📖 Overview
Shari Lapena is a Canadian thriller and suspense novelist who gained international recognition with her debut psychological thriller "The Couple Next Door" in 2016. Prior to her success in thriller writing, she worked as a lawyer and English teacher.
Lapena has established herself as a consistent presence on bestseller lists, with each of her subsequent novels reaching the New York Times bestseller list. Her works often explore domestic suspense, focusing on seemingly ordinary people caught in extraordinary and dangerous circumstances.
Her novels including "An Unwanted Guest," "Someone We Know," and "Not a Happy Family" are known for their tight plotting and exploration of suburban life's dark undercurrents. The books frequently feature multiple viewpoints, unreliable narrators, and twisting narratives that keep readers guessing until the final pages.
Since her debut, Lapena has produced a new thriller almost annually, with her books being translated into over 35 languages. Her writing style is characterized by short chapters, rapid pacing, and an ability to create tension in everyday settings.
👀 Reviews
Readers praise Lapena's fast pacing and ability to create suspense through short chapters and multiple perspectives. Many reviews highlight her talent for making ordinary suburban settings feel menacing. Book clubs report her novels spark discussions about trust and relationships.
Likes:
- Quick reads that keep pages turning
- Plot twists that challenge assumptions
- Complex family dynamics and secrets
- Clean writing without graphic violence
- Endings that surprise but make sense
Dislikes:
- Characters some find shallow or underdeveloped
- Plot points that require suspension of disbelief
- Similar story structures across books
- Dialogue that can feel stilted
Ratings across platforms:
Goodreads: Average 3.8/5 across all books
"The Couple Next Door" - 3.9/5 (683,000+ ratings)
"An Unwanted Guest" - 3.8/5 (89,000+ ratings)
"Someone We Know" - 3.7/5 (71,000+ ratings)
Amazon: 4.3/5 average across titles
Barnes & Noble: 4.1/5 average
Reader quote: "Perfect for when you want a thriller that's engaging but not too dark or violent" - Goodreads reviewer
📚 Books by Shari Lapena
The Couple Next Door (2016)
When their baby disappears during a dinner party next door, Anne and Marco Conti discover that everyone around them harbors dangerous secrets.
A Stranger in the House (2017) Karen Krupp wakes up in a hospital with no memory of why she crashed her car in a dangerous part of town.
An Unwanted Guest (2018) Weekend guests at a remote inn become trapped during a winter storm as people start dying one by one.
Someone We Know (2019) A suburban community is shaken when a local teenager breaks into houses to hack computers, leading to murder.
The End of Her (2020) A woman's perfect life unravels when someone from her husband's past arrives with accusations about his first wife's death.
Not a Happy Family (2021) Three adult siblings become suspects when their wealthy parents are murdered in their own home after Easter dinner.
An Uninvited Guest (2022) A dinner party turns deadly when an unexpected visitor arrives during a snowstorm.
A Stranger in the House (2017) Karen Krupp wakes up in a hospital with no memory of why she crashed her car in a dangerous part of town.
An Unwanted Guest (2018) Weekend guests at a remote inn become trapped during a winter storm as people start dying one by one.
Someone We Know (2019) A suburban community is shaken when a local teenager breaks into houses to hack computers, leading to murder.
The End of Her (2020) A woman's perfect life unravels when someone from her husband's past arrives with accusations about his first wife's death.
Not a Happy Family (2021) Three adult siblings become suspects when their wealthy parents are murdered in their own home after Easter dinner.
An Uninvited Guest (2022) A dinner party turns deadly when an unexpected visitor arrives during a snowstorm.
👥 Similar authors
Ruth Ware writes psychological thrillers focused on ordinary people caught in dangerous situations, similar to Lapena's domestic suspense style. Her books often feature unreliable narrators and explore dark secrets within seemingly normal relationships.
B.A. Paris specializes in suburban thrillers where marriages and family relationships hide sinister truths. Her plots revolve around psychological manipulation and the facade of perfect lives crumbling under pressure.
Lisa Jewell creates suspense novels centered on missing persons and family mysteries in residential settings. Her stories explore the hidden connections between neighbors and the secrets beneath suburban surfaces.
Mary Kubica writes thrillers from multiple perspectives, focusing on disappearances and deceptions within domestic settings. Her work features plot twists and unreliable characters who question their own perception of events.
Alice Feeney constructs mysteries with unexpected narrative shifts and domestic noir elements. Her books examine marriages, families, and relationships where nothing is what it appears to be.
B.A. Paris specializes in suburban thrillers where marriages and family relationships hide sinister truths. Her plots revolve around psychological manipulation and the facade of perfect lives crumbling under pressure.
Lisa Jewell creates suspense novels centered on missing persons and family mysteries in residential settings. Her stories explore the hidden connections between neighbors and the secrets beneath suburban surfaces.
Mary Kubica writes thrillers from multiple perspectives, focusing on disappearances and deceptions within domestic settings. Her work features plot twists and unreliable characters who question their own perception of events.
Alice Feeney constructs mysteries with unexpected narrative shifts and domestic noir elements. Her books examine marriages, families, and relationships where nothing is what it appears to be.