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Heather Gudenkauf writes standalone suspense and domestic thrillers. There isn’t a numbered series to track, but reading in release order works well because it shows her shift from quiet, character-led tension to higher-concept, twistier thrillers.
Below is a clean “in order” list, plus the shorter works that sit alongside the novels.
The novels, from first to most recent
- The Weight of Silence (2009): Two missing girls and a town full of assumptions force the truth to surface in the spaces where words fail.
- These Things Hidden (2011): A woman leaves prison determined to rebuild, but the past won’t stop demanding payment.
- One Breath Away (2012): A school-day nightmare traps a community in fear while people outside the building make impossible choices.
- Little Mercies (2014): A child’s disappearance draws out the brittle edges of motherhood, justice, and what people will do to protect their own.
- Missing Pieces (2016): A death from decades ago refuses to stay buried, and a family learns how many lies can live under one roof.
- Not a Sound (2017): A nurse coping with deafness is pulled into a dangerous mystery where listening isn’t optional, it’s survival.
- Before She Was Found (2019): A risky late-night dare spirals into a crime that rewires friendships and exposes what kids notice that adults miss.
- This Is How I Lied (2020): A cold case reopens, and the detective closest to it discovers the town’s secrets are still active and armed.
- The Overnight Guest (2022): A true-crime writer snowed in at an isolated farmhouse realizes the worst stories don’t always stay in the past.
- Everyone Is Watching (2024): A reality-show setup becomes a locked-in nightmare as contestants realize someone wants blood, not ratings.
- The Perfect Hosts (2025): A lavish party turns lethal, and the guests’ polished masks slip one by one under suspicion.
Continuity note: These are designed as standalones, reading “in order” is about style and escalation, not required plot setup.
Shorter fiction and extras
- Little Lies (2014, novella): A case involving a murdered mother and a frightened child pulls a social worker into a pattern that looks uncomfortably familiar.
- A Thousand Doors (2018, anthology participation): A multi-author “many lives” concept where one woman’s choices branch into alternate versions of her life.
These can be read whenever you want; they don’t affect the novels.
Three low-effort ways to start (no wrong choice)
- For classic Gudenkauf atmosphere: start with The Weight of Silence.
- For modern thriller pace: start with The Overnight Guest.
- For high-concept tension: start with Everyone Is Watching, then jump back to the beginning if you want the full progression.
FAQ
Do any of these form a series?
No. Each novel stands alone with a new cast and a complete arc.
Will I spoil anything by reading out of order?
Not across books. You’ll mainly change how you experience her evolution as a writer.
What’s the latest release?
The Perfect Hosts (2025) is the most recent novel listed on her official book list.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.