Indie Bookshop Week: Penguin authors celebrate their favourites

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Independent Bookshop Week: Penguin authors celebrate their favourites

What Have You Done?

The unputdownable new thriller from the 'queen of the one-sit read' and No.1 bestselling author of Everyone Here is Lying 
 
‘I inhaled this book in less than 48 hours . . . What Have You Done? exceeded all expectations.' LIZ NUGENT 
 
'When the murderer is revealed, you'll want to read it all over again.' Woman & Home 
 
'What Have You Done? is a brilliant thriller. What you should do is buy it.' CARA HUNTER 
 
‘The queen of page-turners.’ ANDREA MARA 
 
 
Nothing ever happens in sleepy little Fairhill. 
 
The teenagers get their kicks telling ghost stories in the old graveyard. The parents trust their kids will arrive home safe from school. Everyone knows everyone. Curtains rarely twitch. Front doors are left unlocked. 
 
But this morning all of that will change. 
 
Because Diana Brewer isn’t lying safely in her bed where she belongs. Instead she lies in a hayfield, circled by vultures, discovered by a local farmer. 
 
How quickly a girl becomes a ghost. How quickly a town of friendly, familiar faces becomes a town of suspects, a place of fear and paranoia. 
 
Someone in Fairhill did this. Everyone wants answers. 
 
And one innocent question could be deadly. 
 
_______ 
 
'Captivating.' Publishers Weekly 
 
'The novel’s emotional heft will linger with readers.' Kirkus 
 
'Lapena is a master of suspense, and she doesn’t disappoint here.' Library Journal 
 
 
Praise for Shari Lapena: 
 
'A modern master of the psychological thriller.' STEVE CAVANAGH 
 
'Shari Lapena keeps you guessing until the very last page.' PAULA HAWKINS 
 
'The undisputed queen of dysfunctional families.' CLARE MACKINTOSH 
 
'An expert in both pace and the placing of clues and misdirections.' Literary Review 
 
'Shari Lapena is the queen of the "just one more chapter" read.' SARAH VAUGHAN 
 
 
Shari Lapena, Sunday Times bestseller, May 2024 
Not a Happy Family, Richard and Judy Book Club pick, Spring 2023

I inhaled this book in less than 48 hours and what a treat it was. What Have You Done exceeded all expectations. A total reading pleasure

Liz Nugent, No.1 bestselling author of STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND

'Shari Lapena keeps you guessing until the very last page'

'Shari Lapena is one of the best thriller writers in the business'

Captivating. . . What begins as a straightforward mystery gradually blooms into a portrait of a community coming apart at the seams.

Shari Lapena is the internationally bestselling author of the thrillers 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 which have all been Sunday Times and New York Times bestsellers. Her books have been sold in forty territories around the world. She lives in Toronto. 
 
Facebook: ShariLapena 
Twitter: @sharilapena 
Instagram: sharilapena

The unputdownable new thriller from the 'queen of the one-sit read' and No.1 bestselling author of Everyone Here is Lying 
 
‘I inhaled this book in less than 48 hours . . . What Have You Done? exceeded all expectations.' - LIZ NUGENT, No.1 bestselling author of Strange Sally Diamond 
 
'What Have You Done? is a brilliant thriller. What you should do is buy it.' CARA HUNTER, the Sunday Times bestselling author of Murder in the Family 
 
‘The queen of page-turners.’ - ANDREA MARA, No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author of No One Saw a Thing 
 
 
Nothing ever happens in sleepy little Fairhill. 
 
The teenagers get their kicks telling ghost stories in the old graveyard. The parents trust their kids will arrive home safe from school. Everyone knows everyone. Curtains rarely twitch. Front doors are left unlocked. 
 
But this morning all of that will change. 
 
Because Diana Brewer isn’t lying safely in her bed where she belongs. Instead she lies in a hayfield, circled by vultures, discovered by a local farmer. 
 
How quickly a girl becomes a ghost. How quickly a town of friendly, familiar faces becomes a town of suspects, a place of fear and paranoia. 
 
