SERVED HIM RIGHT by Lisa Unger

THE QUICK SIX

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger writes fresh and unexpected stories about emotionally complex heroines who are driven to uncover the truth, no matter what they discover. In her 23rd novel (yes, you read that right!), readers meet Ana Blacksmith who is an angry ex with a bad reputation seeking revenge. There’s more to this clever and deliciously dark tale, and trust us, once you start reading, you won’t be able to put ***Served Him Right*** down (which publishes on March 10, 2026). Here on The Quick Six, Lisa answers our most burning questions!

What was the original title of Served Him Right, and did it change or stay the same?

I did have an idea for a title for this book, but titles are not always my strong suit! My editor, however, is amazing with titles, and when she came up with Served Him Right, it was too perfect to warrant considering anything else.

What were you doing that moment you got that spark of an idea for Served Him Right, and can you tell us about that experience?

I stumbled across a news story about a woman in Australia who held a brunch for her family, and several days later two of her guests were dead. And it wasn’t the first such incident in her life.

So, it got me to thinking about how the traditional role of women in our culture is to nurture and nourish. And what a woman with a deep knowledge of plants that can harm and heal might do with it, how her role in society might allow her to hide her dark intentions in plain sight.

And that’s when I started hearing the voice of Ana Blacksmith. She’s wild and unpredictable; she has a dark side. She has a sacred knowledge of plants and their properties, handed down to her from her herbalist aunt. And she has a very bad temper.

In Served Him Right, Ana’s brunch doesn’t exactly start out as just mimosas and flowers. It’s an ex-orcism, where Ana has gathered all her friends to force them to eradicate her cheating ex Paul from their social media feeds. So, it has a bit of dark tinge at the outset, and things only get darker from there.

The top three books you will read over and over again are:

JANE EYRE by Charlotte Bronte THE TEMPLE OF MY FAMILIAR by Alice Walker IN COLD BLOOD by Truman Capote

Beside “author” what other job titles have you held?

Before my first book was published, I was a publicity assistant and, eventually, over the next seven years, climbed up the ranks to an associate director of publicity at Penguin Putnam.

What is an assumption readers have about you that is incorrect?

Readers could be forgiven for thinking I’m a “dark” person, and even as a kid, I had a dark and twisted imagination, coupled with an insatiable curiosity about people and what makes them do the things they do. But this inquisitiveness doesn’t make me mimic the subjects of my curiosity; I consider myself a spelunker, shimmying into the dark spaces of the human psyche to understand it better — and then back out again.

If you could spend one day doing something not related to writing or reading, what would that day look like for you?

I love exploring, whether it’s new places (especially beaches, jungles, and mountains) or experiences (I’ve gotten to try everything from falconry to sailing to ballroom dancing).

Bonus Lightning Round:

Current book you’re reading and loving: THE AWAKENED BRAIN: THE NEW SCIENCE OF SPIRITUALITY AND OUR QUEST FOR AN INSPIRED LIFE by Dr. Lisa Miller.

Favorite current song: YOU OUGHTA KNOW by Alanis Morissette

Movie you will set aside everything to watch: Star Wars

Favorite meal: The one at a fabulous new-to-me restaurant

Vacation spot: Azores, Portugal

Your writing “must-have” snack: Green smoothie with apple, kale, berries and water

About the book:

A woman’s brunch with friends quickly turns dark in this gripping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger

Ana Blacksmith has gathered her closest friends and sister Vera for a brunch to celebrate her recent breakup from her boyfriend Paul. But when shocking news about Paul arrives, all eyes are on Ana, the angry ex with a bad reputation. Suspicions only intensify when Ana’s best friend falls deathly ill after the brunch.

But Ana is not the only one who had a score to settle with Paul. As the investigation unfolds, rumors of a secret network that uses ancient methods to obtain justice begin to emerge. Vengeance is sweet, but it can also be deadly. Ana and Vera are determined to find the truth before Ana takes the fall and their own long-buried history comes to light.

About the author:

Lisa Unger is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of twenty-two novels. Her next novel, SERVED HIM RIGHT, will be published by Park Row Books in March 2026.

With books published in thirty-three languages and millions of copies sold worldwide, she is regarded as a master of suspense. Her critically acclaimed novels have been featured on “Best Book” lists by the Today Show, Good Morning America, Entertainment

Weekly, People, Amazon, Goodreads, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, Tampa Bay Times and many other media outlets.

She has been nominated for, or won, numerous awards, including The Strand Critics, Audie, Hammett, Macavity, ITW Thriller, and Goodreads Choice. In 2019, she received two Edgar Award nominations in the same year, an honor held by only a few authors, including Agatha Christie.

Her short fiction has been anthologized in The Best American Mystery and Suspense, and her non-fiction has appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Daily Telegraph, NPR, and Travel+Leisure.

Lisa is the current co-President of the International Thriller Writers organization. She lives on the west coast of Florida with her family.

Website: www.lisaunger.com

Instagram: @launger

Facebook: @authorlisaunger