Book Series Guide

Author guide

Jessica Knoll Books in Order

Jessica Knoll is a New York Times bestselling American novelist, screenwriter, and producer. She is the author of the novels Luckiest Girl Alive, The Favorite Sister, Bright Young Women, and Helpless. She was previously a senior editor at Cosmopolitan and articles editor at Self, and she adapted and executive-produced the film version of Luckiest Girl Alive for Netflix.

thrillerpsychological suspensemystery fiction

Catalog record updated .

Jessica Knoll's Newest Book

Cover of Helpless

Helpless

novel · First published 2026

It’s been twelve years since Faye Heron broke Henry Spalding’s heart. Henry was her college boyfriend, her first intense love, but Faye was in danger of being subsumed by him. Now, Faye is one half of a power-producing duo with her Hollywood husband. Henry is a married father running the family business. Both of their lives have essentially gone to plan. When a former and beloved college professor suddenly passes away, Faye and Henry find themselves back on campus for the funeral, circling something old and dangerous. Something, if Faye is honest with herself, she has been trying to duplicate for years. But Henry is one of a kind. The kind who delivers a hypnotic apology for the way things ended. The kind who suggests they go back to the hotel for a drink. The kind who drugs and kidnaps her. When Faye comes to Henry’s remote mountain cabin, she’s beside herself. Has Henry brought her here to punish her? She did, after all, write and star in a lauded episode of television based on their indelicate appetites and vicious breakup. As her week of captivity unfolds, Henry’s wanton demands intensify, and a sprawling, years-old mystery begins to take shape—one that will rewrite history as Faye remembers it and reveal an astounding, cataclysmic truth.

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

Cover of Luckiest Girl Alive

Luckiest Girl Alive

Knoll's debut novel and the chronological starting point of her bibliography.

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Novels (4)
  1. Luckiest Girl Alive

    novel · 2015

    HER PERFECT LIFE IS A PERFECT LIE. As a teenager at the prestigious Bradley School, Ani FaNelli endured a shocking, public humiliation that left her desperate to reinvent herself. Now, with a glamorous job, expensive wardrobe, and…

  2. The Favorite Sister

    novel · 2018

    "When five hyper-successful women agree to appear on a reality series set in New York City called Goal Diggers, the producers never expect the season will end in murder"--

  3. Bright Young Women

    novel · 2023

    Masterfully blending elements of psychological suspense and true crime, Jessica Knoll—author of the bestselling novel Luckiest Girl Alive and the writer behind the Netflix adaption starring Mila Kunis—delivers a new and exhilarating…

  4. Helpless

    novel · 2026

    It’s been twelve years since Faye Heron broke Henry Spalding’s heart. Henry was her college boyfriend, her first intense love, but Faye was in danger of being subsumed by him. Now, Faye is one half of a power-producing duo with her…

Frequently asked questions about Jessica Knoll

Who is Jessica Knoll?

Jessica Knoll is a novelist and screenwriter whose work includes psychological thrillers. She wrote the screenplay and served as co-executive producer for Netflix’s film adaptation of Luckiest Girl Alive.

Sources: simonandschuster.com (opens in a new tab)apnews.com (opens in a new tab)

What did Jessica Knoll do before writing novels?

She was a senior editor at Cosmopolitan and the articles editor at Self before becoming known as a bestselling novelist.

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

Is Luckiest Girl Alive based on Jessica Knoll’s real life?

The novel is fiction, but Knoll said its sexual-assault storyline was inspired by one of her own experiences in high school.

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

What inspired Jessica Knoll to write Bright Young Women?

The novel was inspired by Ted Bundy’s 1978 murders of two Florida State University sorority sisters and by a Netflix docuseries about Bundy. Knoll sought to center the victims and survivors rather than romanticize the killer.

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

What major awards or nominations has Jessica Knoll received?

The Mystery Writers of America lists Luckiest Girl Alive as a 2016 Edgar Award nominee for Best First Novel and Bright Young Women as a 2024 Edgar Award nominee for Best Novel.

Sources: edgarawards.com (opens in a new tab)edgarawards.com (opens in a new tab)