“Lisa Unger, you’ve done it again.” — Sarah Michelle Gellar, Emmy Award-winning actress

Lisa Unger is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of twenty-one novels, including The New Couple in 5B and her newest, Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 (February 2025). With books published in thirty-three languages and millions of copies sold worldwide, she is regarded as a master of suspense.

Unger’s critically acclaimed novels have been featured on “Best Book” lists from the Today Show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Weekly, People, Amazon, Goodreads, L.A. Times, The Boston Globe, Sun Sentinel, Tampa Bay Times and many others. She has been nominated for, or won, numerous awards including the Strand Critics, Audie, Hammett, Macavity, ITW Thriller, and Goodreads Choice. In 2019, she received two Edgar Award nominations in the same year, an honor held by only a few authors including Agatha Christie. Her short fiction has been anthologized in The Best American Mystery and Suspense, and her non-fiction has appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Daily Telegraph, NPR, and Travel+Leisure. Lisa is the current co-President of the International Thriller Writers organization.

Lisa's Featured Titles

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10: A Novel

Park Row |
Mystery/Thriller

“Pacy and gripping, I couldn’t read fast enough.” —Sarah Pearse, New York Times bestselling author of The Sanatorium

An extreme game of hide-and-seek turns deadly in this riveting new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger

When the real game begins, who will make it to the count of 10?

Charismatic daredevil and extreme adventurer Maverick Dillan invites you to the ultimate game of hide-and-seek. But as the players gather on Falcao Island, the event quickly spirals into a chilling test of survival. A storm rages as a deadly threat stalks the contestants, turning the challenge into something far more sinister than the social media stunt it was intended to be.

Enter Adele, a single mother with a fierce determination to protect her children at all costs. When she begins the game, she unwittingly enters a twisted web of deception and intrigue. Can she maneuver through the treacherous storm and the relentless competition and get home to her family? In a ruthless battle for survival where the stakes are higher than ever, the blurry line between the virtual and the real proves that the only person we can trust is ourselves.

The New Couple in 5B: A Novel

Park Row |
Thriller

“Spine-tingling fun.” —People

“Lisa Unger, you’ve done it again.” —Sarah Michelle Gellar, Emmy Award-winning actress

A couple inherits an apartment with a spine-tingling past in this unputdownable thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six.

Rosie and Chad Lowan are barely making ends meet in New York City when they receive life-changing news: Chad’s late uncle has left them his luxury apartment at the historic Windermere in glamorous Murray Hill. With its prewar elegance and impeccably uniformed doorman, the building is the epitome of old New York charm. One would almost never suspect the dark history lurking behind its perfectly maintained facade.

At first, the building and its eclectic tenants couldn’t feel more welcoming. But as the Lowans settle into their new home, Rosie starts to suspect that there’s more to the Windermere than meets the eye. Why is the doorman ever-present? Why are there cameras everywhere? And why have so many gruesome crimes occurred there throughout the years? When one of the neighbors turns up dead, Rosie must get to the truth about the Windermere before she, too, falls under its dangerous spell.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six: A Novel of Thrilling Suspense

Park Row |
Thriller

“A deliciously tense ride.” —Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author of One By One

INSTANT BESTSELLER

Three couples rent a luxury cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway to die for in this chilling locked-room thriller.

What could be more restful than a weekend getaway with family and friends? An isolated luxury cabin in the woods, spectacular views, a hot tub and a personal chef. Hannah’s generous brother found the listing online. The reviews are stellar. It’ll be three couples on this trip with good food, good company and lots of R & R.

But the dreamy weekend is about to turn into a nightmare.

A deadly storm is brewing. The rental host seems just a little too present. The personal chef reveals that their beautiful house has a spine-tingling history. And the friends have their own complicated past, with secrets that run blood deep.

How well does Hannah know her brother, her own husband? Can she trust her best friend? Meanwhile, someone is determined to ruin the weekend, looking to exact a payback for deeds long buried. Who is the stranger among them?

Last Girl Ghosted: A Novel

Park Row |
Thriller

“A five-alarm fire of a situation…the surprises keep coming.” The New York Times

Secrets, obsession and vengeance converge in this riveting thriller about an online dating match turned deadly cat-and-mouse game, from the New York Times bestselling author of Confessions on the 7:45

She met him through a dating app. An intriguing picture on a screen, a date at a downtown bar. What she thought might be just a quick hookup quickly became much more. She fell for him—hard. It happens sometimes, a powerful connection with a perfect stranger takes you by surprise. Could it be love?

But then, just as things were getting real, he stood her up. Then he disappeared—profiles deleted, phone disconnected. She was ghosted.

Maybe it was her fault. She shared too much, too fast. But isn’t that always what women think—that they’re the ones to blame? Soon she learns there were others. Girls who thought they were in love. Girls who later went missing. She had been looking for a connection, but now she’s looking for answers. Chasing a digital trail into his dark past—and hers—she finds herself on a dangerous hunt. And she’s not sure whether she’s the predator—or the prey.

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The Journey from Aspiring to Published Writer

Lisa Unger discusses the road from her childhood love of reading and writing to bestselling author. This is a warts and all talk about finding your calling, losing connection to your dream, finding your way again, and never giving up.

Aspiring Writer to Published Author | The Journey

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Five Reasons You're Not Being as Creative as You Could Be

Lisa Unger talks about her life as a novelist, and all the ways the world can conspire to keep us from our creativity. She talks here about honoring your creative impulses, making time for pursuing your dreams,. and finding ways to connect or reconnect to your most creative self.

Six Reasons You’re Not as Creative as You Could Be

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Walking on the Dark Side

Lisa Unger discusses the childhood events that caused her to want to write crime fiction. This is a talk about managing the darkness that exists in the world, finding answers to unanswerable questions on the page, and using creativity to metabolize fear.

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Book Club Resources

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Honors, Awards & Recognition

ITW Award Winner for Best Short Story – UNKNOWN CALLER.
The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2024 Selection – UNKNOWN CALLER

New York Times bestselling author
USA Today bestselling author
Two-time Edgar Award nominated author

The Globe and Mail #6 Bestseller – THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B.
Toronto Star #8 Bestseller – THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B.
Apple Books #6 Bestseller – THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B.
Publishers Weekly Bestseller – THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B.
Kobo Best Books of the Month – THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B.
People Best Books to Read in March – THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B.
Katie Couric Media What to watch, read, and listen to this week – THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B.
Amazon Editors’ Pick: Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense books of March 2024 – THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B.
Apple Books March Favorites – Staff Pick – THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B.
LibraryReads Hall of Fame – March 2024 pick – THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B.
BookBub Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2024 – THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B.
Kirkus starred review for THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B.

Media Kit

By clicking the link below you will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.

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