Someone in Fairhill did this. Everyone wants answers. 
 
And one innocent question could be deadly. 
 
_______ 
 
'Captivating.' Publishers Weekly 
 
'The novel’s emotional heft will linger with readers.' Kirkus 
 
'Lapena is a master of suspense, and she doesn’t disappoint here.' Library Journal 
 
 
Praise for Shari Lapena: 
 
'A modern master of the psychological thriller.' STEVE CAVANAGH 
 
'Shari Lapena keeps you guessing until the very last page.' PAULA HAWKINS 
 
'The undisputed queen of dysfunctional families.' CLARE MACKINTOSH 
 
'An expert in both pace and the placing of clues and misdirections.' Literary Review 
 
'Shari Lapena is the queen of the "just one more chapter" read.' SARAH VAUGHAN 
 
 
Shari Lapena, Sunday Times bestseller, May 2024 
Not a Happy Family, Richard and Judy Book Club pick, Spring 2023

Everyone Here is Lying

THE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
'The most addictive book I've read in ages…Just brilliant.' LISA JEWELL 
 
'Fast paced, tightly-plotted and with twists so well executed they floored me. Loved every word!' CLAIRE DOUGLAS 
 
'Genius. I loved it.' ANDREA MARA 
 
------- 
 
Welcome to Stanhope - a safe neighbourhood. A place for families. 
 
William Wooler is a family man, on the surface. But he's been having an affair, an affair that ended horribly this afternoon at a motel up the road. 
 
So, when 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. And William isn't the only one on his street who's hiding a lie. 
 
As witnesses come forward with information that may or may not be true, Avery's neighbours become increasingly unhinged. 
 
Who took Avery Wooler? 
 
Nothing will prepare you for the truth… 
 
------------- 
 
Praise for Everyone Here is Lying: 
 
'Shari Lapena is the queen of the "just one more chapter" read. A chilling exploration of the worst-case repercussions and extensive fallout of a brief affair.' SARAH VAUGHAN, author of Anatomy of a Scandal 
 
'A taut, clever, chilling ride of manipulation and family secrets . . . Prepare to be consumed!' ASHLEY AUDRAIN, author of The Whispers 
 
'I inhaled Everyone Here Is Lying. The pace never flags, the twists are fiendishly clever, and the writing is as perfect as can be.' LIZ NUGENT, author of Strange Sally Diamond 
 
'Shari Lapena is a modern master of the psychological thriller, and all of her considerable talents are at work in Everyone Here Is Lying.' STEVE CAVANAGH, author of Fifty Fifty 
 
'You simply can't put it down' ROBERT GOLD, author of Twelve Secrets 
 
'I defy you to put it down until you know what happened to Avery Wooler.' GILLY MACMILLAN, author of The Fall 
 
'Shari Lapena is an expert in both pace and the placing of clues and misdirections' Literary Review 
 
'A fast-paced read with jaw-dropping twists' The i 
 
__________ 
 
Readers love Everyone Here is Lying: 
 
***** This book was a revelation 
***** A well written story that is totally unforgettable 
***** Couldn't wait for the next chapter - never saw the twist!!! 
***** Gripped from the first few lines 
***** As always, Shari Lapena doesnt disappoint. 
 
 
Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller, April 2024 
Not a Happy Family, Richard & Judy Book Club Pick, Spring 2023 
Shari Lapena's books have sold over 2 million copies across all formats [Nielsen Bookscan, April 2024]

I devoured Everyone Here is Lying in two hits in under ten hours. I can't remember the last time I did that! This really was the most addictive book I've read in ages - so slick and disquieting and clever. Just brilliant.

Everyone Here is Lying is a chilling exploration of the worst-case repercussions and extensive fallout of a brief affair. Characteristically addictive and propulsive, Shari Lapena is the queen of the &quot;just one more chapter&quot; read.

Shari Lapena has done it again with Everyone Here Is Lying. The queen of page-turners has written her paciest thriller yet. I raced through it in two days, desperate to find out what happened to Avery Wooler. The denouement is one of the most satisfying I've ever read - a reveal that made me gasp out loud. Genius. I loved it.

