Riley Sager
Todd Ritter | |
|---|---|
| Pen name | Riley Sager Alan Finn |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | American |
| Notable works | Final Girls Lock Every Door Home Before Dark |
| Website | |
| www | |
Todd Ritter, also known under the noms de plume of Riley Sager and Alan Finn, is an American author of thriller novels.[1][2]
Early life, family and education
[edit]This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (June 2025) |
Ritter grew up in a ranch-style house in Pennsylvania.[3]
Early career
[edit]Before becoming a full-time novelist Ritter worked as a journalist, editor and graphic designer.[4][5]
Writing career
[edit]As of 2022 Ritter has released six novels as Sager and three novels under his real name, the latter of which make up the Kat Campbell series.[6] Ritter has also released one novel under the pen name Alan Finn, Things Half in Shadow.[7] He referenced the choice to write under the name Sager, stating that "since we were looking for a new publisher, one could argue that editors would be willing to go with someone who had a clean slate, rather than a critically acclaimed author with a spotty sales record."[8] The author's website for "Riley Sager" initially lacked an author photo or any gender identifying language, including pronouns.[9] This has since changed, as the current website features a photo of Ritter and uses he/him pronouns.[10]
Bibliography
[edit]As Riley Sager
[edit]- Final Girls (2017)[11][12][13]
- The Last Time I Lied (2018)[14][15]
- Lock Every Door (2019)[16][17]
- Home Before Dark (2020)[18][19]
- Survive the Night (2021)[20][21]
- The House Across the Lake (2022)[22][23]
- The Only One Left (2023)
- Middle of the Night (2024)[24][25][26]
- With a Vengeance (2025)
- The Unknown (2026)
- The Last Stop (2027)
As Todd Ritter
[edit]Kat Campbell series
[edit]- Death Notice (2010)[27][28]
- Bad Moon (2011, also released as Death Falls)[29]
- Devil's Night (2013, also released as Death Night)[30][31]
As Alan Finn
[edit]- Things Half in Shadow (2014)[32]
Awards
[edit]| Work | Year & Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final Girls | 2017 Goodreads Choice Awards | Horror | Nominated | [33] |
| 2018 International Thriller Writers Awards | Hard Cover Novel | Won | ||
| The Last Time I Lied | 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards | Mystery & Thriller | Nominated | [34] |
| Lock Every Door | 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards | Mystery & Thriller | Nominated | [35] |
| 2020 RUSA CODES Reading List | Shortlisted | [36] | ||
| Home Before Dark | 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards | Mystery & Thriller | Nominated | [37] |
| The Only One Left | 2023 Dragon Awards | Horror | Nominated | |
| 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards | Mystery & Thriller | Nominated | [38] | |
| Middle of the Night | 2024 Goodreads Choice Awards | Mystery & Thriller | Nominated | [39] |
References
[edit]- ↑ Cocozza, Paula (2017-07-18). "Forget George Eliot: now it's male authors disguising their sex to sell more books". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ↑ Gamerman, Ellen (2017-07-17). "These Male Authors Don't Mind if You Think They're Women". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ↑ "Author Interview - Riley Sager, author of Home Before Dark". BookPage.com. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ↑ "Author". RileySagerBooks.com. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ↑ Kentner, D. A. "An interview with author Todd Ritter". Utica Observer-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ↑ "Todd Ritter". Fantastic Fiction. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ↑ "Alan Finn". Fantastic Fiction. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ↑ Gilbert, Sophie (2017-08-03). "Why Men Pretend to Be Women to Sell Thrillers". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ↑ "Forget George Eliot: now it's male authors disguising their sex to sell more books". the Guardian. 2017-07-18. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
- ↑ "Riley Sager | Author". rileysagerbooks. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
- ↑ Cha, Steph. "'Final Girls' offers cheap thrills in bloody tale of murder". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ↑ Hipes, Patrick (2017-11-16). "Universal Books Rights To Riley Sager Thriller Novel 'Final Girls' For Anonymous Content & Sugar23". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ↑ Yawn, Mike (2017-07-07). "Mystery 'Final Girls' inspired by horror movies". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
- ↑ Burke, Alafair (2018-07-20). "A Thriller Set at a Summer Camp Where Bad Things Happened". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ↑ "The Last Time I Lied (review)". Booklist Online.
- ↑ Petski, Denise; Andreeva, Nellie (2019-07-02). "'Lock Every Door' Series Based On Novel In Works At Paramount TV & Anonymous Content With 'True Blood' Duo". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ↑ Nolan, Tom (2019-06-28). "Mysteries: The Sudden Vacancies Down the Hall". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ↑ Radel, Felecia Wellington. "Review: Riley Sager chills with haunted-house thriller 'Home Before Dark'". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
- ↑ "Hardcover Fiction Books - Best Sellers - July 19, 2020 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
- ↑ Radel, Felecia Wellington. "New Riley Sager thriller 'Survive the Night' is a tense road trip to the 1990s". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
- ↑ Ehrlich, Brenna (2021-06-22). "Noir and Nineties Slasher Films Abridge Together in Riley Sager's Thriller 'Survive the Night'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
- ↑ Rankin, Seija (November 18, 2021). "First look: 'Final Girls' author Riley Sager's new book is a juicy thriller about voyeurism". EW.com. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
- ↑ Pennington, Gail (10 June 2022). "6 mystery novels offer new angles — and a few new favorites". STLtoday.com. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
- ↑ Iglesias, Gabino (2024-06-28). "Ghosts, Haunted Dreams and the Devil Himself in 4 New Horror Books". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ↑ Mullen, Amanda (2024-06-18). "Riley Sager's New Thriller Book Breaks A 7-Year Author Trend (& It Pays Off)". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ↑ "'Middle of the Night' by Riley Sager is this week's 'GMA' Buzz Pick". Good Morning America. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ↑ ITW (October 2010). "Death Notice by Todd Ritter". THE BIG THRILL. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ↑ Haohui, Zhou. "Death Notice". Library Journal. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ↑ Todd, Ritter. "Bad Moon". Library Journal. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ↑ Politowicz, Tracy Ann (2013-09-17). "Todd Ritter releases third mystery: 'Devil's Night'". Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ↑ Todd, Ritter. "Devil's Night". Library Journal. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
- ↑ Latham, Bethany (7 February 2015). "Things Half in Shadow: Alan Finn on Spiritualism in Post-bellum Philadelphia". Historical Novel Society.
- ↑ "Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Horror!".
- ↑ "Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Mystery & Thriller!".
- ↑ "Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Mystery & Thriller!".
- ↑ "The Reading List". 19 March 2019.
- ↑ "Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Mystery & Thriller!".
- ↑ "Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Mystery & Thriller!".
- ↑ "Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Readers' Favorite Mystery & Thriller!".