Karen M. McManus

Karen M. McManus
Born1969 (age 55–56)
LanguageEnglish
NationalityAmerican
EducationCollege of the Holy Cross (BA)
Northeastern University (MA)
GenreYoung Adult, Mystery
Years active2017–present
Notable works
Website
.karenmcmanus.com

Karen M. McManus (born 1969) is an American author of young adult fiction.[1] She is most known for her first novel, One of Us Is Lying, which spent more than five years on The New York Times Best Seller list,[2] as well as its sequels One of Us Is Next and One of Us Is Back, and the stand-alone novel Two Can Keep a Secret.

Early life and education

McManus discovered an interest for writing when she was eight years old and was assigned to write a story in school.[3] She attended the College of the Holy Cross, earning a bachelor’s degree in English literature, then attended Northeastern University, where she received a Master of Arts (M.A.) in journalism.

One of Us is Lying trilogy (2017–2023)

The One of Us is Lying series consists of three novels: One of Us is Lying (2017),[4] One of Us Is Next (2020),[4] and One of Us Is Back (2023).

One of Us Is Lying was optioned as a pilot by NBC and the television adaption premiered on Peacock in October 2021.[5][6][7]

Standalone novels

Two Can Keep a Secret (2019)

For Two Can Keep a Secret, which was McManus’ first standalone novel outside of the One of Us Is Lying trilogy, Kirkus Reviews gave it a starred review and named it one of the best books of 2019.[8]

The Cousins (2020)

The Cousins, McManus's second standalone novel and fourth novel overall, was a #1 New York Times bestseller[9] and an Edgar Award Nominee.[10]

Personal life

She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[1] She rereads The Secret History by Donna Tartt every year.[3]

Works

One of Us Is Lying trilogy

  1. One of Us Is Lying (Delacorte Press, 2017)[11][4][12][13]
  2. One of Us Is Next (Delacorte Press, 2020)[14][15]
  3. One of Us Is Back (Delacorte Press, 2023)

Standalone novels

References

  1. ^ a b "Karen M. McManus". Contemporary Authors. March 2, 2018 – via Gale Contemporary Literature.
  2. ^ "Young Adult Hardcover Books - Best Sellers". The New York Times. February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Q&A: Karen M. McManus, Author of 'One of Us Is Back'". The Nerd Daily. July 25, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Children's Book Review: One of Us Is Lying". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  5. ^ "Cambridge author talks 'One of Us Is Lying' after NBCUniversal orders murder mystery to pilot". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  6. ^ Otterson, Joe (September 25, 2019). "Jennifer Morrison to Direct 'One of Us Is Lying' Pilot for Peacock (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  7. ^ Petski, Denise (October 30, 2019). "'One Of Us Is Lying': Peacock's YA Mystery Drama Pilot Based On Book Sets Cast". Deadline. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus". Kirkus Reviews.
  9. ^ "Young Adult Hardcover Books - Best Sellers - Books - Dec. 20, 2020 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  10. ^ https://mysterywriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2021EdgarNomTTD.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  11. ^ One of Us Is Lying. Kirkus Reviews.
  12. ^ "Book Review - One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus". BookPage.com. May 10, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  13. ^ "Junior Library Guild : One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus". www.juniorlibraryguild.com. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  14. ^ "One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus". Kirkus Reviews (in Spanish).
  15. ^ "EW's winter thriller preview: Your complete guide to the season's best page-turners". EW.com. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  16. ^ "Children's Book Review: Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus. Delacorte, $29.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-5247-1472-7". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  17. ^ "EW talks YA: Heart-racing thrillers and mysteries keep us on the edge of our seats". EW.com. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  18. ^ McManus, Karen. "The Cousins". karen-mcmanus. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  19. ^ McManus, Karen M. (2020). The Cousins. Random House Children's Books. ISBN 978-0-525-70800-1.
  20. ^ "You'll Be the Death of Me". karen-mcmanus. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  21. ^ "Nothing More to Tell – Author Karen M. McManus".
  22. ^ "Such Charming Liars – Author Karen M. McManus".
  23. ^ "'Feminist icon' Miss Marple returns in 12 new authorised mystery stories". TheGuardian.com. September 15, 2022.