Sarah

Pekkanen

New York Times Bestselling Novelist
Journalist & Screenwriter
Travels from: Washington, DC
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“Sarah Pekkanen was an undeniable crowd favorite at our 2026 reader retreat, with 450 captivated readers hanging on to her every word and hoping for just 5 more minutes with her.” — Emily & Ashley, Founders of The Creepy Book Club

Sarah Pekkanen is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of sixteen solo and co-authored novels. Her books are sold in thirty-six countries, with several optioned for TV and film. Sarah also co-wrote the screenplay for The Wife Between Us, which was optioned by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment. Sarah serves on the board of directors of International Thriller Writers, a not-for-profit organization of professional thriller writers with thousands of members in spread across dozens of countries.

Sarah travels frequently, including to India at least once a year, as part of her passion for volunteering. Sarah is the founder of the nonprofit organization IndiaStreetPaws (www.IndiaStreetPaws.com), and she works hand-in-hand with a rescue group in Gujarat that heals 4,000 injured and abused street dogs. Currently, Sarah’s non-profit is supporting the construction of a dog sanctuary in Anand, India .

An award-winning former journalist and mother of three sons (which explains why she wrote part of her first novel at Chuck E. Cheese’s – seriously!), Sarah lives just outside of Washington, DC.

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Sarah's Featured Titles

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The Women in White: A Novel

St. Martin’s Press |
Mystery/Thriller

The newest next thriller from #1 Bestselling Author Sarah Pekkanen combines a decades-old mystery with spine-tingling paranormal elements in this twisty novel of the seen and unseen.

Extrasensory perception.
The Gift.
A Sixth Sense.
Or something else….

In 1964, four remarkable young women at a prestigious university became the subjects of parapsychology experiments by a visionary scientist. On the cusp of a historic breakthrough, the women mysteriously vanished and the program was erased from history.

Decades later, Riley Bell, newly divorced and desperate for a fresh start, accepts a caretaker job for an elderly widow named Betty. Riley steps into a home that is frozen in another era – no microwave, television, or cell phones, and Betty has never heard of the internet.

Why has Betty lived in such profound isolation for so many years, and why does she need Riley now? As the story unfolds across two timelines – Betty’s 1960s era of 5 o’clock martinis and high-stakes experiments, and Riley’s quest to uncover the truth about the missing women – old secrets rise to the surface. And the only way to survive is to confront the mystery that has lingered for sixty years.

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The Locked Ward: A Novel

St. Martin’s Press |
Mystery/Thriller

New from Sarah Pekkanen, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of House of Glass and co-author of The Wife Between Us.

A shocking psychological thriller about the complex bonds of sisterhood―and what happens when they are stretched to the breaking point, The Locked Ward “will leave you guessing until the very end” (Jeneva Rose, bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage).

Some doors should never be opened.

Was it bitter, all-consuming jealousy? Pathological sibling rivalry? Pure insanity?

Whatever the cause―and everyone has a theory―it’s the Crime of the Decade when glamorous Georgia Cartwright, who was adopted as a newborn, is accused of killing the biological daughter of her wealthy, Southern family.

Georgia is locked in a psychiatric institution where the most violent offenders are held while she awaits trial. The only words she whispers when her estranged twin sister Amanda visits are, “I didn’t do it. You’ve got to get me out of here.”

Amanda doesn’t trust Georgia, but she can’t abandon her in a place so eerie and menacing that it seems to exist in another dimension. Is Georgia the victim of a powerful family that’s so depraved murder is the least of their crimes? Or is Amanda being led down a path of madness into the web of a master manipulator?

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House of Glass: A Novel

St. Martin’s Press |
Mystery/Thriller

“Wow, I loved this one so much! I didn’t want it to be over because I was enjoying it so much, but I couldn’t stop turning pages! House of Glass is a gripping thriller that was packed with surprises and compelling characters.” — Freida McFadden

The next thrilling novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah Pekkanen, House of Glass.

On the outside they were the golden family with the perfect life. On the inside they built the perfect lie.

A young nanny who plunged to her death, or was she pushed? A nine-year-old girl who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak. A lawyer whose job it is to uncover who in the family is a victim and who is a murderer. But how can you find out the truth when everyone here is lying?

Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny – in the midst of her parent’s bitter divorce – and immediately stopped speaking. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. She never accepts clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood, but Stella’s mentor, a revered judge, believes Stella is the only one who can help.

From the moment Stella passes through the iron security gate and steps into the gilded, historic DC home of the Barclays, she realizes the case is even more twisted, and the Barclay family far more troubled, than she feared. And there’s something eerie about the house itself: It’s a plastic house, with not a single bit of glass to be found.

