Where to Start with Brandi Reeds
Brandi Reeds has built a reputation for crafting intense, emotionally charged stories that delve deep into trust, identity, and the human psyche. Because she writes under three different names depending on the genre, readers have several excellent entry points. Her books are all standalone novels, meaning you can dive into whichever story grabs your attention first without worrying about multi-book continuity.
If you are looking for adult psychological suspense, your best starting point is Trespassing (2018). It is her breakout adult thriller, showcasing her signature creeping dread and complex domestic mysteries. If you prefer young adult fiction, start with her debut YA thriller, Oblivion (2014), which was published under her pen name Sasha Dawn and named one of the New York Public Library’s Best Books for Teens.
Brandi Reeds: Adult Thrillers in Publication Order
Writing under her real name, Brandi Reeds publishes dark, atmospheric domestic thrillers. Since these books are standalone novels, they can be read in any order, but reading them in publication order lets you see how her style develops.
- Trespassing (2018): This Amazon Charts bestseller follows Veronica Cavanaugh, a mother who has struggled to hold her life together since her husband vanished. As she tries to move forward, her young daughter begins talking to an unsettling imaginary friend who seems to know secrets about the disappearance. The novel is praised for its gothic atmosphere and intense psychological suspense.
- Third Party (2019): This thriller weaves a web of secrets and betrayal. When a law student is found dead, it is ruled a suicide, but a fire investigator and a mother are drawn together by suspicions that something far more sinister occurred. Reeds expertly shifts between perspectives to build tension.
- The Day I Disappeared (2020): A high-stakes race against time that deals with a haunting kidnapping. When a mother and daughter are reunited years after a devastating abduction, they must piece together the truth of the past before the threat returns.
Sasha Dawn: Young Adult Thrillers
Writing as Sasha Dawn, Reeds creates psychological mysteries geared toward teen readers. These novels are highly acclaimed for their emotional depth and portrayals of trauma, memory loss, and resilience.
- Oblivion (2014): Her debut YA thriller follows Callie, a teenager who can write but cannot speak, struggling with memory loss and the mystery surrounding her father's disappearance. It was highly praised by librarians and critics alike.
- Tightrope (2016): A tense story centered on a teenage girl dealing with family secrets, obsessive behavior, and the fragile line between truth and delusion.
- Splinter (2017): This dark thriller explores the psychological aftermath of trauma and a teen girl's search for the truth behind her family's fractured past.
- Blink (2018): This acclaimed novel was nominated for the prestigious Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Novel in 2019. It follows a girl trying to piece together a night of missing memories to find her lost friend.
- Panic (2019): A fast-paced YA thriller focusing on the survival instincts of teenagers placed in extreme, high-stress situations.
The "Dark Corners" Collection: Oak Avenue
In 2018, Brandi Reeds contributed to the Dark Corners collection, a series of seven standalone horror and suspense stories published by Amazon Original Stories. It is important to note that this is not a cohesive series written by Reeds alone; instead, it is a multi-author anthology where each installment is written by a different bestselling author.
Reeds's contribution, Oak Avenue (2018), is a chilling short story about Ana Clementine, a mother who moves into a historic Victorian home in her husband’s hometown. As she renovates the house—and installs a mysterious door found in the attic—she notices disturbing changes in her husband’s behavior and begins to fear that the house itself is hiding a dark entity.
For reference, the other six stories in the Dark Corners collection are written by different authors: Hannah-Beast by Jennifer McMahon, The Sleep Tight Motel by Lisa Unger, There's a Giant Trapdoor Spider Under Your Bed by Edgar Cantero, Miao Dao by Joyce Carol Oates, The Tangled Woods by Emily Raboteau, and The Remedy by Adam Haslett.
Penny Dawn: Romance and Contemporary Fiction
Before achieving breakout success in thriller and YA mystery markets, the author wrote romance and contemporary fiction under the pen name Penny Dawn. While these books are a departure from her dark suspense thrillers, they display her early talent for emotional storytelling and character development.
Some of her key romance works under this name include:
- Incey Wincey Spider
- Rolling In Clover
- Measuring Up
- Ancient History
- Reveille
- Basic Training
- The Long Run
- Go For Miles
- A Few Miles More
- The Bridge to Brighton
What to Know Before You Start
The author's real full name is Penny Dawn DeBernardis, which perfectly explains her choice of the pen name Penny Dawn. Outside of her writing career, she works as a professional home designer and cabinetry consultant, operating under the business name Amazing Spaces by Penny Dawn. This real-world expertise in home architecture and renovation heavily influences her writing—most notably in Trespassing and Oak Avenue, where home renovations and structural spaces become central sources of domestic dread and psychological tension.