What is the title of your latest release?
THE MAN
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Judith Stanley, a 1960s New Jersey housewife and talented amateur photographer, begins taking self-portraits in shop windows. When she prints the film, she sees the shadowy figure of a man in the background of every picture and begins to believe a past assailant has come back to stalk her.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
Like my main character, I live in the New Jersey suburbs. I love them for their beauty and convenient location but also for their quiet, dark nights, which partly inspired THE MAN.
Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
Yes. She fascinates me, and I'd love to talk to her about her art, her life, her relationships, and her past. She's very reserved, though, so I doubt she'd be fully honest with me.
What are three words that describe your hero?
Vulnerable, gifted, private/secretive
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
The laborious process of developing and printing photographs in a home darkroom.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I wait until I'm totally done. I write a rough draft semi-quickly, and then spend months and months revising and rewriting.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
I'm not sure if this counts as a foodie indulgence but I love seaweed & salt-flavored potato chips from Japan.
Describe your writing space/office!
My writing space is usually a lively and bright local cafe. I wear headphones and put on some white noise to write, but I like having the murmur of cafe conversation in the background, and the sense of being alone-but-not-alone.
Who is an author you admire?
So many! But I love Marcy Dermansky's books.
Is there a book that changed your life?
WITTGENSTEIN'S MISTRESS by David Markson. I was writing poetry but longed to write prose at the time I read this remarkable novel, and it made me realize there were other ways of writing fiction than the standard, accepted ways. I also found the book profoundly moving, innovative, and important, and wrote Markson a fan letter that led to a lasting friendship.
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published). Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
Hmmm…I don't remember clearly, but I think this "call" was actually a text from my agent. Still very exciting!
What’s your favorite genre to read?
I mainly read literary fiction - especially literary fiction that plays with genre. But I also love reading science fiction, thrillers, mysteries, horror, and a little bit of romance.
What’s your favorite movie?
"Rear Window" or, more recently, "Parasite."
What is your favorite season?
Traditionally fall, but sometimes I enjoy summer more, for its languid pace and access to my town's public swimming pool.
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Very quietly. My birthday is New Year's Eve, so I've learned through the years not to put extra pressure on a day that already feels momentous. I'm fine to go on a short trip or go out for a nice dinner with family and friends.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
"Widow's Bay" / "The Testament of Ann Lee" / TRANSCRIPTION by Ben Lerner / "Good Hang" with Amy Poehler
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Japanese. I lived in Japan for several years and miss the food so much, eat it whenever I get a chance.
What do you do when you have free time?
Read, watch TV, do yoga, swim laps, take long walks, and talk to friends on the phone.
What can readers expect from you next?
A novel about a UFO experiencer.
From the highly acclaimed author of How Can I Help You, a New York Times Best Thriller of the Year: a singular take on the domestic suspense novel that follows a 1960s housewife turned amateur photographer who begins to fear for her life when she notices the dark silhouette of a man in the background of her self-portraits.
The photos Judith Stanley takes are just for her, a private passion to fill her suburban days. But when she shares them with Paul Sorenson, her new photography instructor, she's unprepared to hear his astonished praise. "Stunning," he calls her photos. "Extraordinary." She has an uncanny eye, he says, and should consider publication. He could help. Except Judith has no interest in sharing her work; in fact, the mere idea of it frightens her.
Still, emboldened by Paul’s encouragement, Judith ventures out beyond her quiet neighborhood to the city in search of increasingly striking images. When she starts to notice the dark shape of a man in the corner of her self-portraits, Judith is certain he's an attacker from her past. She doesn't know why he has returned, but she's sure of his presence: the hoarse sound of his breathing, his hard grip on her elbow. Perhaps it would appease the man if she were to put her camera down and give up her private passion. But she can't; she refuses. Until one night when the man finally emerges from the shadows, and Judith’s story suddenly and irrevocably becomes his own.
Chilling and heart-poundingly propulsive, The Man is a phenomenal and timely novel exploring the inescapable fear of living as a woman, the tantalizing seduction of artistic freedom, and the very real dangers that lurk both inside and outside the confines of the mind. The Man marks Laura Sims as an extraordinary talent at the top of her game; and this, her third novel, is her greatest achievement yet.
Mystery | Fiction Literary | Thriller Psychological [ G.P. Putnam's Sons, On Sale: July 7, 2026, Hardcover / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9798217177677 / eISBN: 9798217177691 ]
Laura Sims is the author of LOOKER, a debut novel. She has published four books of poetry, most recently Staying Alive, and is the editor of Fare Forward: Letters from David Markson. She lives outside of New York City with her family.
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