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Liane Moriarty

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Books Written by Liane Moriarty

Moriarty is an Australian novelist known for domestic dramas that hide sharp psychological suspense underneath ordinary settings — school gates, book clubs, family barbecues — where secrets, gossip, and buried trauma quietly detonate. Big Little Lies, adapted into the Emmy-winning HBO series starring Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman, made her one of the most recognizable names in contemporary fiction.

Big Little Lies remains the obvious starting point given its cultural reach, but The Husband’s Secret is often cited by longtime readers as her tightest, most purely suspenseful book.

By Lisanne Swart · 5 books · Domestic Suspense · Updated August 2026

Quick answer

Liane Moriarty is best known for Big Little Lies (2014), adapted into the HBO series, along with The Husband’s Secret (2013), Nine Perfect Strangers (2018), Apples Never Fall (2021), and the 2025 sequel Big Little Truths. Big Little Lies is the natural starting point.

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01
Domestic SuspenseStart here

Big Little Lies

Liane Moriarty · 2014

A school trivia night ends in a parent’s death, and the novel works backward through a year of playground politics, secrets, and a hidden pattern of domestic violence among a group of kindergarten mothers to explain how it happened.

Adapted into the Emmy-winning HBO series starring Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Meryl Streep, which sent Moriarty’s career into a new stratosphere and remains her most culturally recognized book.

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02
Domestic Suspense

The Husband’s Secret

Liane Moriarty · 2013

A woman discovers a letter from her husband, marked to be opened only after his death, and the decision of whether to read it early sets off a chain of consequences connecting several seemingly unrelated families.

Moriarty’s American breakout novel and often cited by longtime readers as her most tightly plotted and purely suspenseful book.

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03
Domestic Suspense

Nine Perfect Strangers

Liane Moriarty · 2018

Nine strangers check into an isolated wellness retreat expecting relaxation and self-improvement, only to discover the retreat’s charismatic director has much stranger and more dangerous methods planned.

Adapted into a Hulu limited series starring Nicole Kidman — one of Moriarty’s more overtly thriller-paced books, with a premise that leans further into suspense than domestic drama.

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05
Domestic Suspense

Big Little Truths

Liane Moriarty · 2025

A sequel to Big Little Lies, catching up with the same Monterey mothers years later, written in part with the HBO series’ cast — including a role Moriarty says she wrote specifically for Meryl Streep — in mind.

Moriarty had long said she’d never write a sequel; this book was shaped directly by the television adaptation’s success and is expected to inform the show’s upcoming third season.

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Watch: ‘Big Little Lies’ Author Liane Moriarty on Why Her Story Is Universal

Liane Moriarty discusses the HBO adaptation of Big Little Lies and the real-life anecdotes that inspired the novel’s darker themes.

Where to start with Liane Moriarty

If you want her most iconic book

Big Little Lies remains her most culturally recognized novel, thanks to the HBO adaptation.

If you want her tightest plotting

The Husband’s Secret is often cited by longtime fans as her most purely suspenseful book.

If you’re already a Big Little Lies fan

Big Little Truths is the long-awaited sequel, written with the show’s cast in mind.

Frequently asked questions about Liane Moriarty’s books

How many books has Liane Moriarty written?

Liane Moriarty has written over a dozen novels, including The Husband’s Secret (2013), Big Little Lies (2014), Nine Perfect Strangers (2018), Apples Never Fall (2021), and the 2025 sequel Big Little Truths.

What is the best Liane Moriarty book to start with?

Big Little Lies. It’s her most culturally recognized novel, especially given the acclaimed HBO adaptation, and a strong showcase of her style.

Is Big Little Truths a sequel to Big Little Lies?

Yes. Published in 2025, it follows the same characters years later and was shaped in part by the HBO series’ success — Moriarty has said she wrote a role specifically for Meryl Streep, who played Mary Louise in the show’s second season.

Written by Lisanne Swart

Lisanne curates books for curious readers at lisanneswart.com, publishing original reading lists, author deep-dives, and honest recommendations since 2021. Read more about Lisanne.

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