Luanne Rice is the author of 31 novels, including 22 consecutive New York Times bestsellers. Five of her books have been made into movies and mini-series, and her work has also been featured at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles and in several off-Broadway theatre productions. She lives in New York City and Southern California.
The Divorce (2024) Moa Herngren "The Divorce pulls back a curtain on a long marriage, a close family, and in one moment reveals the devastating truth that has been hiding in plain sight. Moa Herngren writes with such compassion and insight, bringing the characters so vividly to life that their emotions and passions become our own. I love this novel."
The Twelve Dogs of Christmas (2023) Susan Wiggs "Susan Wiggs and the words 'favorite writer' go together, and with Sugar and Salt she is at the top of her powers. She understands the tender dramas of everyday life, of friendship and family, of wanting something that might be just beyond reach - and then again might not. I loved her character Margot Salter, and my heart soared and broke and soared again to learn the secrets of her past and how they threaten her hard-won present. Susan writes so deliciously about food, love, and hope...she will make you believe in life's sweetness."
Reef Road (2023) Deborah Goodrich Royce "Reef Road is magnificent. It feels utterly real, a novel of deeply personal context. It swerves between truth and lies - the lies that lead to an even deeper - and more devastating - truth. Though pure fiction, it reads as compellingly as a mixture of memoir and expose. It has left me shaken to the core. Deborah Goodrich Royce writes with brilliant understanding of the mystery and occasional grace of trauma."
Over Her Dead Body (2022) Susan Walter "Over Her Dead Body is a psychological thrill ride that takes us into world of Hollywood and the heart of a family with deeply hidden secrets. Susan Walter is a master storyteller with an insider's view of the film business, and her novel glints with danger and brilliant insight into the hopes and dreams of an aspiring actress. I read it in one sitting, guessing the whole way through, stunned by the conclusion."
Strangers We Know (2022) Elle Marr "From the first page I was gripped by Strangers We Know and read through the night till the end. The novel is thrilling beyond belief, with suspense and twists ratcheting up on each page. Elle Marr is brilliant at delving into the darkness of a seemingly normal family, and by the time she pulls back the curtains on each character, the terror has built so excruciatingly, you just have to keep going till you find out every single thing - you're afraid to know, but you have to know. This is the year's must read."
An Imperfect Plan (2022) Addison McKnight "An Imperfect Plan uncovers dark secrets that haunt ordinary families. Addison McKnight has written a novel that turns comfort and convention inside out, examines the wishes and desires of women we think we know, and reveals how long-ago trauma can affect everything that happens today. The emotion is visceral, the heartbreak and suspense are almost unbearable, and it all leads to a stunning ending. McKnight is a superb observer of domestic drama."
Somebody's Home (2022) Kaira Rouda "Somebody's Home starts like a hurricane out at sea: some wind, some waves, a sense of approaching danger. But the story moves fast, gains velocity, and suddenly you are turning the pages, unable to stop, heart in your throat, knowing that something terrible is going to happen and nothing will stop it. The threats come from all sides, and it's so hard to know who to trust. The characters are wonderful and complex; the setting feels like the house next door, which makes it all the more terrifying; and the ending nearly killed me. Kaira Rouda has written a terrific, gripping thriller."
The Cottage (2021) Daniel Judson "Home is a sanctuary, and family and friends are there for you. Except in The Cottage, where nothing is as it seems. Kate is being stalked, and isn't sure who or what to trust, including her own mind. With brilliant understanding of trauma and how PTSD can throw every single relationship into question, Daniel Judson ratchets up the suspense, and while you're on the edge of your seat, you'll be guessing till the last page. This thriller is devastating and wildly unputdownable."
Last Girl Ghosted (2021) Lisa Unger "Brilliant and compelling, full of fascinating characters that take us to the darkest places imaginable… I read straight through the night, couldn't put the novel down till I turned the last page, and am haunted by it still."
Mrs. Rochester's Ghost (2021) Lindsay Marcott "Gothic and elegant, Mrs. Rochester’s Ghost captivated me from the first page and kept me reading all night. Lindsay Marcott has created a seductive Big Sur landscape; peopled it with brilliant, complicated characters; and set in motion a thriller both terrifying and emotionally satisfying. I loved it."
