The Man

One of CrimeReads‘ Most Anticipated Mysteries, Thrillers and Crime Novels of Summer 2026
One of Publishers Marketplace’s “Buzz Books” Fiction for Spring/Summer 2026

“This book is one of the few stories I’ve ever read that successfully pulled off the mid-novel twist . . . Sims’ latest profoundly captures the essence of Cicero’s favored saying: cui bono? Who benefits, indeed.” —CrimeReads

“[The Man] is a fast-paced, twisty, thrilling tale, probing the line between artistic creation and exploitation and the persistent dangers women face, set in a noir-tinged, unsettling suburban world.” —Booklist

“This atmospheric exploration of trauma, obsession, and the uneasy space between truth and perception is recommended for readers who enjoy ambiguity, psychological tension, and narrators whose reliability is in question.” —Library Journal

“Laura Sims returns with The Man, a suspenseful domestic thriller set in the 1960s . . . A tense exploration of perception and truth.” —Out South Florida

“Sims delivers a devilish psychological thriller set in the 1960s and centered on empty-nester Judith Stanley, who’s taking a photography class with professor Paul Sorenson. . . . Sims artfully handles their parallel paranoias, and the novel’s unsettling ending boldly denies readers the comfort of certainty. The result is an appealingly disturbing tale that will linger in readers’ minds.” —Publishers Weekly

“Fiercely intelligent and deeply chilling, The Man—like the protagonist’s self-portraits—contains more than first meets the eye. It’s the sort of novel I immediately want to talk about with others—the perfect book club read. I wish I could read it again for the first time!” —Ana Reyes, New York Times bestselling author of The House in the Pines

“So eerie and sharp, so classic feeling yet contemporary. I think of Highsmith and Hitchcock when it comes to [Sims’s] gift for suspense and dark Americana, but she also has a poet’s eye and ear for conjuring visceral dread, vulnerability and beauty in equal measure. A brilliant portrait of a deeply haunted, gifted woman–and a haunting shadow of a man. Maybe my favorite of [Sims’s].” —Mona Awad, New York Times bestselling author of We Love You, Bunny

“With elegant and propulsive prose, The Man is a captivating page-turner that explores art, ambition, gender dynamics, and true fear. Creepy, disturbing, and dripping with dread, it was nearly impossible to put down.” —Robyn Harding, internationally bestselling author of Strangers in the Villa

“The Man is a chilling study of the ways in which a woman’s art, talent, and entire life get subsumed by the biggest malevolent force in her life—the men who want to shape her to their will. This book kept me awake at night, heart in throat, then stayed with me long afterward. I could not stop turning the pages. Laura Sims has done it again.” —Vanessa Chan, author of international bestseller, The Storm We Made

“Haunting, atmospheric, and relentlessly unnerving, The Man kept me up late reading—and had me looking over my shoulder on dark street corners. Beneath the muscular prose and quiet sense of dread is a thoughtful exploration of power imbalances, our relationship with art, and the roles we allow women to play.” —Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of We Were Never Here and The Last Ferry Out

“The Man is a gorgeous, haunting exploration of creativity, confinement, and desire. Sims captures the inner life of an artist with uncanny precision and lyricism. Every page shimmers with intelligence and quiet menace. I could not put it down.” —Danielle Trussoni, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of The Puzzle Box

“I was gripped by this twisty, creepy tale of an amateur photographer with a blazing talent and a troubling past. Art and trauma, obsession and ambition all collide with terrifying consequences that will have you flipping to the last page.” —Susan Barker, author of Old Soul

“An absolute page-turner. I tore through this novel in two feverish sittings. Sims perfectly captures the feeling every woman knows too well: of looking over your shoulder, holding your house keys too tightly, and wondering what darkness might follow you home. Expertly paced, utterly gripping, and deeply layered, The Man is the kind of novel that stays with you long after you finish it. Sims’s signature style will have you dead-bolting your door and looking at the world a bit differently.” —Kirsten King, author of A Good Person