Megan Abbott

Megan Abbott
Born	(1971-08-21) August 21, 1971 Grosse Pointe, Detroit suburb, Michigan, United States
Occupation(s)	Author, screenwriter, literary critic, professor
Years active	2002–present
Known for	Crime fiction novels, analytical works on hardboiled crime narratives, television writing (The Deuce, Dare Me)

Megan Abbott (born August 21, 1971) is an American author and screenwriter known for her focus on crime fiction as well as analytical works on hardboiled crime narratives. Her storytelling offers a fresh female viewpoint on traditional crime subgenres.

Early life and education

Raised in the Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe, Abbott completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan before obtaining a Ph.D. in English and American literature from New York University.

Career

Abbott has held teaching positions at NYU, the State University of New York, and The New School. Between 2013 and 2014, she served as the John Grisham Writer in Residence at the University of Mississippi.

Her debut publication, The Street Was Mine: White Masculinity in Hardboiled Fiction and Film Noir (2002), offers a critical examination of conventional noir character types. In 2005, she released Die a Little, the first in a series of novels centered on women that reinterpret noir conventions. Set against the backdrop of mid-20th century Los Angeles, it delves into the darker facets of Hollywood through the eyes of Lora King, a schoolteacher.

Abbott regularly writes for prominent outlets such as the Los Angeles Times and co-manages a blog alongside novelist Sara Gran.

In television, she contributed as a writer to HBO's The Deuce (2017), which portrays New York's pornography sector and Mafia during the 1970s. Later, in 2019, Abbott adapted her bestselling novel Dare Me into a series for USA Network, where she also acted as co-showrunner with Gina Fattore.

Influences

Abbott draws inspiration from film noir, classic noir fiction, and Jeffrey Eugenides' novel The Virgin Suicides. Two of her works are based on infamous criminal cases: The Song Is You (2007) revolves around the 1949 vanishing of Jean Spangler, while Bury Me Deep (2009) is influenced by the 1931 "Trunk Murderess" case involving Winnie Ruth Judd.

Reception and awards

Abbott has been honored with the esteemed Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America for exceptional fiction. In 2011, Time included her among its "23 Authors That We Admire." Her 2011 novel The End of Everything received a starred critique from Publishers Weekly.

Awards

Year	Title	Award	Result
2006	Die a Little	Anthony Award for Best Novel	Finalist
		Barry Award for Best First Novel	Finalist
		Edgar Award for Best First Novel	Finalist
2008	Queenpin	Anthony Award for Best Paperback	Finalist
		Barry Award for Best Paperback Original	Won
		Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original	Won
2009	Bury Me Deep	Hammett Prize	Finalist
2010		Anthony Award for Best Paperback	Finalist
		Barry Award for Best Paperback Original	Finalist
		Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original	Finalist
		Macavity Award for Best Novel	Finalist
2012	The End of Everything	Anthony Award for Best Mystery	Finalist
	Dare Me	Steel Dagger Award	Finalist
2013		Anthony Award for Best Mystery	Finalist
2014	The Fever	Strand Critics Award for Best Novel	Nominated
2015		ITW Thriller Award for Novel	Won
2016	"Little Men"	Anthony Award for Best Short Story	Won
2017	You Will Know Me	Anthony Award for Best Mystery	Finalist
		ITW Thriller Award for Best Novel	Finalist
		Macavity Awards	Finalist
		Steel Dagger Award	Finalist
2018	Give Me Your Hand	Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller	Nominated
2019		Anthony Award for Best Novel	Finalist
		Steel Dagger Award	Finalist
2021	Template:Sortname	"Booklist Editors' Choice": Adult Books for Young Adults	"Selection"
		Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller	"Won"
2022		ITW Thriller Award for Hardcover Novel	"Finalist"
		"Booklist"'s Best Mysteries & Thrillers	"Top 10"

Edited Works

• A Hell of a Woman: An Anthology of Female Noir (2007)

Non-fiction Titles

• The Street Was Mine: White Masculinity in Hardboiled Fiction and Film Noir (2002)

Novels

• Die a Little (2005, Simon & Schuster)
• The Song Is You (2007, Simon & Schuster)
• Queenpin (2007, Simon & Schuster)
• Bury Me Deep (2009, Simon & Schuster)
• The End of Everything (2011, Little, Brown and Company)
• Dare Me (2012, Little, Brown and Company)
• The Fever (2014, Little, Brown and Company)
• You Will Know Me (2016, Little, Brown and Company)
• Give Me Your Hand (2018, Pan Macmillan)
• The Turnout (2021, G. P. Putnam's Sons)
• Beware the Woman (2023, G. P. Putnam's Sons)
• El Dorado Drive (2025, G. P. Putnam's Sons)

Short Fiction

• "Oxford Girl" (2016), featured in Mississippi Noir
• "Girlie Show" (2016), included in In Sunlight or in Shadow: Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper
• "Little Men" (2015), published in The Best American Mystery Stories 2016
• "My Heart Is Either Broken" (2013), part of Dangerous Women

Television

Year	Title	Writer	Producer	Notes
2017–18	The Deuce	yes	no	also served as story editor
2019	Dare Me	yes	yes	additionally executive producer
TBA	The Turnout	no	yes

External links

• Official website of Megan Abbott
• Commentary on Los Angeles' connection to noir
• Interview