Where to Start Reading Andrea Bartz
If you are new to Andrea Bartz’s suspenseful world of unreliable narrators and dark secrets, you might wonder where to begin. Because all of her fiction books are completely standalone novels or self-contained short stories, you can read them in any order you choose. However, we recommend starting with her breakout hit, We Were Never Here. As a Reese’s Book Club pick and a New York Times bestseller, it perfectly showcases her ability to build claustrophobic tension, examine intense, codependent female friendships, and keep readers guessing until the final pages.
If you prefer a slower-burn mystery with a strong sense of late-2000s nostalgia, starting with her debut novel, The Lost Night, is another excellent option. It offers a grounded mystery set in the gritty warehouse parties of Brooklyn, reflecting Bartz's own experiences living in New York during that era.
Andrea Bartz's Standalone Thrillers in Publication Order
To see how Bartz's style has evolved from nostalgic Brooklyn mysteries to globe-trotting psychological thrillers, reading in publication order is highly rewarding. Here are her standalone novels in the order they were released:
The Lost Night (2019)
Bartz's debut novel introduces readers to Lindsay Bach, a woman obsessed with uncovering the truth behind her friend Edie's apparent suicide ten years earlier. Set in a tight-knit circle of artistic friends in a Brooklyn loft transit warehouse, the story jumps between the drug-fueled haze of 2009 and the present day. As Lindsay pieces together the events of that fateful night, she begins to wonder if she herself might have played a role in Edie's death. This thriller was optioned for television development by Mila Kunis's production company.
The Herd (2020)
Set in a glamorous, high-profile women-only coworking space in New York called The Herd, this novel explores the dark side of female ambition and empowerment. When Eleanor Vance, the charismatic founder of the space, vanishes on the night of a major announcement, her friends and associates are thrown into the spotlight. As secrets are exposed, the novel dives deep into the intense societal pressures placed on modern women and the toxic rivalries that can fester under the guise of sisterhood.
We Were Never Here (2021)
This globetrotting thriller follows two best friends, Emily and Kristen, who embark on their annual backpacking trip, this time to Chile. When Emily kills a man in self-defense after an altercation in their hotel room, Kristen helps her cover up the incident. However, when a similar tragedy occurs during their next trip to Cambodia, Emily begins to suspect that Kristen is harboring dark secrets of her own. The novel is a chilling look at trauma, gaslighting, and the dangerous lengths to which people will go to protect their secrets.
The Spare Room (2023)
Taking a turn into domestic suspense, this novel follows Kelly, a young woman who moves into the home of her friend Sabrina and Sabrina's husband, Nathan, during the pandemic lockdown. Soon, Kelly finds herself drawn into a passionate polyamorous relationship with the couple. However, the dream setup quickly sours when Kelly discovers that the couple's previous roommate went missing under highly suspicious circumstances, leading to a tense struggle for survival.
The Last Ferry Out (2025)
In this atmospheric mystery, Abby travels to a remote, sun-drenched Mexican island to investigate the mysterious death of her fiancée, who allegedly drowned. As Abby interacts with the tight-knit expat community and searches for clues, she begins to realize that her fiancée's death was no accident. The book seamlessly combines a poignant exploration of grief with a pulse-pounding, queer romantic mystery.
Short Stories: The "Never Tell" Collection (2024)
In 2024, Andrea Bartz participated in a unique collaborative project titled the Never Tell Collection, published by Amazon Original Stories. This collection consists of six standalone suspense stories written by prominent thriller authors, designed to be read or listened to in a single sitting. While the stories are not connected by characters, they all share themes of hidden secrets and the terror of past lies coming to light.
Andrea Bartz contributed the first story in the collection:
- The Other Side of the Road (2024) – A suspenseful tale about a pregnant woman and her husband who move into their dream home in the Hudson Valley, only to find themselves watched and unsettled by an intrusive neighbor across the street.
For readers who want to read the entire multi-author collection, the publication order of the stories is as follows:
- The Other Side of the Road by Andrea Bartz
- Everywhere You Look by Liv Constantine
- The Ghost Writer by Loreth Anne White
- Scorpions by Rachel Howzell Hall
- Jackrabbit Skin by Ivy Pochoda
- The Bad Friend by Caroline Kepnes
Satirical Non-Fiction: Stuff Hipsters Hate (2010)
Long before she began writing psychological thrillers, Andrea Bartz worked as a journalist and co-authored a humorous non-fiction book with Brenna Ehrlich. Born out of their popular Tumblr blog, Stuff Hipsters Hate: A Field Guide to the Passionate Opinions of the Indifferent was published in 2010. The book is a satirical, tongue-in-cheek examination of the hipster subculture of the late 2000s, cataloging the performative dislikes and contrarian attitudes of the era's youth. While it is completely different in tone from her fiction, it showcases the sharp observational skills and cultural commentary that she would later bring to her novels.
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving into Andrea Bartz's catalog, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Thematic Focus: Bartz's thrillers consistently center on flawed, complex female protagonists who are often unreliable narrators due to trauma, memory lapses, or emotional manipulation.
- Queer Representation: As a queer author, Bartz frequently includes diverse characters and queer romantic relationships in her work, notably in The Spare Room and The Last Ferry Out.
- Brooklyn Roots: Having worked as a magazine editor in New York City, Bartz frequently draws on her background to craft authentic, modern settings, such as Brooklyn lofts, exclusive media workspaces, and trendy travel destinations.