Karen M. McManus is an American author of young adult fiction. She is best known for her first novel published in 2017, One of Us is Lying. This spent 129 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was optioned as a pilot by NBC.
Is this your first time in Sharjah?
Yes, and my first time in the Middle East. I’m excited to be here!
Did you always want to be a writer? What was the inspiration behind your first book, One of Us Is Lying, and how is this series developing?
I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was eight years old. I wrote my first story then and kept going until college, when I decided it wasn’t a practical dream. Many years later, I was driving to work one day when the theme song from The Breakfast Club came on, and I thought it could be interesting to write a modern take on that story with a dark twist. When I got home that night, I started One of Us Is Lying. I thought it would be a standalone novel, but the characters and the town of Bayview were never far from my mind. A few years later I released One of Us Is Next, and now I’ve written a third book, One of Us Is Back, which will complete the series in 2023.
Your books are currently available in 42 languages around the world, which is extremely impressive. Are there any languages you would particularly like to add to that list?
Thank you! I’d love to be published in widely-spoken languages such as Hindi and Bengali. Also, since my great-grandparents emigrated from Ireland to the United States, it would be special to one day be translated into Irish.
Tell us a little about your latest book, Nothing More to Tell.
Nothing More to Tell is the story of a teen journalist who investigates the cold-case murder of her favorite teacher, whose body was found by three of her classmates in the woods behind school four years ago. Brynn moved away shortly after her teacher died, but now that she’s back and interning at a prestigious true-crime show, she’s determined to learn the truth about what happened to Mr. Larkin. She starts by reconnecting with the kids who found him – including her ex-best friend, Tripp, who’s haunted by all the lies he told that day.
What are you hoping to gain from your visit to the Sharjah Book Fair?
I have the most wonderful readers, and I’m looking forward to meeting some of them in person. I’m also excited to connect with other authors, and experience the city of Sharjah.
