Order of Shari Lapena Books

Born in 1960, Shari Lapena is the queen of “what would you do?” fiction—domestic thrillers that play out like emotional landmines just waiting to explode. She was born and raised in Canada, a setting that often seeps quietly into her books, though never in a way that dominates. Her stories aren’t about flashy locations or complex criminal masterminds—they're about you. Your neighbor. Your best friend. Your spouse. The everyday people who might just be hiding something you never saw coming.

But before she was turning heads as a bestselling novelist, Lapena wore many different hats. She began her professional journey as a lawyer, which perhaps explains her ability to sniff out conflict, motive, and the silent rules people live by but don’t talk about. She also spent time as an English teacher, sharpening her grasp of language and narrative structure. Little did her students know they were being guided by someone who would go on to pen page-turners that would leave readers gasping at 2 A.M., swearing they’d only read one more chapter.

It wasn’t until 2016 that Shari burst onto the international stage with her breakthrough thriller The Couple Next Door. And just like that, the world couldn’t get enough. Her debut novel became a New York Times and international bestseller, translated into over thirty languages, and sold millions of copies. A literary firecracker had gone off—and there was no turning back.

Lapena’s writing style is often described as clean, tight, and deceptively simple. But make no mistake: beneath her calm, deliberate prose is a churning storm of secrets, lies, and buried truths that demand to be unearthed. Her genius lies in how she creates tension in the familiar. No haunted mansions or dark forests here—just cozy living rooms, kitchen counters, and nursery baby monitors. And yet, your heart races. Your palms sweat. Because you know something’s not right… you just don’t know what.

One of the most ironic things about Shari Lapena’s storytelling is how it exposes the masks people wear—while we’re reading with ours off. She holds a mirror up to human relationships and gently suggests that the person you love the most might also be the one who could destroy you. In a world where people carefully curate their lives on social media, Lapena’s books remind us that beneath the surface, chaos can be just one argument, one secret, or one bad decision away.

Despite her fame, Lapena remains fiercely private. She doesn't seek the spotlight, rarely engages in over-the-top marketing gimmicks, and lets her books do all the talking. That adds to her mystique. Readers know little about her personal life—and that, in true thriller fashion, only makes her more compelling. Who is the woman behind the twisted plots and chilling cliffhangers? Why does she understand fear and suspicion so intimately? What does she see in us that we don’t want to admit?

Shari Lapena’s continued success proves one thing—suspense is universal. Whether it's a missing child, a toxic friendship, or a crumbling marriage, her stories hit a nerve. They whisper, “This could happen to you.” And in that whisper lies her power.

So, if you haven't yet opened a Shari Lapena novel, be warned: you're about to fall into a maze of psychological suspense where every character has something to hide… and every ending will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew.

And the best part? She’s just getting started.