchell's Inn from the outside world. The guests, seeking relaxation and romance by crackling fires, find themselves trapped. When the first guest dies, it's dismissed as an accident. But a second death sparks panic. Now, isolated and surrounded by snow, the remaining guests realize a killer is among them. Something, or someone, is picking them off one by one. Hunkered down in the remote lodge, they must survive the storm and each other before it's too late.Publication dateMay 14, 2019Amazon rating4.2/5Print length320LanguageEnglishPublisherPenguin Books
- TagsthrillersuspensemysteryDescriptionIn a quiet, leafy suburb in upstate New York, a shadow moves through the night. A teenager has been sneaking into homes, not to steal, but to access computers, learning secrets, and perhaps sharing them. Who is this intruder, and what has he discovered? Two anonymous letters arrive, sparking whispers and mounting suspicion. Then, a neighbor is found murdered, and the simmering tension in this idyllic community breaks. Who is the killer? Who knows more than they are letting on? And how far will these seemingly ordinary people go to protect their own hidden lives? In this neighborhood, the games are played not just between husbands and wives, but by every member of the family. Everyone has something to hide, and you never truly know what anyone is capable of.Publication dateJuly 30, 2019Amazon rating4.3/5Print length304LanguageEnglishPublisherPamela Dorman Books
- TagssuspensethrillermysteryDescriptionA long-ago accident—and a visitor from out of the blue. Stephanie and Patrick are adjusting to life with their colicky twin girls. The babies are a handful, but even as Stephanie struggles with the disorientation of sleep deprivation, there's one thing she's sure of: she has all she ever wanted. Then Erica, a woman from Patrick's past, appears and makes a disturbing accusation. Patrick had always said his first wife's death was an accident, but now Erica claims it was murder. Patrick insists he's innocent, that this is nothing but a blackmail attempt. Still, Erica knows things about Patrick—things that make Stephanie begin to question her husband. Stephanie isn't sure what, or who, to believe. As Stephanie's trust in Patrick begins to falter, Patrick stands to lose everything. Is Patrick telling the truth—is Erica the persuasive liar Patrick says she is? Or has Stephanie made a terrible mistake?Publication dateJuly 28, 2020Amazon rating4.2/5Print length352LanguageEnglishPublisherPamela Dorman Books
- TagssuspensethrillermysteryDescriptionBrecken Hill, a wealthy enclave in upstate New York, is a place where opulent homes stand as silent witnesses to hidden lives. Fred and Sheila Merton, residents of this exclusive community, possess fortunes that cannot shield them when a killer arrives. Following a tense Easter dinner with their three adult children, the Mertons are found brutally murdered. Devastation washes over the family, or so it seems. Each sibling stands to inherit millions, a fact that casts a shadow over their grief. This was never a happy family, scarred by a vindictive father and an uncaring mother. Now, the question lingers: did one of the siblings, harboring deep-seated resentments, finally snap? Or did an outsider enter the picture later that night, bringing unimaginable violence? If one of their own were capable of such a heinous act, surely someone would know. Wouldn't they? Shari Lapena, author of The Couple Next Door and The End of Her, crafts a chilling domestic suspense where secrets are buried deeper than wealth.Publication dateJuly 27, 2021Amazon rating4.2/5Print length368LanguageEnglishPublisherPamela Dorman Books
- TagssuspensethrillerDescriptionWelcome to Stanhope. A safe neighborhood. A place for families. William Wooler is a family man, on the surface. But he’s been having an affair. It ended horribly this afternoon at a motel up the road. He returns to his house, devastated and angry, to find his difficult nine-year-old daughter, Avery, unexpectedly home from school. William loses his temper. Hours later, Avery’s family declares her missing. Suddenly Stanhope doesn’t feel so safe. William isn’t the only one on his street hiding a lie. Witnesses come forward with information that may or may not be true. Avery's neighbors become increasingly unhinged. Who took Avery Wooler? Nothing will prepare you for the truth.Publication dateJuly 25, 2023Amazon rating4.1/5Print length331LanguageEnglishPublisherPamela Dorman Books
- TagshorrorDescriptionIn the quiet corners of Fairhill, Vermont, where curtains rarely twitch and front doors stand unlocked, the days typically unfold with predictable calm. Teenagers trade ghost stories in the old graveyard, and parents expect their children to return home safe from school. It's a town where everyone knows everyone, a place of comfortable familiarity. But this morning, that peace is shattered. Diana Brewer is found not in her bed, but in a hayfield, discovered by a local farmer, surrounded by circling vultures. The question hangs heavy in the air, a chilling whisper that could prove deadly: What have you done? Swiftly, a town of friendly faces transforms into a landscape of suspicion and paranoia. How quickly a girl becomes a ghost, and how quickly trust erodes. Someone in Fairhill is responsible for Diana's fate, and as the fear takes root, everyone is desperate for answers.Publication dateJuly 30, 2024Amazon rating4.2/5Print length319LanguageEnglishPublisherPamela Dorman Books
