Book Series Guide

Author guide

Ashley Audrain Books in Order

Ashley Audrain is a Canadian novelist based in Toronto. She previously worked as publicity director of Penguin Books Canada and in public relations. Her novels explore motherhood, womanhood, family, desire, and the pressures of social expectations.

literary fictionpsychological suspensewomen's fiction

Catalog record updated .

Ashley Audrain's Newest Book

Cover of The Whispers

The Whispers

novel · First published 2023

On Harlow Street, the well-to-do neighborhood couples and their children gather for a catered barbecue as the summer winds down; drinks continue late into the night. Everything is fabulous until the picture-perfect hostess explodes in fury because her son disobeys her. Everyone at the party hears her exquisite veneer crack—loud and clear. Before long, that same young boy falls from his bedside window in the middle of the night. And then, his mother can only sit by her son’s hospital bed, where she refuses to speak to anyone, and his life hangs in the balance. What happens next, over the course of a tense three days, as each of these women grapple with what led to that terrible night? Exploring envy, women’s friendships, desire, and the intuitions that we silence, The Whispers is a chilling novel that marks Audrain as a major women's fiction talent.

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

Cover of The Push

The Push

Audrain's debut novel and the clearest entry point to her psychologically suspenseful fiction.

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Novels (3)
  1. The Push

    novel · 2021

    Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, comforting mother to her new baby Violet that she herself never had. But in the thick of motherhood’s exhausting early days, Blythe becomes convinced that something is wrong with her…

  2. The Whispers

    novel · 2023

    On Harlow Street, the well-to-do neighborhood couples and their children gather for a catered barbecue as the summer winds down; drinks continue late into the night. Everything is fabulous until the picture-perfect hostess explodes in…

Frequently asked questions about Ashley Audrain

Who is Ashley Audrain, and where is she from?

Ashley Audrain is a Canadian novelist who lives in Toronto.

Source: penguinrandomhouse.com (opens in a new tab)

What did Ashley Audrain do before becoming an author?

She worked in public relations and later served as publicity director of Penguin Books Canada.

Source: penguinrandomhouse.com (opens in a new tab)

What inspired Ashley Audrain’s writing?

Motherhood and the social expectations surrounding it strongly influence her fiction. She began writing The Push when her son was six months old, drawing on questions and fears surrounding motherhood.

Sources: news.westernu.ca (opens in a new tab)elpais.com (opens in a new tab)

What is Ashley Audrain best known for?

She is best known for psychologically suspenseful fiction about motherhood, family, and the pressures placed on women. Her debut became a New York Times, Sunday Times, and international bestseller and was selected as a Good Morning America Book Club pick.

Sources: penguinrandomhouse.com (opens in a new tab)news.westernu.ca (opens in a new tab)

What awards has Ashley Audrain won?

In 2022, she won Crime Writers of Canada’s Best Crime First Novel award for The Push.

Source: crimewriterscanada.com (opens in a new tab)