NEW BOOK ALERT!!! So excited to share that my ✨adult debut ✨, DYING TO BE US, is coming your way in 2027 from @berkleypub !
Dying to Be Us tells the story of a group of college friends whose popular YouTube reality show ended in a tragedy that bound them for life and comes back to haunt them twelve years later.
I’m beyond thrilled to be working with the amazing Jen Monroe and team at Berkley to publish this book, along with incredible international partners including Emily Griffin at @centurybooksuk in the UK, @piperverlag in Germany, @editionsduseuil in France, Suma de Letras in Spain, Record in Brazil, and ASA in Portugal. Many thanks also to my brilliant agents at @stimolaliterarystudio , including @alliremc , @allisondhpics , and @rostimo52 .
And a huge THANK YOU to all the readers who have waited so patiently for a new book from me. It took me a while to figure out what was next, but I am so happy with this wild ride of a story and cannot wait to share it with you next year. Much more to come ♥️
What order should you read my books in? I get this question a lot, so here’s my answer across eight books:
One of Us Is Lying, One of Us Is Next, and One of Us Is Back are a series and should be read in that order.
All of my other books — Two Can Keep a Secret, The Cousins, You’ll Be the Death of Me, Nothing More to Tell, and Such Charming Liars — are standalones with different characters and contained mysteries. I listed them by publication date, but they can be read at any time, and in any order.
My only caveat is that my last two standalones (Nothing More to Tell and Such Charming Liars) contain non-spoilery Easter Eggs from previous books that could be fun to find if you’ve read them before.
If you’ve never read a book by me and are wondering where to start, I recommend One of Us Is Lying. Although it’s part of a series, it was originally written as a standalone, so while I hope you’ll enjoy it enough to read all three, you don’t have to :)
Happy reading! 📚
With two weeks left to go, here is what the mystery queen had to say about Verity Guild!
“Absolutely spellbinding”
I am loving the reviews that say this is the romantasy murder mystery they didn’t know they needed! Library Journal said Verity Guild is reminiscent of Agatha Christie meeting faedom and there couldn’t be a better compliment.
⭐️ Starred Review from Kirkus
⭐️ Starred Review from Library Journal
Preorder your copy to get the AMAZING sprayed edges and map of Jubilee palace. Or come see me in St. Louis, Amherst NY, or Toronto!
#maicorland #verityguild #redtower #romantasy
ICYMI: earlier this month I sold my adult debut Dying to Be Us, a twisty thriller about a group of college friends and the murder that’s bound them for life.
Dying to Be Us will be published in 2027 by @berkleypub in the US, and @centurybooksuk in the UK. The UK has always had a special place in my author heart - my first-ever conference was @yalc_uk in 2017 - and I can’t wait for readers there to meet these characters. Rights have also sold in Germany, France, Spain, Brazil, and Portugal.
Much more to come but for now, I must edit ✍️
Want a signed, personalized copy of the One of Us Is Lying paperback trilogy? Head over to the Lit for Queer Liberation auction, sponsored by @queerliberationnetwork , and place your bid! The auction is open through March 14, and I will ship internationally. Link in my bio and in my stories. Happy bidding! ♥️
🚨 Karen M. McManus, reine incontestée du thriller young adult, revient nous faire frissonner ce printemps ! 😨
🔍 Deux nouveautés à paraître : un grand format chez Nathan et un poche chez Pocket Jeunesse… mon dieu, elle nous gâte ! Restez à l’affût… vous ne voudrez surtout pas manquer ça 🤫
#thriller #thrillerya #meurtres
Impersonators abound in publishing; I had a few tenacious ones on social media last year. Now I’ve heard from several readers and authors that they’ve received emails from an account pretending to be me.
This is a scam. The messages sound harmless, with the scammer saying they “want to connect” and “exchange experiences.” But if you engage, they will try to sell you unnecessary or downright fraudulent services, and/or misuse your personal information.
If you receive one of these emails, please do not reply or click links, and please report as a phishing email (in Gmail, you can do this within the email by clicking the three dots next to the Reply arrow and select Report Phishing)
Please be aware that I will never do any of the following, on any platform:
❎ Message you out of the blue. The only time I ever message readers is if they have won a book giveaway, and I only host giveaways from this account on Instagram.
❎ Ask for personal information (again, unless I need a mailing address for a giveaway, which only happens from this account on Instagram).
❎ Offer to read work, share experiences, or assist with publication.
❎ Recommend, promote, or sell any type of product or service that’s not my actual books - and again, I only promote my books on Instagram (and occasionally Facebook so my mom can see them)
❎ Spam your inbox with buy links.
Connecting with other authors and readers is one of the best parts of writing books, and I hate that scammers are taking advantage of something that should be joyful. Please stay safe friends!
Nothing More to Tell was originally going to take place during fall, my favorite season, but for various plot-related reasons I moved it to winter and it became my only winter book ( so far)
This post brought to you by the fact that it snowed today ❄️
