Kevin O'Brien is an American

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

of thriller and

suspense Suspense is a state of anxiety or excitement caused by mysteriousness, uncertainty, doubt, or undecidedness. In a narrative work, suspense is the audience's excited anticipation about the plot or conflict (which may be heightened by a viol ...

novels. He grew up in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

's North Shore, attending Sacred Heart School and New Trier East High School in

Winnetka, Illinois Winnetka () is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, north of downtown Chicago. The population was 12,475 as of the 2020 census. The village is one of the wealthiest places in the United States in terms of household income. It was ...

. He studied

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...

Marquette University Marquette University () is a Private university, private Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It was established as Marquette College on August 28, 1881, by John Henni, the first Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Ar ...

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, Wisconsin and moved to

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

in 1980. He worked as a railroad inspector for several years, while writing his first novel in various hotels. His first novel, ''Only Son'', was published in 1997 and was optioned for film rights by

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

. It was also selected by

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...

for their Select Editions, along with novels by

John Grisham John Ray Grisham Jr. (; born February 8, 1955) is an American novelist, lawyer, and former politician, known for his best-selling legal thrillers. According to the Academy of Achievement, American Academy of Achievement, Grisham has written 37 ...

Nicholas Sparks Nicholas Charles Sparks (born December 31, 1965) is an American novelist, screenwriter, and film producer. He has published twenty-three novels, all ''New York Times'' bestsellers, and two works of nonfiction, with over 115 million copies sold ...

, and

Barbara Delinsky Barbara Delinsky (born August 8, 1945, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. as Barbara Ruth Greenberg."About ...

. His second novel, '' The Next to Die'', was published in 2001 and became a ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'' bestseller. He has since written over twenty more novels, many of which have also been ''USA Today'' bestsellers. ''The Last Victim'' (2005) hit the New York Times Bestseller List and won the Spotted Owl Award for Best Pacific Northwest Mystery. His latest novel, '' The Enemy at Home'', is set to be released on August 22, 2023. It is a historical thriller set in 1943 Seattle, where a woman joins America's "Army at Home" of defense plant workers and becomes connected to a serial killer they call the "Rosie Ripper". He resides in Seattle today and is active in efforts in supporting up-and-coming authors, including Seattle 7 Writers and Hugo House.

Bibliography

Standalone novels

*''Only Son'' (1997) *''The Next to Die'' (2001) *''Make Them Cry'' (2002) *''Watch Them Die'' (2003) *''Left for Dead'' (2004) *''The Last Victim'' (2005) *''Killing Spree'' (2007) *''One Last Scream'' (2007) *''Final Breath'' (2009) *''Vicious'' (2010) *''Disturbed'' (2011) *''Terrified'' (2012) *''Unspeakable'' (2013) *''Tell Me You're Sorry'' (2014) *''No One Needs To Know'' (2015) *''You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone'' (2016) *''Hide Your Fear'' (2017) *''They Won't Be Hurt'' (2018) *''The Night She Disappeared'' (2021) *''The Enemy at Home'' (2023)

Family Secrets series

* ''The Betrayed Wife'' (2019) * ''The Bad Sister'' (2020)

Anthologies

* ''Hotel Angeline: A Novel in 36 Voices'' (2011) (with others) * ''Nothing Good Happens After Midnight: A Suspense Magazine Anthology'' (2020) (with others)

References

External links

Official website

Kevin O'Brien at Fantastic Fiction

Kevin O'Brien at Goodreads
{{DEFAULTSORT:Obrien, Kevin Living people 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists American male novelists Novelists from Chicago Marquette University alumni Year of birth uncertain 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers Year of birth missing (living people)