Cristina Alger graduated from Harvard College in 2002 and from New York University School of Law in 2007. She has worked as an analyst at Goldman, Sachs, & Co. and as an attorney at Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale, & Dorr. She lives in New York City, where she was born and raised.
The House on Biscayne Bay (2024) Chanel Cleeton "Chanel Cleeton never disappoints. Her books bring history to life with gorgeous prose, nuanced heroines and enough scandal, mystery and glamour to keep readers turning the pages. The House On Biscayne Bay is a haunting, atmospheric novel about buried secrets and forbidden love. I couldn't put it down."
The Last Applicant (2023) Rebecca Hanover "Sharply written and deftly plotted, The Last Applicant is the best sort of psychological suspense. It hooked me from the first page and kept me guessing until its surprising, satisfying conclusion."
The Rule of Three (2023) Sam Ripley "Darkness and deception lie just below the surface of Kingsland, the pristine suburban community upended by murder in The Rule of Three. A whiplash-inducing thrill ride, E.G. Scott keeps readers on tenterhooks from the propulsive first page to the surprising conclusion of this terrific summer read."
Pineapple Street (2023) Jenny Jackson "I devoured Pineapple Street. Jackson's writing brims with wit and warmth. Her characters are deliciously flawed and, at the same time, loveable and compelling. Her observations about family, money, class, and love are spot on....[A] messy, hilarious and ultimately relatable family story."
The Hunter (2023) Jennifer Herrera "The Hunter announces Jennifer Herrera as a remarkable new voice in suspense. Her debut is expertly paced and plotted, richly atmospheric, and filled with nuanced, beautifully developed characters with whom readers are sure to connect. I loved this book, and can't wait to read whatever Herrera writes next."
The Wild Hunt (2022) Emma Seckel "The Wild Hunt is a gorgeously written, entirely captivating debut novel set on an island off the coast of Scotland in the wake of World War II. Rich in atmosphere and historical detail, this novel and its exquisitely drawn characters will transport even the most reticent reader to a different time and place, and captivate them until it's satisfying conclusion. A deeply engrossing read."
The Rule of Three (2022) E G Scott "Darkness and deception lie just below the surface of Kingsland, the pristine suburban community upended by murder in The Rule of Three. A whiplash-inducing thrill ride, E.G. Scott keeps readers on tenterhooks from the propulsive first page to the surprising conclusion of this terrific summer read."
(Alias Emma, book 1) Ava Glass "Alias Emma blew me away. A taut, propulsive thriller with a terrific female protagonist, Alias Emma is a classic spy novel for a modern audience. I hope to see more of Emma Makepeace in future novels; this has the makings of a first-rate series."
Complicit (2022) Winnie M Li "A sharply written and absorbing dive into a dark and glamorous world. As timely as it is entertaining, this spectacular novel hooked me from the first page. Winnie M Li is a remarkable talent."
On a Night of a Thousand Stars (2022) Andrea Yaryura Clark "In luminescent prose and exquisite detail, Andrea Yaryura Clark chronicles a family's history through the political turmoil of Argentina's Dirty War and beyond. Both heart-rending and hopeful, On a Night of a Thousand Stars explores the strength and endurance of love and familial bonds in the face of chaos and tragedy. A deeply moving, timely and important debut."
The Fields (2022) (Riley Fisher, book 1) Erin Young "The Fields is my favorite sort of novel: the sharp prose and explosive plot immediately drew me in, but the richly textured exploration of life in rural America stayed with me long after I finished. I hope to see more of Sergeant Riley Fisher, the novel's dynamic female protagonist. This is a classic crime series in the making."
Doctors & Friends (2021) Kimmery Martin "Doctors and Friends is an astounding achievement. It's both an eerily timely portrait of a world in the grips of a deadly pandemic and a poignant dive into the interior lives of the medical workers at its forefront. I was profoundly affected by these characters. I became emotionally attached to them and deeply invested in the outcome of their stories. I know they will stay with me for a long time."
Fierce Little Thing (2021) Miranda Beverly-Whittemore "Fierce Little Thing devoured me whole. It is at once a propulsive, perfectly plotted thriller and an exquisitely written, marvelously dark coming-of-age story. Once I opened it, I couldn't stop turning the pages. Once I finished it, it continued to haunt my thoughts. A spectacular and consuming read."
Bath Haus (2021) P J Vernon "Bath Haus is utterly brilliant. It’s perfectly paced, gripping from go, and its clean, elegant prose goes down like scotch on the rocks. Once I picked it up, I couldn’t stop. It’s one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a very long time."
