“Packed with jaw-dropping moments, The Woman Outside My Door is a twisty thriller with hidden depths. I gobbled it up." - Robyn Harding, internationally bestselling author of The Party

Out now in paperback from Gallery Books in the US, The Woman Outside My Door is a thrilling page-turner from an unforgettable new voice in suspense fiction, about a young mother who can't shake the feeling that her son's "imaginary" friend is putting him in very real danger, and she will stop at nothing to keep him safe.

All children have imaginary friends, Georgina tells herself. It's perfectly normal, and they all grow out of it in the end. But when her seven-year-old son, Cody, tells her about New Granny, the new friend he's met in the park, Georgina is instantly suspicious. Something--call it maternal instinct--tells her he isn't making it up.

But maybe Georgina is losing her mind. It wouldn't be the first time, after all. And with her own mother's recent death leaving her bereft and trying to cope with life as a busy working mom, it's no wonder she's feeling paranoid that Cody has invented a "New Granny" to replace his beloved grandmother.

Her husband, Bren, becomes the voice of reason, assuring Georgina that it's just a game, the product of their son's overactive imagination. But what if Cody's imaginary friend is not so imaginary after all?

The Woman Outside My Door will be published as Hidden Lies by Piatkus in the UK in April 2022.

Praise for The Woman Outside My Door

"A clever spin on the every mother’s nightmare scenario that probes the secrets at the heart of a family, and of a country. Gripping and hugely readable, [The Woman Outside My Door] heralds a bright new voice in psychological thrillers." - Erin Kelly, USA Today bestselling author of HE SAID/SHE SAID

"You never know when the secrets of your past will rise up and find you again. Rachel Ryan shines in this creepy and chilling debut. Questions abound—imaginary friend or dangerous stalker? You will fly through the pages of this tense and fast-paced story, and the giant twist at the end will leave your heart pounding." - Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author of THE LAST FLIGHT

“When your husband, your seven-year-old son, and your father are all harboring secrets, who can you trust? A rollercoaster of a read, it never flags, the pace is relentless, resulting in a denouement that will take your breath away. Bravo, Rachel Ryan!” - Liz Nugent, #1 internationally bestselling author of Little Cruelties

“A fast-paced, gripping thriller.... As the heart-pounding tension unfolds page after page, Rachel Ryan expertly unravels the mystery, leaving readers guessing until the satisfying, surprising ending. Emotional, captivating, and suspenseful, this is a fantastic debut by an author to watch.” 

- Samantha M. Bailey, #1 bestselling author of Woman on the Edge

“[A] confident debut ... Ryan does a good job keeping the reader off balance, wondering whether Georgina is indeed going mad. The tension builds as long-held secrets are revealed, and Georgina proves that she’ll stop at nothing to protect her child. Fans of psychological suspense will be satisfied." 

- Publishers Weekly

"A tense, unsettling thriller about the kind of toxic secret that can blow a family apart ... a very impressive debut." - T. M. Logan, Sunday Times bestselling author of THE HOLIDAY

"A gripping tale that wraps its tentacles around you and draws you in." - Siobhan MacDonald, author of Twisted River

“Georgina is a fierce, loyal narrator, and the reader won’t be able to resist rooting for her success. Seasoned mystery lovers will recognize similarities to B. A. Paris’ The Breakdown (2017), Mary Kubica’s The Other Mrs. (2020), and A. J. Finn’s The Woman in the Window (2018).” - Booklist

"an enjoyable domestic thriller that will keep the reader guessing." - News And Sentinel

"[A] suspenseful, chilling, unsettling, and creepy thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. It has a good pace from scene to scene and a dramatic ending that caught me by surprise... an amazing debut novel!" - Mystery & Suspense

"[A] first novel whose author we’ll stay alert for... Nicely knits in a troubled marriage of likable people [...] and a twisty ending you won’t see coming." - Shawangunk Journal

"Ryan’s debut is a chilling story about motherhood and grief, centered on a mother whose young child, coping with the death of a grandmother, seems to invent a new imaginary friend in her place. Except that maybe the friend isn’t imaginary. Expect a few chills to run down your spine as you work your way through this sharp debut." - CrimeReads