10 Of The Best Liane Moriarty Books

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“They say it’s good to let your grudges go, but I don’t know, I’m quite fond of my grudge. I tend it like a little pet.”

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If you’re wondering which Liane Moriarty book to read first or looking for all her best works in one handy place, you’ve come to the right spot. From international bestsellers like Big Little Lies to lesser-known gems like The Hypnotist’s Love Story, Moriarty’s novels are brimming with suspense, secrets, and sharp insights into suburban living. Whether you’re a longtime fan or just discovering her work, we here at What We Reading have curated our favourite Liane Moriarty books. With her trademark blend of domestic drama and twisty psychological suspense, the Australian has become one of the world’s most popular contemporary authors. In this list, you’ll find all of her most compelling reads, perfect for your next binge-read or book club pick. If you loved The Husband’s Secret or Apples Never Fall, there’s plenty more where that came from! 

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Big Little Lies (2014)

Kicking off our list of the best Liane Moriarty books is perhaps her most famous work, 2014’s Big Little Lies. Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny, biting, and fiery; she remembers everything and forgives nobody. Celeste is the sort of woman who makes the world stop and stare. Yet she is paying a heavy price for this perfection. New to town, single mother Jane is so young that many other mothers mistake her for a nanny. She comes with a mysterious past and a sadness beyond her years. 

These three women are all at different crossroads, but will all wind up in the same shocking place. Big Little Lies is an incisive take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, playground dramas, and the little lies that have the potential to turn deadly. 

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Check Out The Best Books Like Big Little Lies

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Here One Moment (2024)

One of the best book club books from 2024, Here One Moment charts the story of one short, ordinary domestic flight where something extraordinary happens. People discover how and when they are going to die. Some of these deaths are far-flung into the future; however, for six passengers, their predicted deaths are not far away at all. 

A few months on from the flight, one passenger dies exactly as predicted. Then two more passengers die, again, exactly as was promised. Moriarty’s novel is a brilliantly delivered tale that explores free will, destiny, grief, love, and our longing for control in an increasingly uncertain world. With sharp social commentary and more than a dash of mystery, it is one of the best Moriarty books to dive into first. 

The Husband’s Secret (2013)

One of the novels responsible for putting Liane Moriarty on the literary map, 2013’s The Husband’s Secret asks readers to imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, a letter that is intended to be read after he has died. This letter contains all of your husband’s deepest, darkest secrets; secrets that have the potential to not only destroy the life you’ve built together but also the lives of others as well. Now imagine a world where you happen upon this letter whilst your husband is still alive…

Cecilia Fitzpatrick appears to have it all. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that very letter is about to threaten all of that. Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia, but they too are about the feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret. Liane Moriarty crafts an unforgettable and thought-provoking novel in The Husband’s Secret about how well it is really possible to know our spouses, and ourselves. 

Apples Never Fall (2021)

Another one of the best Liane Moriarty books for reading groups, Apples Never Fall follows the Delaney family, a staple fixture in their local community. One night, a strange named Savannah knocks on Stan and Joy’s door, bleeding after a fight with her boyfriend. The Delaneys are more than happy to give her the small kindness she obviously needs. If only that was all she was after. 

Later, when Joy suddenly disappears, and Savannah is nowhere to be found, the police start suspecting the one person that remains: Stan. But, for someone claiming to be innocent, he seems to have a lot to hide. Two of his children think he’s innocent, but the other two aren’t so sure. As the two sides prepare to square off, all of the Delaneys will begin to reexamine their shared family history in an entirely new light. 

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Check Out The Best Books Like Apples Never Fall 

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Three Wishes (2003)

Liane Moriarty’s debut novel, Three Wishes, follows Lyn, Cat, and Gemma Kettle, beautiful thirty-three-year-old triplets who seem to garner attention wherever they go. But apart, each of the three sisters is very much their own person. 

