12 Authors Like Lucy Foley for Your Next Mystery Read

Readers often find themselves captivated by the same themes and styles across different authors.

If you’re a fan of Lucy Foley’s sharp prose and compelling storytelling, you might be curious about who else writes in a similar vein.

This article will introduce you to 12 authors like Lucy Foley whose works are sure to satisfy your craving for suspenseful tales.

By the end, you’ll have a fresh reading list packed with authors that mirror Foley’s engaging style!

12 Authors Like Lucy Foley 

1. Ruth Ware

Writing Style & Themes:
Ruth Ware writes psychological thrillers that slowly pull you in with a moody and suspenseful tone. 

Her stories often take place in remote houses, cruise ships and snowy estates where tension quietly builds until it snaps. 

She weaves in unreliable characters, buried secrets and just enough danger to keep you reading late into the night.

Notable Books/Series:

• In a Dark, Dark Wood
• The Woman in Cabin 10
• The Turn of the Key

Why Readers Will Love Her:
She creates a haunting atmosphere that wraps around you and doesn’t let go.

Ruth Ware’s Website: https://www.ruthware.com

2. Shari Lapena

Writing Style & Themes:
Shari Lapena focuses on domestic suspense where everyday lives unravel into shocking secrets and dark truths. 

Her stories often center around small communities, marriages and the quiet menace of the people closest to us.

Notable Books/Series:

• The Couple Next Door
• An Unwanted Guest
• Not a Happy Family

Why Readers Will Love Her:
She turns ordinary moments into nail-biting scenes that make you question everyone.

Shari Lapena’s Website: https://sharilapena.com

3. Riley Sager

Writing Style & Themes:
Riley Sager blends high-stakes psychological suspense with dark emotional undertones. 

His books often explore trauma, survival and the long shadows of past horrors. 

Every chapter tightens the grip until the final twist hits hard.

Notable Books/Series:

• Final Girls
• Lock Every Door
• Home Before Dark

Why Readers Will Love Him:
He’s a master at slowly building dread while keeping you guessing until the very end.

Riley Sager’s Website: https://www.rileysagerbooks.com

4. Alice Feeney

Writing Style & Themes:
Alice Feeney crafts twist-filled thrillers with emotional depth. 

Her stories are filled with unreliable narrators, fractured relationships and shocking revelations that upend everything you thought you knew.

Notable Books/Series:

• Sometimes I Lie
• His & Hers
• Rock Paper Scissors

Why Readers Will Love Her:
She’s brilliant at keeping readers off-balance and emotionally invested from start to finish.

Alice Feeney’s Website: https://www.alicefeeney.com

5. Agatha Christie

Writing Style & Themes:
Agatha Christie is the queen of classic mysteries, known for intricate plots and closed-circle settings. 

Her stories often feature clever setups, surprising reveals and brilliant detectives who piece everything together.

Notable Books/Series:

• And Then There Were None
• Murder on the Orient Express
• The ABC Murders

Why Readers Will Love Her:
Her timeless mysteries are addictive, clever and endlessly satisfying to unravel.

Agatha Christie’s Website: https://www.agathachristie.com

6. Gillian Flynn

Writing Style & Themes:
Gillian Flynn dives deep into the human psyche with twisted characters, dark secrets and raw emotional tension. 

Her writing is sharp, gritty and full of psychological complexity that lingers long after the last page.

Notable Books/Series:

• Gone Girl
• Sharp Objects
• Dark Places

Why Readers Will Love Her:
She explores the darkest corners of the mind with chilling honesty and unforgettable characters.

Gillian Flynn’s Goodreads Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2383.Gillian_Flynn 

7. A.J. Finn

Writing Style & Themes:
A.J. Finn writes character-driven thrillers inspired by classic Hitchcock-style tension. 

His stories focus on isolation, perception and the fragile line between truth and illusion.

Notable Books/Series:

• The Woman in the Window
• End of Story
• (Forthcoming works in development) 

Why Readers Will Love Him:
His stories are cinematic, gripping and filled with twists that hit when you least expect them.

A.J. Finn’s Website: https://www.ajfinn.com

8. Lisa Jewell

Writing Style & Themes:
Lisa Jewell writes compelling psychological thrillers that explore dark family secrets, hidden pasts and the ripple effects of trauma. 

Her books are rich in character development and emotional suspense.

Notable Books/Series:

• Then She Was Gone
• The Family Upstairs
• Watching You

Why Readers Will Love Her:
She weaves deep and emotional mysteries that keep you hooked and constantly second-guessing.

Lisa Jewell’s Website: https://www.lisajewellbooks.com

9. Alex Michaelides

Writing Style & Themes:
Alex Michaelides creates cerebral psychological thrillers with a literary edge. 

His stories often feature therapists, academics or closed institutions where mystery and psychological unravelling go hand in hand.

Notable Books/Series:

• The Silent Patient
• The Maidens
• The Fury

Why Readers Will Love Him:
His writing is smart, stylish and filled with elegant suspense that builds with precision.

Alex Michaelides’ Website: https://www.alexmichaelides.com

10. Sarah Pearse

Writing Style & Themes:
Sarah Pearse writes chilling mysteries set in isolated often snow-covered locations. 

Her books are atmospheric and slow-burning with creeping dread and secrets hiding beneath the surface.

Notable Books/Series:

• The Sanatorium
• The Retreat
• The Wilds

Why Readers Will Love Her:
She combines eerie landscapes with sharp suspense that keeps the pages turning.

Sarah Pearse’s Website: https://www.sarahpearse.co.uk 

11. B.A. Paris

Writing Style & Themes:
B.A. Paris writes tight and fast-paced psychological thrillers that peel back the layers of seemingly normal relationships. 

Her stories are filled with quiet menace, tension and shocking twists.

Notable Books/Series:

• Behind Closed Doors
• The Breakdown
• The Therapist

Why Readers Will Love Her:
She’s great at building unease with every page, making you question what’s real and what’s hidden.

B.A. Paris’ Website: https://www.baparis.com/ 

12. Karin Slaughter

Writing Style & Themes:
Karin Slaughter delivers gripping crime thrillers with rich psychological layers. 

Her work blends emotional depth, strong female leads and often disturbing crimes that unravel over time.

Notable Books/Series:

• Pretty Girls
• The Good Daughter
• Will Trent series

Why Readers Will Love Her:
She writes bold and emotionally intense thrillers that cut deep and stay with you.

Karin Slaughter’s Website: https://www.karinslaughter.com

Final Word on the Authors Similar To Lucy Foley

The contributions of the above authors similar to Lucy Foley, to the thriller genre are truly exceptional and deserve recognition.

They each bring something special to the world of suspense, mystery and drama.

Whether it’s Ruth Ware’s chilling twists, Shari Lapena’s fast-paced plots or Shari Lapena’s eerie atmosphere, you’re sure to find stories that keep you guessing.

These writers capture the same tension, secrets and emotional depth that her fans love.

If you’re craving more gripping reads, you’ll want to check out these unforgettable authors like Lucy Foley.