Lisa Jewell has earned a reputation as the queen of psychological thrillers. Having written 14 books in the genre, received the award for Crime Book of the Year in 2023, and amassed a legion of loyal fans (including Freida McFadden and Shari Lapena), Jewell is a crime writer at the top of her came.
Jewell is so popular because her books combine twisty plots that make your mind race with possibilities, with strong, fully-fledged characters. You feel invested in each story because the characters feel so real, even if they can be unhinged, and many readers credit Jewell’s books with helping them out of a reading slump.
But where should you start with Jewell’s books? Below, we’ve listed Jewell’s psychological thrillers in order and, if you’re keen to read her earlier works, her family dramas and romances. Don’t forget to pre-order her next crime novel, It Could Have Been Her, which will be released on 2nd July 2026.
Psychological thrillers
1. The Girls (2015)
The Girls is widely viewed as Lisa Jewell’s first psychological thriller, although her previous books The House We Grew Up In and The Third Wife are unsettling family dramas that are also worth the read. In The Girls, a close-knit London community becomes a pressure cooker when an unconscious 13-year-old girl is found in the communal garden. Secrets gradually come to light, revealing the real dynamics between these complex yet believable characters and building a sense of dread and foreboding.
Read it if you like: Idyllic settings with a dark underbelly, slow-burn tension, gradual revelation of the truth.
2. I Found You (2016)
This small-town mystery is even more plot-driven than The Girls but maintains a quietly disturbing atmosphere. Lily has only been married for three weeks when her husband goes missing; but when she goes to the police, she learns there is no evidence that her husband ever existed. Meanwhile, a man washes ashore with no idea who he is, relying on Alice’s kindness. As both women piece together separate clues, they uncover years of deception in this page-turning, disorientating read.
Read it if you like: Fast-paced plots, small-town mysteries, relationships built on lies.
Read an extract from I Found You by Lisa Jewell.
3. Then She Was Gone (2017)
Laurel’s teenage daughter, Ellie, went missing a decade ago. When she falls for a local man, Floyd, and meets his daughter, she’s disturbed by her striking resemblance to Ellie. Is it a coincidence or was Floyd somehow involved in Ellie’s disappearance? Then She Was Gone is one of Lisa Jewell’s most popular thrillers because it features some of her best characterisation: you feel so deeply for the characters, which makes the bleak situation even more heart-wrenching. It’s also one of Jewell’s darkest plots, meaning it’s impossible to put down and stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page.
Read it if you like: Twisty plots, well-developed characters, an unsettling atmosphere.
Read an extract from Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell.
4. Watching You (2018)
When Joey and her husband move into their new apartment, she is not prepared to develop feelings for their neighbour Tom. But what starts as an innocent crush gradually becomes a deadly obsession. Watching You is a slow-burn thriller that’s compulsive readable: you’ll find yourself trying to piece together what really happened until the early hours. Everyone has secrets, and they culminate in a surprising final reveal that you’ll think about for weeks.
Read it if you like: Immersive thrillers, secrets in suburbia, the creepy neighbourhood obsessive trope.
Read an extract from Watching You by Lisa Jewell.
5. The Family Upstairs (2019)
In a large house in Chelsea, a baby sits happily in her cot. Downstairs, three dead bodies lie in the kitchen, where they have been for days. Who has been looking after the baby and where did they go? This compulsive thriller became a number one bestseller upon its publication because of its absorbing atmosphere of dread, its immersive storytelling, and the puzzle-like structure of the mystery that keeps you guessing. Like Jewell’s other works, the story centres deeply flawed characters who have real psychological depth, but this is one of her most satisfying stories in how it ties up its loose ends.
Read it if you like: Deeply flawed characters, psychological depth, intricate plots.
Read an extract from The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell.
6. Invisible Girl (2020)
This gripping domestic thriller will have you saying, “Just one more chapter,” as you race to find out what happened. Troubled teenager Saffyre develops an obsession with her former psychologist after he breaks off their sessions. One night, while stalking the man and his family, she goes missing. According to the neighbours and the press, all signs point to Owen, a lonely misfit who was the last person to see her. But what really happened to Saffyre, and who is truly responsible?
Read it if you like: Multiple POVs, secrets in suburbia, thought-provoking characters.
Read an extract from Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell.
7. The Night She Disappeared (2021)
Nineteen-year-old Tallulah told her mum she was going on a date but never returned. Her friends claimed they saw her going to a party in the woods, but nobody knows where she went next – that is, until two years later, when a woman finds a sign in the woods that reads, “Dig here”. The Night She Disappeared is a character-driven mystery that hooks you in and refuses to let you go. There are dark themes beneath the surface, but the characters and their relationships are what make the book so absorbing – especially Kim, who is relentless in her search for her missing daughter.
Read it if you like: Dual timelines, missing person mysteries, domestic noir.
Read an extract from The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell.
8. The Family Remains (2022)
In this standalone sequel to The Family Upstairs, evidence left at a crime scene has connections to a 30-year-old cold case. It’s an intricate, multi-layered mystery, with clues that are brilliantly laid out and gradually revealed, making it particularly satisfying to solve. But it’s also rewarding because, as it’s a sequel, you’re already invested in the storyline and its characters.
Read it if you like: The Family Upstairs, cold-case mysteries, close-knit but toxic group dynamics.
