Andrea Bartz is a Brooklyn-based journalist and coauthor of the blog-turned-book Stuff Hipsters Hate (Ulysses Press, 2010), which The New Yorker called "depressingly astute." Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Marie Claire, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Women's Health, Martha Stewart Living, Redbook, Elle, and many other outlets, and she's held editorial positions at Glamour, Psychology Today, and Self, among other titles.
The Last Session (2025) Julia Bartz "Twisted, shocking, and deeply feminist, THE LAST SESSION is relentlessly unsettling - and like nothing I've ever read. Fans of THE WRITING RETREAT, buckle up: Julia's sophomore thriller is even tenser, twistier, and more bonkers. I read it in one big gulp - and loved every breathless moment."
Strange Folk (2024) Alli Dyer "Lush, vivid, and utterly unique, Strange Folk is as much a rich exploration of trust, identity, and redemption as it is a page-turning mystery. A bewitching debut!"
Made for You (2024) Jenna Satterthwaite "Made for You is a deftly crafted, stunningly original debut. I loved it from the clever first pages all the way to the jaw-dropping conclusion, and I can't wait to read more from this talented author!"
Look in the Mirror (2024) Catherine Steadman "Hypnotic and pulse-pounding, Look in the Mirror is both a dazzling puzzle-box of a thriller and an evocative exploration of trust, power, and how well we really know the people we love. I flew through its lush prose and intricate plot in 24 hours flat-and didn't want it to end!"
The Return of Ellie Black (2024) Emiko Jean "Dark, twisted, elegantly plotted, and beautifully written, Jean's debut kept me up late at night racing through chapter after thrilling chapter. But The Return of Ellie Black is so much more than just a page-turner; it's also a thoughtful exploration of trauma, female rage, the violence women face, and the roles we're allowed to play. I loved it."
The Sicilian Inheritance (2024) Jo Piazza "Equal parts rich historical fiction, gripping murder mystery, and a moving exploration of identity, grief, and the long shadow of the past. With lush prose and airtight plotting, Piazza's novel made me laugh, cry - and start planning a trip to Sicily."
Baby X (2024) Kira Peikoff "With clever details, unforgettable characters, and jaw-dropping twists, Baby X is a slick and stylish thriller that feels ripped from tomorrow's headlines. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough - and the ending left me reeling!"
Keep Your Friends Close (2024) Leah Konen "Packed with conniving characters, head-spinning twists, and female friendship at its most toxic, Keep Your Friends Close is a brilliantly constructed murder mystery. I didn't want it to end!"
Hot Springs Drive (2023) Lindsay Hunter "Poignant, luscious, brutal, gorgeous, heartbreaking, and totally unique - this stunning book destroyed me, and I didn't want it to end."
Delicate Condition (2023) Danielle Valentine "Delicate Condition is the feminist update to Rosemary's Baby we all needed-a twisty page-turner with unsettling details and crackling writing that's also a timely critique of sexism in modern medicine."
The Golden Spoon (2023) Jessa Maxwell "Clever, atmospheric, and creepy, with a spooky mansion, the kind of quirky, reality-TV-ready ensemble you can't help but adore, and storylines as expertly interwoven as a blue-ribbon challah. I can't wait for whatever Maxwell bakes up next."
Just the Nicest Couple (2023) Mary Kubica "Rich with detail and a mounting, almost suffocating sense of dread, Just the Nicest Couple is a dark and twisted exploration of loyalty, family, and how far we'll go to protect the ones we love."
The House in the Pines (2023) Ana Reyes "Reyes' debut is a gripping, intelligent thriller that chilled me to the bone. With its intricate plotting, gorgeous prose and complex, richly drawn characters, The House in the Pines is that rare book that you live inside from the first page to the last. I didn't want it to end - and I can't wait for readers to discover my new favorite author."
Murder on the Spanish Seas (2022) (Jessie O'Hara, book 1) Wendy Church "Clever, transportive, and laugh-out-loud funny, MURDER ON THE SPANISH SEAS is the perfect book to read poolside--just not on the deck of a luxury ocean liner. I can't wait to read more from this wickedly entertaining new voice."
The Goddess Effect (2022) Sheila Yasmin Marikar "Fresh, bitingly modern, and laugh-out-loud funny, The Goddess Effect is more than a page-turner - it's also razor-sharp commentary on the cult of wellness. I can't wait to read more from this talented debut author."
Some of It Was Real (2022) Nan Fischer "Fresh, surprising, and compulsively readable, Some of It Was Real sucked me right in with its rich characters, sparkling wit, and captivating story arc. This debut is more than a page-turner; it's an unflinching exploration of identity, trauma, and transcending the past, and it kept me riveted all the way up to its jaw-dropping conclusion."
An Honest Living (2022) Dwyer Murphy "A witty, observant debut that's as much a love letter to New York as it is a slick noir."
My Summer Darlings (2022) May Cobb "MY SUMMER DARLINGS sizzles with small-town secrets, backstabbing besties, and the year's darkest take on 'summer romance.' This sultry, soapy thriller just might be the perfect poolside read."