Everyone Here is Lying is classic Shari Lapena . . . just like The Couple Next Door, you simply can't put it down.

'A smart, unguessable mystery set among a cast of satisfyingly flawed characters. Shari Lapena is an auto-buy for me - I always know I'll be in for a treat!

Shari Lapena is a modern master of the psychological thriller, and all of her considerable talents are at work in Everyone Here Is Lying

You'll be gripping the pages so tightly you might tear them

Shari Lapena delivers another brilliant, propulsive thriller in Everyone Here is Lying . . . Sharply observed and at times unexpectedly touching, the novel deftly unpicks a tangled knot of deceit and intrigue until the most shocking truth is revealed. I defy you to put it down until you know what happened to Avery Wooler.

I inhaled Everyone Here is Lying. Shari is a very gifted storyteller, and a most entertaining one. The pace never flags, the twists are fiendishly clever and the writing is as perfect as can be

Everyone Here is Lying is a Shari Lapena signature read: a taut, clever, chilling ride of manipulation and family secrets, with a terrifying question at its core-what if you can't believe the very people you love the most? Prepare to be consumed!

Gripping, clever, and tightly plotted, Everyone Here is Lying showcases Shari Lapena at her absolute best. I was utterly transfixed. A must-read.

An incredibly clever set-up that made for one of the most gripping and surprising thrillers I've read in a while. A one-sitting read.

Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena is WILD. A very satisfying thriller.

Magnificent, a perfect demonstration of [Shari Lapena's] exceptional skill as a storyteller... Utterly compelling

Everyone Here Is Lying opens with a corker of a premise that had me racing through the book... a clever twist... a thrilling ride

A fast-paced read with jaw-dropping twists

Shari Lapena is an expert in both pace and the placing of clues and misdirections

Shari Lapena has been described as the queen of the 'just one more chapter' thriller, and having devoured this compelling novel in double-quick time it's easy to see why . . . Plot twists are planted like hand grenades throughout the narrative, set to go off when you least expect them, and the denouement is as surprising as it is shocking.

Lapena has great fun pulling secrets from her conjuror's hat . . . when it comes to construction she's a master, her stream of twists and surprises perfectly timed

I read this in three days and loved every addictive page

'The most addictive book I've read in ages - so slick and disquieting and clever. Just brilliant.' 
LISA JEWELL 
 
'I was obsessed with Everyone Here is Lying . . . Fast paced, tightly-plotted and with twists so well executed they floored me. Loved every word!' 
CLAIRE DOUGLAS 
 
'A smart, unguessable mystery set among a cast of satisfyingly flawed characters. Shari Lapena is an auto-buy for me - I always know I'll be in for a treat!' 
LOUISE CANDLISH 
 
Welcome to Stanhope - a safe neighbourhood. A place for families. 
 
William Wooler is a family man, on the surface. But he's been having an affair, an affair that ended horribly this afternoon at a motel up the road. So when 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. And William isn't the only one on his street who's hiding a lie. As witnesses come forward with information that may or may not be true, Avery's neighbours become increasingly unhinged. 
 
Who took Avery Wooler? 
 
Nothing will prepare you for the truth.

Not a Happy Family

The chilling Sunday Times bestseller perfect for fans of Knives Out. A Richard & Judy Book Club pick. 
 
'In this fast-paced, twisted family saga, Shari Lapena keeps you guessing until the very last page...' PAULA HAWKINS 
 
The new unputdownable thriller from the multi-million-copy bestselling author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR. 
 
In this family, everyone is keeping secrets - even the dead. 
 
In the quiet, wealthy enclave of Brecken Hill, an older couple is brutally murdered hours after a tense Easter dinner with their three adult children. Who, of course, are devastated. 
 
Or are they? They each stand to inherit millions. They were never a happy family, thanks to their vindictive father and neglectful mother, but perhaps one of them is more disturbed than anyone knew. Did someone snap after that dreadful evening? Or did another person appear later that night with the worst of intentions? That must be what happened. After all, if one of the family were capable of something as gruesome as this, you'd know. 
 
