Lucy Foley

Lucy Foley is a British author of atmospheric, twisty thrillers whose novels have made her one of the most successful crime fiction writers of recent years. Her books are set in glamorous or isolated locations and combine the classic locked-room mystery with modern social dynamics, sharp characterisation, and mounting tension. Foley studied English Literature at Durham University and University College London. She worked in the publishing industry as a fiction editor at Hodder & Stoughton before turning to writing full-time. She lives in London. Her early novels — The Book of Lost and Found and The Invitation — were literary historical fiction. The shift to thriller came with The Hunting Party (2018), set in a remote Scottish hunting lodge over New Year's Eve, where a group of old university friends gathers — and one of them is killed. The novel was a bestseller and established Foley's gift for closed-setting thrillers with ensemble casts of unreliable characters. The Guest List (2020), set on a remote Irish island during a wedding, was an even bigger hit — a New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick. The Paris Apartment (2022) followed a young woman investigating her brother's disappearance in a Parisian apartment building. The Midnight Feast (2024) was set at the opening of a luxury wellness retreat on the Dorset coast. Foley writes in the tradition of Agatha Christie — closed settings, multiple suspects, shifting perspectives, and a puzzle at the heart of every story. But her novels are thoroughly modern in their exploration of class, privilege, envy, and the dark undercurrents beneath polished social surfaces. The audiobook editions of Foley's novels feature outstanding multi-narrator productions that bring her ensemble casts to vivid life. Her books and audiobooks are essential for thriller fans who love atmospheric settings, clever plotting, and the delicious tension of a group of people with too many secrets trapped in one place.