Karen M. McManus

Karen M. McManus is an American author who has become one of the most prominent voices in young adult mystery and thriller fiction. With a background in journalism and a talent for crafting intricate plots filled with suspects, secrets, and shocking revelations, McManus has captivated millions of teenage and adult readers worldwide, proving that YA mysteries can rival adult thrillers in complexity and suspense.

McManus's debut novel, One of Us Is Lying (2017), became an instant phenomenon and established her signature style. The book follows five students who enter detention - but only four leave alive. When the deceased student, Simon, was planning to expose everyone's secrets on his gossip app, each survivor becomes a suspect. The novel's success was unprecedented, spending over 200 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and spawning a Peacock television adaptation. Its clever premise, diverse characters, and addictive pacing made it a defining work of contemporary YA thriller.

One of Us Is Next (2020) continued in the Bayview High universe with a new mystery involving a dangerous game of truth or dare that escalates to murder. This companion novel proved McManus could sustain her fictional world whilst introducing fresh characters and mysteries.

Two Can Keep a Secret (2019) showcased McManus's range with a standalone mystery set in the town of Echo Ridge, where homecoming queens keep disappearing. Twin sisters arrive to find their aunt and cousin, only to discover the town's dark secrets threaten everyone.

The Cousins (2020) offered a different flavour - a family mystery involving estranged relatives summoned to their wealthy grandmother's island resort. As secrets about a family rift emerge, the cousins realize nothing about their family history is what it seems.

You'll Be the Death of Me (2021) follows three former best friends who skip school together, only to witness a murder that entangles them in a deadly conspiracy. The novel examines fractured friendships and the lies that destroy them.

Nothing More to Tell (2022) returns to the Saint Ambrose School universe (introduced in Two Can Keep a Secret) with a new mystery involving a teacher's unsolved murder and the secrets students have kept for four years.

One of Us Is Back (2023) reunites the original One of Us Is Lying characters for a third instalment, bringing the Bayview Crew together again as new threats emerge.

Her most recent novel, The Grandest Game (2024), marks a departure into a new series - a high-stakes competition at the mysterious Hawthorne estate where contestants compete for a fortune.

McManus's writing is characterised by multiple POV narration (typically 3-5 teenage perspectives), intricate mystery plotting with red herrings and twists, diverse, well-developed teenage characters, school and small-town settings, secrets and lies as central themes, and page-turning pacing with short chapters.

Common themes include the consequences of secrets, social media's destructive power, toxic gossip and reputation, class and privilege, the complexity of teenage friendships, family dysfunction, and how past traumas shape present actions. McManus excels at creating morally complex characters where everyone has something to hide.

Her accessible prose, relatable characters, and clever mysteries have made her books staples of BookTok, book clubs, and school reading lists, bridging the gap between YA and adult thriller audiences.