While Justice Sleeps (2021) (Avery Keene, book 1) Stacey Abrams "While Justice Sleeps is a legal thriller of the highest order. Its crisp prose and high-octane plot call to mind the best of John Grisham, but Avery Keene is a fresh, modern heroine entirely of Abrams' own making. Abrams is now on my 'automatic pre-order' list of authors. An absolutely phenomenal read."
Goodnight, Beautiful (2020) Aimee Molloy "Aimee Molloy is a magician. With Goodnight Beautiful, she will artfully deceive you while holding you firmly in her grasp...What begins as a sexy, smart domestic thriller turns out to be so much more. If you think you've figured this one out, think again: Molloy will be three steps ahead of you all the way through."
Don't Look For Me (2020) Wendy Walker "DON'T LOOK FOR ME is a master class in psychological suspense. Deftly written, perfectly plotted and peopled with nuanced, complex characters, this superb thriller is Walker's best to date. I'll be thinking about this book - with its head-spinning twists and perfect denouement - for months to come."
Love and Theft (2020) Stan Parish "An absolute knockout. Love and Theft is the tightly plotted, brilliantly entertaining, stay-up-all-night thriller I've been waiting for. Stan Parish delivers on every level."
You Can't Catch Me (2020) Catherine McKenzie "Catherine McKenzie never disappoints, and this is her best book yet. Her writing is fluid and absorbing; the characters are fully realized; the plot twists and turns with expert precision; and underlying it all is a growing sense of dread that I couldn’t shake until the book’s terrific denouement. Highly recommended for fans of psychological suspense."
Stranger in the Lake (2020) Kimberly Belle "Absolutely superb. Kimberly Belle is the queen of domestic suspense, and STRANGER IN THE LAKE is her darkest, most hypnotic work to date."
Safe (2020) S K Barnett "Safe is an absolutely first rate psychological thriller, with a serpentine plot and complex, fully realized characters. I picked it up before bedtime - an amateur mistake, in retrospect - and kept whispering just one more chapter to myself until I'd finished the whole damn thing."
Strike Me Down (2020) Mindy Mejia "A whip-smart thriller featuring a brilliant female protagonist, a finely-tuned plot and some truly spectacular writing. STRIKE ME DOWN delivers on every level."
(Faye Adelheim, book 1) Camilla Läckberg "Camilla Lackberg is a master of psychological suspense: she grabbed me by the throat with this sharply written, wildly entertaining tale of wealth, power and revenge and kept me up straight through the night. The Golden Cage may be my first exposure to Europe's 'Queen of Crime' but it certainly won't be my last. I'm a Läckberg fan for life."
Three Perfect Liars (2020) Heidi Perks "This disturbing, engrossing novel will leave you holding your breath until the very end."
The Poison Garden (2019) A J Banner "The Poison Garden is a taut, absorbing, richly atmospheric thriller. I started it one morning and finished it late the same night. A. J. Banner is a master of smart psychological suspense."
Lock Every Door (2019) Riley Sager "Lock Every Door is Riley Sager’s best book yet. Unrelentingly eerie and supremely stylish, this book had me in its grip from the first page until its shockingly twisted conclusion."
Layover (2019) David Bell "David Bell is a top-notch storyteller and Layover is his best book yet. I flew through this twisty, riveting psychological thriller at breakneck speed, hooked from the first page right up through the book's breathless conclusion."
The Escape Room (2019) Megan Goldin "A sharp, slick, utterly engrossing thriller. This knockout debut hooked me from the first page and didn't let go."
The Unbreakables (2019) Lisa Barr "Lisa Barr has written a fun, sexy, satisfying tale of a woman getting her groove back. From the Rodin Museum in Paris to the South of France, The Unbreakables has unexpected moments of warmth and human connection, and charts a woman’s journey back to herself."
Flamingo Coast (2019) Martin Jay Weiss "I loved Flamingo Coast. A fun, fast-paced ride through the dark, mysterious world of off-shore banking that will draw readers in from the very first page."
Family Trust (2018) Kathy Wang "FAMILY TRUST reads like a brilliant mashup of The Nest and Crazy Rich Asians (with a soupçon of Arrested Development for good measure). It’s dark and funny and entertaining and thoughtful all at once. The best kind of family drama. I loved every page."
The Necklace (2017) Claire McMillan "Claire McMillan's The Necklace has everything I love in story: a rich family drama, an enthralling mystery, exotic settings and gorgeous historical detail. McMillan writes in assured and often witty prose, and her characters came to life on the very first page. An enchanting, intoxicating book."