- TagscrimemysteryDescriptionWhen a wife and mother disappears from her own home, a luxury condominium building becomes a potential crime scene. Bryden and Sam have what appears to be the perfect life, but when Sam returns home to find his wife gone, leaving behind only her car, laptop, phone, and keys, the questions begin. How could she vanish from inside their apartment? Did she even leave the building? As time passes and the investigation intensifies, Bryden and Sam's pasts begin to unravel, making their once-safe home feel less secure and their friends, neighbors, and relatives appear less trustworthy.Publication date2025
- TagsthrillermysterysuspenseDescriptionJill and Ted adore their New York brownstone; it is their sanctuary. But when Ted’s inheritance runs out and he makes a bad investment, they panic. How can they protect their enviable lifestyle? The answer is obvious. The death of one wealthy family member—from whom they stand to inherit millions—could solve all their problems. Together, they will get away with murder. As long as they trust each other. As long as neither makes a mistake. As long as there are no surprises…Publication dateJuly 28, 2026Amazon rating4.1/5Print length341LanguageEnglishPublisherPamela Dorman Books
Frequently Asked Questions about Shari Lapena
Shari Lapena's novels are generally standalone psychological thrillers. While they share a common genre and tone, each book tells a distinct story with different characters. Readers can start with any of her novels and enjoy the plot without needing prior knowledge of other books. However, if you prefer a chronological reading experience, you can follow the publication dates of her standalone novels. The Couple Next Door, published in 2016, is a popular entry point for many readers.
The Couple Next Door, published in 2016, is a good starting point for readers new to Shari Lapena's work. This novel achieved significant success and is often recommended as an introduction to her style of psychological thrillers. Its compelling plot and well-drawn characters offer a typical example of what her readers have come to expect from her writing. Following this, you might explore A Stranger in the House or An Unwanted Guest, which were published in subsequent years.
No, you do not have to read Shari Lapena's books in order. All of her novels are standalone stories, meaning each book features a unique cast of characters and a self-contained plot. You can pick up any of her books and understand the narrative without having read any of her previous works. The order of publication is available for those who prefer to read chronologically, but it is not necessary for comprehension or enjoyment.
Shari Lapena primarily writes standalone novels. Each book is a complete story with a different set of characters and a unique plot. While she has a consistent genre of psychological thrillers, her novels are not part of a connected series where characters or storylines carry over from one book to the next. This allows readers to jump into any of her titles without needing to follow a specific sequence.
Shari Lapena has written over ten standalone novels. Her published works include titles such as The Couple Next Door, A Stranger in the House, An Unwanted Guest, Someone We Know, The End of Her, Not a Happy Family, and Everyone Here is Lying. Her debut novel, Things Go Flying, was published in 2007, and she has continued to release new books regularly since then. Her bibliography includes both novels and anthologies.
The first book Shari Lapena wrote was Things Go Flying, published in 2007. This novel received a nomination for the Sunburst Award. While it predates her more widely known psychological thrillers, it marked her entry into the literary world. Following this, she published Happiness Economics in 2011 before achieving widespread recognition with The Couple Next Door in 2016.
As of late 2023, Shari Lapena's most recent novel is Everyone Here is Lying, published in 2023. This book continues her tradition of writing suspenseful psychological thrillers that keep readers engaged with unexpected twists and turns. The novel explores complex family dynamics and hidden secrets, characteristic of Lapena's popular writing style. Readers who enjoyed her previous works will likely find this installment compelling.
Shari Lapena writes psychological thrillers. Her novels are known for their suspenseful plots, domestic settings, and exploration of secrets and betrayals within families and relationships. She focuses on creating tension and mystery that unfolds gradually, often with surprising revelations. The genre is characterized by its focus on the mental and emotional states of the characters and the psychological underpinnings of their actions.
Beth O’Leary
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Janelle Brown
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We verified the reading order for Shari Lapena's books by cross-referencing official publication dates, ISBN databases, and publisher catalogs.
Last verified: July 2026
Shelf & Shadows. (…). “Shari Lapena Books in Order.” Retrieved …, from https://www.shelfandshadows.com/authors/shari-lapena