The Hive (2021) Gregg Olsen "The Hive is a riveting thriller, a tsunami of a story that starts out strong and absolutely knocks you over at the end. The characters are fascinating, their world so real and absorbing—I was transfixed from the very start. Gregg Olsen is such a compelling writer."
Meeting in Positano (2021) Goliarda Sapienza "Meeting in Positano is an absolute dream of a novel. Set on the magical Amalfi Coast, it is full of beauty and yearning, secrets and art. The friendship at the novel’s center is so compelling, and ultimately heartbreaking, I felt I was swept along with Goliarda and Erica, by the dazzling sea, through the Positano nights."
The Last One Home (2021) Victoria Helen Stone "The Last One Home is elegant and chilling, an indelible novel of family secrets. I couldn’t put it down until I learned the truth about these finely-drawn characters—the ending left me absolutely shocked and amazed, and I can’t stop thinking about it."
Sweet Water (2021) Cara Reinard "Sweet Water is electrically suspenseful, impossible to put down until the last gut punch of a killer ending."
Bone Canyon (2021) (Eve Ronin, book 2) Lee Goldberg "Wow—what a novel! It is wonderful in so many ways. I could not put it down. Bone Canyon is wrenching and harrowing, full of wicked twists. Lee Goldberg captures the magic and danger of the Santa Monica Mountains and the predators who prowl them. Detective Eve Ronin takes on forgotten victims, fights for them, and nearly loses everything in the process. She’s a riveting character, and I can’t wait for her next case."
Summer Darlings (2020) Brooke Lea Foster "This luminous novel set on Martha's Vineyard feels like the summer you first fell in love, first had your heart broken. Brooke Lea Foster has created an unforgettable character in Heddy, a girl full of yearning and idealism, deep intelligence, grace and contradictions. This compelling, unputdownable novel sparkles with wit and insight, captures the Vineyard's beauty, delves into class distinctions and family secrets, and, most of all, reveals Heddie with truth and tenderness."
The Dog I Loved (2019) Susan Wilson "The Dog I Loved is gorgeous and wrenching, psychologically astute and compassionate. I have always wanted to know what dogs think, and now I do. Susan Wilson gets into the hearts and minds of her complicated, brilliantly drawn characters, both human and canine. She has always been a writer of tremendous heart and insight; this is her best book yet."
Before I Let You Go (2018) Kelly Rimmer "A heartbreaking book about an impossible decision. A novel about the deepest love possible."
R.I.P. Eliza Hart (2017) Alyssa Sheinmel "Gorgeous and wrenching, full of gigantic questions and even more gigantic answers about love, identity and appearance. Alyssa Sheinmel's writing is so true, her characters so real, that they live on long after the last page is turned."
Becoming Ellen (2015) (Ellen , book 2) Shari Shattuck "A novel of grace and tenderness; so darkly funny in places it made me laugh out loud, I kept stopping as I read, to hold on to these wonderful characters, to keep them with me just a little longer."
The Major's Daughter (2014) J P Francis "A tremendous novel, rich and complex, about war and peace, love and almost, almost unbearable longing. It took my breath away."
Senseless Acts of Beauty (2014) (Pine Lake Sisterhood, book 2) Lisa Verge Higgins "Higgins writes with grace and humor, reminding us to hold tight to the ones we love."
Exposure (2011) Therese Anne Fowler "Therese Fowler writes with such wisdom about young love, intense and impossible choices, and the way a decision can affect an entire life."
The Hindi-Bindi Club (2007) Monica Pradhan "Sparkles with wit, heart, and truth... Monica Pradhan has written a beautiful novel about family, the strength of women, and the power of love."
Owl Island (2006) Randy Sue Coburn "Gentle and elegaic... makes the reader believe in love in a whole new way. This is a wonderful novel."
Home to Italy (2004) Peter Pezzelli "A beautiful novel... Peter Pezzelli captures the warmth of Italy... family, friendships, and food - invites us into the world of his wonderful characters, and takes us full circle on a journey of life and love."
Heart and Soul (2002) Sally Mandel "Sally Mandel is a wonderful writer... Her novels will inspire you with love, laughter, and courage."
(b.1955)
