This page organizes Shari Lapena books in publication order, with reading paths and related works.
Quick Index
- Author: Shari Lapena
- Page scope: Fiction by Shari Lapena, including the two earlier comic novels, the later suspense standalones, and the publicly listed upcoming title Getting Away With Murder.
- Best starting point, publication entry: Things Go Flying if you want to read from the first book onward.
- Best starting point, popular entry: The Couple Next Door if you want the breakout thriller most readers know first.
- Best starting point, latest entry: She Didn’t See It Coming if you want the newest released novel.
- Order matters: No for plot continuity. These books are not a numbered story sequence. Publication order is mainly useful for tracking the shift from early comic fiction to psychological suspense.
- Not to be confused with: Shari Lapena’s official site separates her bibliography into Thrillers and Other Books. The two earlier novels are part of the author’s bibliography even though they sit outside the thriller run.
Reading Paths
1. Publication Order
This is the most complete route because it preserves the actual release sequence across the full bibliography.
- Things Go Flying (standalone, novel, 2008)
- Happiness Economics (standalone, novel, 2011)
- The Couple Next Door (standalone, novel, 2016)
- A Stranger in the House (standalone, novel, 2017)
- An Unwanted Guest (standalone, novel, 2018)
- Someone We Know (standalone, novel, 2019)
- The End of Her (standalone, novel, 2020)
- Not a Happy Family (standalone, novel, 2021)
- Everyone Here Is Lying (standalone, novel, 2023)
- What Have You Done? (standalone, novel, 2024)
- She Didn’t See It Coming (standalone, novel, 2025)
- Getting Away With Murder (standalone, novel, 2026)
2. Chronological Order
There is no larger shared timeline to follow here, so chronological reading is effectively the same as release order.
- Things Go Flying
- Happiness Economics
- The Couple Next Door
- A Stranger in the House
- An Unwanted Guest
- Someone We Know
- The End of Her
- Not a Happy Family
- Everyone Here Is Lying
- What Have You Done?
- She Didn’t See It Coming
- Getting Away With Murder
3. Beginner Path
Use this path if you want the suspense catalog first.
- Start with The Couple Next Door
- Continue with A Stranger in the House
- Then read Not a Happy Family
- After that, move to She Didn’t See It Coming or circle back to the earlier non-thriller novels
4. Completionist Path
Use this order if you want the full currently listed bibliography.
- Things Go Flying
- Happiness Economics
- The Couple Next Door
- A Stranger in the House
- An Unwanted Guest
- Someone We Know
- The End of Her
- Not a Happy Family
- Everyone Here Is Lying
- What Have You Done?
- She Didn’t See It Coming
- Getting Away With Murder
Publication Order Master List
Other Books
- Things Go Flying
- Series number: none
- Format: novel
- Publication year: 2008
- Notes: debut novel; later reissued in 2024; listed by the author under Other Books.
- Happiness Economics
- Series number: none
- Format: novel
- Publication year: 2011
- Notes: second early novel; later reissued in 2024; listed by the author under Other Books.
Standalone Thrillers
- The Couple Next Door
- Series number: none
- Format: novel
- Publication year: 2016
- Notes: first thriller; major breakout title.
- A Stranger in the House
- Series number: none
- Format: novel
- Publication year: 2017
- Notes: second thriller.
- An Unwanted Guest
- Series number: none
- Format: novel
- Publication year: 2018
- Notes: standalone suspense novel.
- Someone We Know
- Series number: none
- Format: novel
- Publication year: 2019
- Notes: standalone suspense novel.
- The End of Her
- Series number: none
- Format: novel
- Publication year: 2020
- Notes: standalone suspense novel.
- Not a Happy Family
- Series number: none
- Format: novel
- Publication year: 2021
- Notes: standalone suspense novel.
- Everyone Here Is Lying
- Series number: none
- Format: novel
- Publication year: 2023
- Notes: standalone suspense novel.
- What Have You Done?
- Series number: none
- Format: novel
- Publication year: 2024
- Notes: standalone suspense novel.
- She Didn’t See It Coming
- Series number: none
- Format: novel
- Publication year: 2025
- Notes: most recent released thriller currently listed on the official site.
- Getting Away With Murder
- Series number: none
- Format: novel
- Publication year: 2026
- Notes: next listed thriller; official site shows it as forthcoming in July 2026.
Related Works and Where They Fit
- Things Go Flying and Happiness Economics belong at the front of the bibliography as the author’s pre-thriller novels.
- The official site treats those two books separately from the suspense line under Other Books.
- The suspense novels function as individual entries rather than as linked installments.
- No main novella sequence, companion collection, or connected sub-series is visibly separated out in the official bibliography reviewed for this page.
Dependencies & Notes
- Publication order is the simplest default for Shari Lapena.
- The books do not depend on one another for story comprehension.
- Readers who only want the suspense work can begin with The Couple Next Door without reading the earlier comic novels.
- Readers who want the full author bibliography should include Things Go Flying and Happiness Economics before the thriller catalog.
- Getting Away With Murder is the newest publicly listed upcoming novel.
FAQs
Where should I start with Shari Lapena?
Start with The Couple Next Door for the best-known suspense entry. Start with Things Go Flying if you want the full bibliography in release order.
Do Shari Lapena books need to be read in order?
No. These are standalones, so there is no required sequence for plot continuity.
Are Shari Lapena’s early books thrillers?
No. Things Go Flying and Happiness Economics are earlier non-thriller novels and are separated from the suspense titles on the official site.
Is there a Shari Lapena series?
No main series is listed in the official bibliography reviewed for this page.
What is Shari Lapena’s newest announced book?
Getting Away With Murder is the newest announced title, scheduled for July 2026.
Change Log
- Last checked: April 18, 2026
- What changed: Included the early non-thriller novels from the official site’s Other Books section, carried the suspense standalones through She Didn’t See It Coming, and added the forthcoming Getting Away With Murder.
- Most recent known release included: She Didn’t See It Coming (2025)
- Most recent known upcoming release noted: Getting Away With Murder (2026)