As Stella comes closer to uncovering the secrets the Barclays are desperate to hide, danger wraps around her like a shroud, and her past and present are set on a collision course in ways she never expected. Everyone is a suspect in the nanny’s murder. The mother, the father, the grandmother, the nanny’s boyfriend. Even Rose. Is the person Stella’s supposed to protect the one she may need protection from?

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Becoming The Architect of Your Own Life

At 40, I made a decision that profoundly changed the trajectory of my life: I become its architect. After years of following paths that felt expected rather than inspired, I stepped into the unknown and began a new career as a novelist, driven not by certainty (because what writer, and human being, doesn’t have self-doubt?) but by conviction. What started as a leap of faith became something far greater than I imagined – stories that once lived in my mind found their way to the #1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list, affirming that it’s never too late to begin again. That success opened doors for me to begin writing stories that were optioned for film and television, allowing me to tell create on an even larger canvas. But perhaps most meaningfully, it also gave me the platform and confidence to single-handedly found a charity dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating abused street dogs in India. Reinvention isn’t reserved for the young; it belongs to anyone willing to claim it, and in middle age, I finally did.

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Want to Be a Writer? You've Got Options!

My journey as a writer has been anything but linear – and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve written solo novels spanning both general fiction and high-concept thrillers, co-written fast-paced collaborations that sharpened my craft in entirely new ways, and explored storytelling through short stories, TV pilots, and screenplays. Each path has offered its own rewards and challenges: the solitude and creative control of solo work, the energy and compromise of collaboration, the precision of short form, and the structural rules of writing for the screen. What I’ve learned is that “being a writer” isn’t one fixed identity – it’s a landscape of possibilities, each with its own rhythm, risks, and fulfillment. The key is finding the path that aligns with your voice, your goals, and your life constraints, as well as understanding that you don’t have to choose just one. I’ll walk your audience through the pros and cons of each, with humor, encouragement and concrete examples. The right path isn’t predefined; it’s the one you’re willing to claim and shape for yourself.

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Want to Write a Book? You've Talking to the Right Person.

Teaching writing has become one of the most meaningful extensions of my own journey as an author. As an on-line and in-person instructor with The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, MD, Politics & Prose bookstore in Washington D.C., and International Thriller Writers worldwide, I’ve had the privilege of working with hundreds of people of all ages who are eager to bring their stories to the page. What I offer goes beyond craft alone; with humor, anecdotes and encouragement, I pull back the curtain on what it’s like to become a published author. I’ll share insider perspectives on the publishing world alongside practical tools for generating ideas, building momentum, and creating a writing practice. From overcoming the blank page to navigating agents, editors, and the realities of the industry, my goal is to demystify the process and empower writers to move forward with clarity and confidence.

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Boots on the Ground Research

Research shapes the DNA of my stories. Before I became a novelist, I worked as an investigative journalist and award-winning features writer, and that foundation instilled in me a deep commitment to digging beneath the surface. I bring that same curiosity to my fiction, stepping into worlds few people ever see. To add authenticity to my novels, I’ve been snuck into a high-security psychiatric ward for the most violent offenders who are pleading not guilty by reason of insanity (which was one of the most eerie experiences I’ve ever had). I’ve been the subject of ESP testing at a research institute in North Carolina with deep ties to the former Parapsychology Lab at Duke University. I’ve traveled to Bath, England to learn about a specialized school that is the setting of my 2027 hardcover. And when I was a newspaper reporter, I did everything from spend an evening in a haunted house to document the efforts of the staff at the National Aquarium in Baltimore to rehabilitate a stranded baby porpoise. For me, writing isn’t just about imagination; it’s about the willingness to go wherever my stories lead me.

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Honors, Awards & Recognition

#1 New York Times and International bestselling author with books sold in 36 countries
Current finalist for Best Standalone Novel of the Year, International Thriller Writers
Amazon Editor’s Pick, Best Book of the Year, Mystery/Thriller 2024
Goodreads finalist, Best Mystery/Thriller of the Year (multiple years)
Audio books have been narrated by actors including Emmy winner Kate Mara and Tony winner Laura Benanti
Book Club Pick: The View
Book Club Pick: Book Of the Month (6 times and counting)
Today.com “Most Anticipated Books” for 2026

Media clips

Publishers Weekly | Sarah Pekkanen Hears No Evil

The Washington Post | A stolen purse, a thriller writer and a particular set of skills

NPR | Get That Book Deal: Three Books Tell You How

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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