Photo credit: Zella McMahon

Jennifer McMahon

State: Vermont

Jennifer McMahon is a bestselling suspense and horror novelist based in central Vermont, where she lives with her daughter in a historic Victorian house. Originally from Connecticut, she earned an MFA in poetry before publishing her breakout novel Promise Not to Tell (2007). She followed with Island of Lost Girls, The Winter People, The Night Sister, and ten more chilling books that blend mystery, supernatural elements, and emotional complexity. Her work is known for unsettling atmospheres, layered female characters, and Vermont’s haunted forests and small-town settings. Island of Lost Girls became a New York Times bestseller, and The One I Left Behind earned an International Thriller Award in 2014. She continues to write gripping, immersive thrillers that frequently evoke local legends, family secrets, and the darker side of human nature.

Genres: Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Thriller

Audiences: Adult, Young Adult