Wouldn't you? 
 
'Nobody does a vicious family circle like Shari Lapena. Highly recommended' Cara Hunter 
 
'Queen of the modern crime novel, Shari Lapena, is back with another tale of murder... Shari will keep you guessing until the very end' Sunday Express 
 
'A cross between Big Little Lies and Miss Marple' Woman's Weekly 
 
'[A] dramatic, tense and satisfying murder mystery' My Weekly 
 
Shari Lapena, Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller, April 2024

Nobody does a vicious family circle like Shari Lapena. Highly recommended

In this fast-paced, twisted family saga, Shari Lapena keeps you guessing until the very last page

Queen of the modern crime novel Shari Lapena is back with another tale of murder...Shari will keep you guessing until the very end

A cross between Big Little Lies and Miss Marple, we reckon this one could be destined for the screen some time soon

Dramatic, tense and satisfying murder mystery

With wholly unlikeable characters and a fast-paced plot, this book will keep you guessing until the last page!

A deliciously dark family drama...Buckle up for a fast-paced drive into the damning and dysfunctional secrets of one family.

The End of Her

The latest unputdownable thriller from 'the queen of the one-sit read' Shari Lapena, the multi-million-copy No. 1 bestselling author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR.

The latest unputdownable bestseller from Shari Lapena, the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR and EVERYONE HERE IS LYING. 
 
'The queen of the one-sit read' Linwood Barclay 
 
'Shari Lapena is one of the best thriller writers in the business' Steve Cavanagh 
 
******* 
 
It starts with a shocking accusation . . . 
 
Stephanie and Patrick are recently married, with new-born twins. While Stephanie struggles with the disorienting effects of sleep deprivation, there's one thing she knows for certain - she has everything she ever wanted. 
 
Then a woman from his past arrives and makes a horrifying allegation about his first wife. He always claimed her death was an accident - but she says it was murder. 
 
He insists he's innocent, that this is nothing but a blackmail attempt. But is Patrick telling the truth? Or has Stephanie made a terrible mistake? 
 
How will it end? 
 
******* 
 
Praise for Shari Lapena: 
 
'A masterful whodunnit, perfectly paced and expertly plotted, that had me guessing all the way through. I loved it and couldn't put it down.' C L Taylor 
 
'No-one does suburban paranoia like Shari Lapena - this slowly unfurling nightmare will have you biting your nails until the end' Ruth Ware 
 
'Shari Lapena just gets better and better' Cara Hunter 
 
 
Shari Lapena, Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller, April 2024

Shari Lapena is one of the best thriller writers in the business.

Steve Cavanagh, bestselling author of THIRTEEN

The End of Her is a slippery eel of a novel – just when you think you have it in your grasp, it slithers away on a new current. I consumed it in a day, desperate to discover the fate of the evil Erica. Unputdownable.

Shari Lapena has done it again – another cracking domestic thriller, and trust me, ‘the end’ will leave you clamouring for more.

Another unputdownable suburban thriller with the finest love-to-hate characters and a wickedly paced mystery.

I read the cracking The End of Her in one sitting. All hail the Mistress of the Page Turner.

Gripping, compelling, thoroughly entertaining and devilishly. clever

I absolutely adore Shari Lapena's compulsive thrillers and her new novel is her best yet. More twists than a roller coaster.

I tore through it. It kept me on my toes throughout and the ending was just fantastic. Really tense!

Harriet Tyce, bestselling author of BLOOD ORANGE

Gripping stuff from this masterful storyteller!

Shari Lapena knows how to wrack up the tension.

I raced through the book and thought it was brilliantly creepy.

You won't want to put down Shari Lapena's latest engrossing thriller, which is chock-full of shocks and twists.

One neighbourhood, four couples, an amateur burglar and one dead body – this is a masterful whodunnit, perfectly paced and expertly plotted, that had me guessing all the way through. Like Desperate Housewives with bite. I loved it and couldn't put it down.