Read an extract from The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell.
9. None of This is True (2023)
Josie approaches podcaster Alix and suggests they record a podcast about her life as she is on the cusp of a great change. As the pair embark on the project, Alix discovers Josie is harbouring deep secrets and must consider how much of her story she believes. Is Josie in danger – or is she dangerous? This is a tense read that leaves you with a lingering sense of dread, and we can see why it was named Crime Book of The Year at the 2024 British Book Awards. We particularly recommend the audiobook format as it feels like listening to a true-crime podcast.
Read it if you like: True-crime podcasts, unreliable narrators, morally grey characters.
10. Breaking the Dark (2024)
Breaking the Dark is a very different type of Lisa Jewell thriller, which is unsurprising given it’s about a hero from the Marvel Universe. The story follows private investigator Jessica Jones as she explores how two American twins spent the summer in the UK with their father and came back with uncharacteristically perfect skin and manners. This is an absorbing, addictive read – and you don’t need knowledge of the Marvel Universe to enjoy it.
Read it if you like: Private investigators with a dark past, science fiction, The Stepford Wives.
11. Don’t Let Him In (2025)
Following the sudden death of her husband, Nina seeks solace in a charming stranger, Nick. Meanwhile, Martha, is growing increasingly suspicious of her often-absent husband, and Nina’s daughter Ash has her own suspicions about Nick. This interconnected mystery is a tense, compulsive read with a believable (if highly unlikeable) villain at its heart.
Read it if you like: Character-driven mysteries, domestic thrillers, true-crime documentaries.
12. It Could Have Been Her – coming July 2026
In this spin-off from Don’t Let Him In, we re-meet tough sleuth Jane Trevally. In a flashback, the newly divorced Jane goes back to a man’s flat in Hampstead Heath. Once there, however, she hears a scream and a thud from upstairs and gets a bad feeling and flees. Twenty-five years later, she stumbles across the house again – and learns that the tenant has gone missing. Determined to find out what happened, and what could have happened to her all those years ago, Jane investigates in this chilling thriller.
Read it if you like: Missing persons cases, houses with a dark past, amateur detectives.
Read an extract from It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell.
Romances and family dramas
Before Lisa Jewell wrote the psychological thrillers she’s best known for, she honed her craft through writing bestselling romances and character-driven dramas. These novels are full of complex characters with ulterior motives and dark pasts, and paved the way for Jewell’s writing today. Below are the books in publication order:
- Ralph’s Party (1999)
- Thirtynothing (2000)
- One Hit Wonder (2001)
- A Friend of the Family (2004)
- Vince and Joy (2005)
- 31 Dream Street (2007)
- The Truth About Melody Browne (2009)
- After the Party (2010)
- The Making of Us (2011)
- Before I Met You (2012)
- The House We Grew Up In (2013)
- The Third Wife (2014)
Do you have to read Lisa Jewell books in any order?
No, the majority of Lisa Jewell’s books are standalones, meaning you can read them in any order. That being said, many readers would suggest starting with her most popular books: Then She Was Gone, None of This is True or The Family Upstairs, which give you a flavour of her writing.
Also, whilst most of the books are standalones, it’s worth noting that The Family Remains is a sequel to The Family Upstairs. Similarly, Lisa Jewell’s newest book It Could Have Been Her is a sequel to her 2025 novel Don’t Let Him In. It’s good to read these four books in order as they feature recurring characters and a continuation of plotlines.
What is Lisa Jewell’s most popular book?
Most Lisa Jewell fans would probably agree that Then She Was Gone is her best book. It’s exceptionally written, with characters that have real depth and a plot that keeps twisting and getting darker until its haunting conclusion. It’s impossible to put this book down but, as it’s one of the most heart-wrenching of Jewell’s novels, it stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page.
Although Then She Was Gone is Lisa Jewell’s most popular book, this is closely followed by None of This is True, which is captivating and claustrophobic, and particularly popular in audiobook format. Readers also recommend The Family Upstairs because of its suspenseful atmosphere and complex characters.
Have any of Lisa Jewell’s books been made into movies?
Two of Jewell’s books are currently in development but neither has been released yet. A Netflix film adaptation of the 2023 novel None of This is True is in the works – which makes sense as the book is written in the format of a true-crime documentary. The second adaptation is Jewell’s 2017 book Then She Was Gone, which is currently in development, with actress and writer Catherine Steadman to write the film’s screenplay.
What is the newest Lisa Jewell book?
Lisa Jewell’s upcoming book, It Could Have Been Her, will be published on 2nd July, 2026. The novel is a sequel to Jewell’s 2025 book, Don’t Let Him In and sees the return of the character Jane Trevally. This time, the sleuth is on a mission to uncover what happened in a house she visited 25 years ago, and whether she had a narrow escape from a dangerous man.
There you have it – Lisa Jewell’s books in order! Can’t wait for the next book in the series? Let us know in the comments below…
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Iv read the family up stairs, the family remains and watching you. Amazing books iv got the night she disappeared and none of this is true to read. I have to buy the house we grew up in, invisible girl and then she was gone.
Just saying C.j. Cooke is another fab author just like Lisa jewell. Very similar writing styles amazing
The house we grew up in is one of Jewell,s best I,m currently reading None of this is true and it’s another corker
I got your book in my room called
The night she disappeared for Christmas from Mildred