In this wise, witty, and heartfelt novel, the Kettle sisters take readers through their thirty-third year, as they struggle to survive their divorced parents dating each other, their technologically-savvy grandmother, a cheating husband, champagne hangovers, and the fabulous, frustrating life of forever being part of a trio. Three Wishes is the perfect go-to Moriarty book if you’re looking for something more Chick Lit and less suspenseful than some of her more modern works. 

Nine Perfect Strangers (2018)

Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some of them are there to lose weight, some are looking for a refresher, some are there for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. None of them are prepared for how challenging the next ten days promise to be. Frances Welty, a bestselling romance novelist, arrives at Tranquillum House and is instantly captivated by her fellow guests. Yet the person who most intrigues her is the strange and charismatic owner of the building. 

Could this person really have all the answers, even Frances didn’t know she was looking for? Should she put aside her doubts and immerse herself in Tranquillum House, or make a run for it whilst she still can? Blending all the hallmarks that have made Liane Moriarty’s books so addictive with a wickedly smart formula, Nine Perfect Strangers once again shows the Australian author operating at her very best. 

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Check Out The Best Books Like Nine Perfect Strangers

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What Alice Forgot (2010)

Alice is twenty-nine. She loves sleep, chocolate, and her ramshackle new home. She’s newly engaged to the wonderful Nick and is pregnant with her first child. The only problem? All that was a decade ago. 

Alice has slipped in a step aerobics class, hit her head, and now lost a decade. She’s a grown-up, bossy mother of three caught in the midst of a nasty divorce, and her beloved sister, Elisbeth, isn’t speaking to her. This is her life, but not as she knows it. Just how much can happen in a decade? And can Alice ever get back to being the woman she used to be? 

The Hypnotist’s Love Story (2011)

Ellen O’Farrell is a professional hypnotherapist who works out of the eccentric beachfront home she inherited from her grandparents. It’s a nice life, aside from her turbulent relationship history. She’s stoic about it; however, Ellen really wouldn’t mind something working out now. When she meets the enigmatic and attractive Patrick, she’s optimistic that her luck may finally be turning. 

Then comes the dreaded moment where Patrick announces that the pair of them “need to talk”. Braced for the worst, Ellen is pleasantly surprised when he tells her that he’s being stalked by his ex-girlfriend. She’s a little bit giddy about dating someone worth stalking. Intrigued by the woman’s motives, she would love the chance to meet her. Except Ellen doesn’t know it, but she already has. 

Truly Madly Guilty (2016)

Despite their obvious differences, Erika and Clementine have been best friends ever since they were children. So when Erika needs help, Clementine should be the obvious person to turn to. Or so you would think. 

For Clementine, as a mother of two desperately trying to practice for what could be the audition of a lifetime, the last thing she needs is Erika asking for something again. But the barbecue should be their perfect means of forgetting their problems for a while. Especially because their hosts, Vid and Tiffany, are only too happy to distract them. Which is precisely how everything spirals out of control. A gripping mystery read, Truly Madly Guilty is an addictive page-turner and one of the best Liane Moriarty books for seeing how the Australian’s writing has evolved over the years. 

The Last Anniversary (2006)

Sophie Honeywell has always wondered if Thomas Gordon was the one she let get away. He was the perfect boyfriend. Yet, on the day he was meant to propose, she broke his heart. A year on, he married his travel agent, whilst Sophie has been mortifyingly single ever since. Now Thomas is back in her life because Sophie has unexpectedly inherited his aunt Connie’s house on Scribbly Gum Island, home of the infamous Munro Baby mystery. 

Sophie moves onto the island and begins her new life as part of an unconventional family where it seems everyone is hiding a dark secret. As her life becomes more and more complicated, Sophie realises that sometimes you have to stop waiting around and come up with your own fairytale ending. Like her debut novel, The Last Anniversary is one of the best Liane Moriarty books for demonstrating how the Australian’s knack for crafting eccentric voices and page-turning tales helped make her one of the most readable authors in the world.