Shari Lapena just gets better and better.

Someone We Know

The latest unputdownable thriller from queen of the one-sit read Shari Lapena, the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR.

Exactly what I love in a book: a small cast, an intricate plot worthy of Agatha Christie, with characters who stay in my mind long after the novel has finished. As for her writing – it was just perfect, as though Anne Tyler had written a thriller. No greater compliment can be given!

Shari Lapena has done it again. Someone We Know grabs you by the lapels on page one and doesn’t loosen its grip until the last sentence. Love the claustrophobic suburban neighbourhood where anything can happen behind those front doors.

Fiona Barton, bestselling author of THE WIDOW

I fell hook, line and sinker for this book, only surfacing back to reality after the final page. Shari Lapena is a writer at the absolute top of her game. Someone We Know was masterfully plotted, the suspense ratcheted up with agonising precision and the ending so satisfying I wanted to flip back through the pages to see how she managed it. Brilliant.

Holly Seddon, author of TRY NOT TO BREATHE

Someone We Know is a tour de force of thriller writing. Shari Lapena proves yet again that she is the mistress of the pacy plot, cliff edge tension and menacing suburban claustrophobia.

Gripping, smart and sympathetic, this is suspense at its finest.

Gillian McAllister, author of THE EVIDENCE AGAINST YOU

'The queen of the one-sit read' Linwood Barclay 
 
'Shari Lapena is one of the best thriller writers in the business' Steve Cavanagh 
 
'A masterful whodunnit, perfectly paced and expertly plotted, that had me guessing all the way through' C L Taylor 
 
****** 
 
The gripping new thriller from the No. 1 bestselling author of The Couple Next Door. 
 
It can be hard keeping secrets in a tight-knit neighbourhood. 
 
In a tranquil, leafy suburb of ordinary streets - one where everyone is polite and friendly - an anonymous note has been left at some of the houses. 
 
'I'm so sorry. My son has been getting into people's houses. He's broken into yours.' 
 
Who is this boy, and what might he have uncovered? As whispers start to circulate, suspicion mounts. 
 
And when a missing local woman is found murdered, the tension reaches breaking point. Who killed her? Who knows more than they're telling? And how far will all these very nice people go to protect their secrets? 
 
Maybe you don't know your neighbour as well as you thought you did . . . 
 
****** 
 
Readers are obsessed with Shari Lapena: 
 
'I was reading with my mouth open as I raced towards the final page.' 
'I read it in one sitting, as I simply could not put it down.' 
'An incredibly gripping read.' 
'Fantastic book, from the first page I was hooked, couldn't put it down!' 
'An excellent atmospheric thriller, full of intrigue and suspense.' 
 
COMING SOON: the gripping new novel from Shari Lapena: EVERYONE HERE IS LYING. Available to pre-order now!

An Unwanted Guest

A perfect getaway to a beautiful, remote hotel turns deadly in this claustrophobic, pulse-pounding and unputdownable thriller from the No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller, Shari Lapena.

ORDER the gripping new thriller from No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author Shari Lapena: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? 
 
The Sunday Times bestseller from the number one bestselling author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR and EVERYONE HERE IS LYING. 
 
'Reads like Agatha Christie with a shot of adrenaline.' GILLY MACMILLAN 
 
'Crafted like a vintage Christie and just as tense . . . a smash hit.' HEAT 
 
'Tense. Unpredictable. Unputdownable. Shari Lapena's novels are domestic noir at its finest.' SIMON KERNICK 
 
'Be sure to clear your diary. You will want to devour this in a single, uninterrupted sitting.' HERALD 
 
____________________ 
 
We can't choose the strangers we meet. 
 
As the guests arrive at beautiful, remote Mitchell's Inn, they're all looking forward to a relaxing weekend deep in the forest, miles from anywhere. They watch their fellow guests with interest, from a polite distance. 
 
Usually we can avoid the people who make us nervous, make us afraid. 
 
With a violent storm raging, the group finds itself completely cut off from the outside world. Nobody can get in - or out. And then the first body is found . . . and the horrifying truth comes to light. There's a killer among them - and nowhere to run. 
 
