“Shari Lapena is at the very top of her game here. This might be my favourite yet!” —Lucy foley
Available July 29, 2025
Available July 17, 2025
Bryden and Sam have it all - thriving careers, a smart apartment in a luxury condominium, supportive friends and a cherished daughter.
The perfect life for the perfect couple.
Then Sam receives a call at his office. Bryden – working from home that day - has failed to collect their daughter from daycare.
Arriving home with their little girl, he finds his wife’s car in the underground garage. Upstairs in their apartment her laptop is open on the table, her cell phone nearby, her keys in their usual place in the hall.
Except Bryden is nowhere to be seen. It’s as if she just walked out.
How can she have disappeared from her own home? And did she even leave the building at all?
With every minute that passes – and as questions swirl around their community – Bryden and Sam’s past seems a little less perfect, their condominium less safe, their friends, neighbours and relatives no longer quite so reliable . . .
Reviews
A UK Sunday Times Bestseller • An Irish Bestseller • A Library Reads Top Pick (A Library Reads Hall of Fame Author) •
“[SHE DIDN’T SEE IT COMING is] a twisting, gripping, gruesome read with dark undertones, unrelenting psychological suspense, and a shocking conclusion that will stay with readers long after they’ve finished the book.”
—Booklist
“Lapena’s timely tale mixes the formidable dangers involved with online true-crime addiction with classic police work in a story that will make you wonder what secrets your family and friends are hiding and who, if anyone, you really know or can trust. Lapena’s talents shine in this irresistible novel about revenge, betrayal, and secrets.”
–Kirkus
“Lapena has written another solid domestic thriller with all the twists and red herrings that her readers have come to expect. The author’s fans and those who enjoy twisty domestic thrillers will flock to this one.”
—Library Journal
“Lapena lays out the puzzle with a sure hand, and ties everything together in a satisfactory conclusion.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Reading Lapena’s terrific, twisty novel felt like taking apart a Russian doll.”
—Minnesota Star Tribune
“Another enthralling psychological thriller from Lapena…A gripping read from start to finish.”
—Woman & Home (UK)
“Lapena weaves suspicion through every corner of this seemingly idyllic community…If you’re looking for a smart, unputdownable mystery with well-drawn characters and a truly compelling premise, She Didn’t See It Coming is a must-read. This is Shari Lapena at her best — twisting the knife when you least expect it.”
—BookTrib
“Lapena is a master of psychological suspense.”
–CrimeReads.
“You can always rely on Lapena, best known for The Couple Next Door, for a book to keep you guessing”
—i newspaper
“A snappy read”
—Belfast Telegraph
"I’m looking forward to Shari Lapena’s She Didn’t See It Coming. Lapena is one of the best thriller writers at work today, combining compulsive storylines with great characterisation and twists the reader never sees coming”
—John Boyne, in Good Housekeeping
“I absolutely raced through it … a pacy and hugely satisfying thriller. Highly recommended”
—Karin Slaughter, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Girls
“Stunning: fiendishly plotted with whiplash twist and turns — Shari Lapena is at the very top of her game here. This might be my favourite yet!”
—Lucy Foley, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Midnight Feast
“Shari Lapena is one of the very best storytellers I have read”
—Liz Nugent, internationally bestselling author of Strange Sally Diamond
“Nobody does it quite like Shari Lapena. Another belter of a page-turner with deliciously flawed characters and genius sleight of hand – this kept me guessing right to the end. Perfection.”
—Andrea Mara, internationally bestselling author of Someone in the Attic
“I love all of Shari’s books, as she brings a unique quality to her writing that makes you believe you’re working alongside the characters trying to figure out what’s going on.”
—Heidi Perks
“She Didn’t See It Coming is the mystery of the year. I couldn’t put it down once I started, and I’ll be recommending this to everyone!!”
—Liz Karanikas, Joseph-Beth Booksellers (Lexington, Kentucky)