SARA FOSTER
Sara Foster is an internationally published, bestselling psychological suspense author living in Western Australia. Her latest novel, When She Was Gone, was released by Blackstone (US/Can) and HarperCollins (ANZ) in 2025, and is available in bookstores now.  
 
Sara has previously published seven novels: the near-future acclaimed thriller The Hush, and suspense thrillers You Don’t Know Me, The Hidden Hours, All That is Lost Between Us, Shallow Breath, Beneath the Shadows and Come Back to Me. Her novella, The Deceit, was first released as an Audible Original and is published by Blackstone in the US and Canada.
 
Sara is passionate about writing strong female characters and often incorporates contemporary cultural themes into her stories. She graduated from Curtin University in 2023 with a Vice Chancellor’s Commendation for her PhD work on maternal relationships in dystopian fiction with young adult heroines. Two of Sara’s novels have been optioned for television and You Don’t Know Me was turned into a chart-topping crime podcast dramatisation by Listnr.
 
Sara writes for her readers on substack at Story Matters, and for writers at The Resilient Author.

 

Discover Sara’s books

Click on each cover for more details and links to purchase. 

HUSH US book cover
'Dark, compelling and truly memorable. Foster is one of my favourite writers.'
Dervla McTiernan onYou Don't Know Me
‘This book has it all: a gripping opening, characters I cared deeply for, a compelling mystery and heart-stopping pace. I couldn’t put it down. This is Sara Foster’s best book yet.’
Natasha Lester onYou Don't Know Me
‘You Don’t Know Me proves yet again that Sara Foster is a writer at the top of her game. A compelling story of secrets, lies, and heartache.’ 
Emma Viskicon You Don't Know Me
'an enthralling mystery full of secrets determined to resurface ... will keep readers guessing till the end.'
Jane Harperon The Hidden Hours
'Classic suspense but with a wonderful modern edge'
Hannah Richellon All That is Lost Between Us
'Gripping, touching and close to my heart. I was hooked from start to finish.'
Favel Parretton Shallow Breath
'This vividly written novel will leave you breathless and as chilled as the starkly beautiful North Yorkshire moors, where this compelling story unfolds.'
Heather Gudenkaufon Beneath the Shadows
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GALLERY

  • So good to kick off the year with some fascinating book research today. People often ask me how I research my novels and part of the answer is I’m lucky enough to know a number of police officers and people who do super interesting jobs - which often gives me a great start. This is my friend and neighbour Stu, ex-police force and very generous with his time. In 90 mins I learned a lot about DNA testing, arrest procedures, scene contamination and so much more. My novel is going to be heaps better thanks to Stu! 🙏🏻 🙌🏻 #novelresearch #crimefictionresearch
  • When you get a dog and wonder if the cats will accept her and then find them like this ❤️❤️
  • My hubby was convinced I couldn’t safely deliver my pavlova to our warm and windy park gathering in Perth with some friends last night so of course that made me even more determined to do it! 😜 We did get a little sticky by the end but it was worth it. 😝 Happy New Year from me and my family to you and yours 🥳
  • Last post and author notes for the year - and last few days of my paid subscription offer for 2026! Will add links to stories 😄
  • Covers help - part 2! Help me choose my new book covers! Some of you saw part one of my book cover rebrand process a few weeks ago, when I had five amazing covers to choose from. The votes went resoundingly to a cover that was stunning but sadly we decided it was also too horror/thriller to truly represent the inside of my books (which I’d term more as aiming for hearfelt, intense psychological suspense!). And the other choices were also deemed by some as too cold of thriller ish for my books. So we have had another round of working on this, and have these two for your consideration! I’d love to hear your thoughts and which one you prefer (some of the handwritten typeface may change) - thank you! PS I’ve managed to put the options in the wrong order - so please check the Option number is right for the images you’re choosing!
  • If you need some Christmas listening, my debut novel Come Back to Me is now available (almost) worldwide as an audiobook for the first time ever thanks to @bolindaaudio ❤ - and the reason I say 'almost' is that it will also be coming out in the US/Canada in audio and print next April - and I'll have some new ebook editions for the rest of the world too! This book is almost fifteen years old now, but it keeps finding new life and publishing homes, and I can't wait to reintroduce everyone to it more next year!
  • I have another Book Birthday to celebrate in December as Shallow Breath becomes a teenager - turning 13 this month! 🎉 Out of all the books I've researched, this one was both the best and the hardest by far as it involved seven narrative voices, five continents, and 20 years of one family's journey, along with months of research around animal behaviour and what happens when humans view animals as commodities rather than living beings. I also spent the promo period feeling slightly nauseous because I was pregnant and juggling a three year old! December is not an easy month to publish, and this is perhaps the least discovered of all my books, but it's one I took big risks on (along with The Hush!), and I'm incredibly proud of it. 🐬
  • My last newsletter for 2025 is out now. In it I’m Spotlighting a fabulous debut WA author @stefaniekoens , my new audio release of Come Back to Me with @bolindaaudio , cover updates, and that this is my final newsletter sent via the Substack platform. In my new-look newsletter next year, I’m going to be taking you behind the scenes of my writing, updating you on all my news, introducing you to lots of different elements of my books and wider work, and using some old photos to tell you a few stories from my twenty-five years working in the writing and publishing industry! If you’re already signed up, you don’t have to do anything, but if you’re reading this and would love to sign up, please head over to my newsletter subscribe links in the usual place 😍
  • Every month I write extra round-up posts for my paid subscribers on my substack (The Resilient Author) - this one highlighting industry talking points - and next year I’ll be continuing to draw attention to industry news as well as writing more posts on craft and creativity, and going behind the scenes of my writing journey. If you’d like to join me here then swipe through to check out the content and visit my stories for links to the sign-up discount page.

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