Until we find ourselves in a situation we can't escape. Trapped. 
 
AS FEATURED ON BBC RADIO 2: 'Properly gripping' ROMESH RANGANATHAN 
 
____________________ 
 
READERS LOVE SHARI LAPENA: 
 
***** 'Best book I've read in ages' 
***** 'On the edge of my seat to the end' 
***** 'Had me hooked from start to finish' 
***** 'Incredibly readable and unputdownable' 
***** 'I haven't picked up a book in 9 years and I'm so glad that I picked this up! I loved it.'

If you want an unputdownable thriller, you’re in luck – best-seller Shari Lapena is back with a new whodunnit…Crafted like a vintage Christie and just as tense, this will be a smash hit

Tense. Unpredictable. Unputdownable. Shari Lapena's novels are domestic noir at its finest.

The psychological thrillers of Lapena are masterclasses in tightly plotted, economical narrative…This third novel has a premise straight out of a Agatha Christie classic

[An Unwanted Guest] once again shows her gift for smart characterisation combined with a subtle appreciation for the darkness of the human heart . . . A perfectly choreographed danse macabre.

An intriguing cast, an isolated location, a raging storm and the threat of death in every dark corner: An Unwanted Guest reads like Agatha Christie with a shot of adrenalin. Clear your desk before you start it because you won't want to put it down.

Gilly Macmillan, author of BURNT PAPER SKY

Echoes of classic Agatha Christie . . . Be sure to clear your diary. You will want to devour this in a single, uninterrupted sitting.

Shari Lapena combines the cosy feel and cunning plotting of an Agatha Christie-era whodunnit with a sharp eye for contemporary life and she is rapidly becoming a go-to author for anyone seeking a light but lip-smacking mystery

A gripping tale from this accomplished crime writer.

This page-turner had us absolutely gripped.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER from the author of the number one bestseller THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR. 
 
'Tense. Unpredictable. Unputdownable. Shari Lapena's novels are domestic noir at its finest' Simon Kernick 
____________________ 
 
We can't choose the strangers we meet. 
 
As the guests arrive at beautiful, remote Mitchell's Inn, they're all looking forward to a relaxing weekend deep in the forest, miles from anywhere. They watch their fellow guests with interest, from a polite distance. 
 
Usually we can avoid the people who make us nervous, make us afraid. 
 
With a violent storm raging, the group finds itself completely cut off from the outside world. Nobody can get in - or out. And then the first body is found . . . and the horrifying truth comes to light. There's a killer among them - and nowhere to run. 
 
Until we find ourselves in a situation we can't escape. Trapped. 
____________________ 
 
PRAISE FOR SHARI LAPENA: 
 
'Crafted like a vintage Christie and just as tense, this will be a smash hit' Heat 
 
'Smart characterisation combined with a subtle appreciation for the darkness of the human heart . . . A perfectly choreographed danse macabre' Mail on Sunday 
 
'Shari Lapena . . . is rapidly becoming a go-to author for anyone seeking a light but lip-smacking mystery' Sunday Express 
 
'The psychological thrillers of Lapena are masterclasses in tightly plotted, economical narrative' Metro 
 
'An excellent mystery! Agatha Christie meets P D James' Ragnar Jonasson 
____________________ 
 
READERS LOVE SHARI LAPENA: 
 
'Best book I've read in ages' 
 
'5* fast paced, twisting thriller' 
 
'The pace never let up' 
 
'On the edge of my seat to the end' 
 
'I haven't picked up a book in 9 years and I'm so glad that I picked this up! I loved it.' 
 
'Incredibly readable and unputdownable' 
 
'Very clever, well written, intriguing and suspenseful' 
 
'Had me hooked from start to finish' 
 
 
ORDER the gripping new thriller from the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author Shari Lapena: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

Shari Lapena

Praise for She Didn't See It Coming

Shari Lapena is the undisputed queen of dysfunctional families.

Books by Shari Lapena

Articles featuring Shari Lapena

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