Just Like Mother (2022) Anne Heltzel "Heltzel's novel bursts onto the scene with all the power and gore of a home birth. With unforgettable characters and details that will haunt your dreams, Just Like Mother is set to be one of the year's most talked-about books. I tore through this urgent, timely, and deeply disturbing tale....and I'll think of it every time I field an uncomfortable question about my own childless status."
Watch Out for Her (2022) Samantha M Bailey "Creepy, surprising, and relentlessly tense, Watch Out for Her is so much more than a thriller; it's an unflinching exploration of the roles we allow women to fill. With dark secrets and cliffhangers galore, this thrill ride will keep you up long past your bedtime. I couldn't put it down."
Real Easy (2022) Marie Rutkoski "With gorgeous prose, well-drawn characters, and crackling suspense, Real Easy is an unforgettable thriller that stuck with me long after the last page. Beneath the drum-tight plot is a brilliant examination of femininity, safety, and the roles women play. I couldn't put it down."
The Maid (2022) (Molly the Maid Mystery , book 1) Nita Prose "A charming, clever, and wholly original whodunit. I cheered and felt deeply for Molly the Maid - a complex and masterfully drawn protagonist I won't soon forget."
The Ballerinas (2021) Rachel Kapelke-Dale "Kapelke-Dale's debut comes roaring out of the wings with all the grace and strength of a prima ballerina. Deftly constructed and crackling with tension, THE BALLERINAS is a stunner of a novel, with electric prose and careful observations on loyalty, ambition, power, and rage within the crucible of intense female friendships. I tore through this unforgettable thriller--and I'll never look at professional dance the same way again."
The Mother Next Door (2021) Tara Laskowski "If the women of Big Little Lies were the moms of East Coast high schoolers, they'd be right at home in The Mother Next Door--a witty, wicked thriller packed with hidden agendas, juicy secrets, and pitch-perfect satire of the suburban dream."
In My Dreams I Hold a Knife (2021) Ashley Winstead "Beautiful writing, juicy secrets, complex female characters, and drumbeat suspense—what more could you want from a debut thriller? I'm Ashley Winstead's new biggest fan. If you liked Marisha Pessl's Neverworld Wake or Laurie Elizabeth Flynn's The Girls Are All So Nice Here, trust me—you will love this."
The Family Plot (2021) Megan Collins "Megan Collins's best book yet! It's like Umbrella Academy meets Tana French. Dark, claustrophobic, and beautifully written with Collins's signature musical prose, The Family Plot mixes brilliant modern touches with timeless eerie details."
Just One Look (2021) Lindsay Cameron "Bitingly modern and totally addictive, Just One Look is a juicy entry into the unhinged-women canon. I loved it—it’s propulsive, surprising, and deeply creepy. With wry prose and deliciously wicked twists, Lindsay Cameron’s suspense debut is the freshest take on stalker fiction since You."
The Girls Are All So Nice Here (2021) Laurie Elizabeth Flynn "Juicy, twisty, and relentlessly unsettling, THE GIRLS ARE ALL SO NICE HERE is more than a thriller; it's a masterful portrait of the complexities of female friendships and the raw yearning to fit in. With characters unflinchingly wrought in all their vulnerability and a setting so real, I felt I'd visited the Wesleyan campus myself, this book is a brilliant and wickedly wild ride. I couldn't put it down."
If I Disappear (2021) Eliza Jane Brazier "Subtle, surprising, and genuinely scary...an unflinching exploration of our obsession with true crime and the darkness marbling our psyches. With sinewy prose and nuanced observations about the female experience, this debut marks a ferocious new voice."
They Wish They Were Us (2020) Jessica Goodman "A juicy, fast-paced, addictive tale that's more than a mystery--it's a timely exploration of ambition, loyalty, and how far we'll go to belong. I couldn't put it down."
Everyone Knows How Much I Love You (2020) Kyle McCarthy "Ever since I finished Everyone Knows How Much I Love You, I haven't stopped thinking about it: how the prose pops and fizzes; how the characters reside in my mind still like ants in a terrarium; how McCarthy masterfully articulates aspects of the female experience I've always intuited but haven't seen in print. It's a stunning, evocative, unflinching debut, and I can't wait to read whatever she writes next."
The New Girl (2020) Harriet Walker "With elegant prose and complex, vivid characters, The New Girl is a delicious slow burn of a thriller. Harriet Walker has an impressive hold on how women really think, and she sweeps the reader into the book’s suspenseful world, skillfully capturing both the sparkly mania of the fashion world and the strange bell jar of new motherhood. I can’t wait to read more from her."
The Other People (2020) C J Tudor "Chilling, moving, and disquieting, The Other People proves C. J. Tudor is a force to be reckoned with. With nuanced characters and a satisfying, intricately braided slow-burn that builds to a heart-pounding finish, this novel gripped me, surprised me—and stuck with me long after the final page."
