Julie Chan Is Dead

INSTANT INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER One of NPR’s Books We Love for 2025 2026 Libby Book Awards Best Thriller For fans of Bunny and Yellowface, this razor-sharp debut thriller blends biting satire with chilling suspense, as a young woman steps into her deceased twin’s influencer life—only to discover dark secrets hidden behind her social media façade. Julie Chan has nothing. Her twin sister has everything—except a pulse. Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier barely scraping by, finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer. Separated at a young age, the identical twins were polar opposites and rarely spoke, except for one viral video that Chloe initiated (Finding My Long-Lost Twin And Buying Her A House #EMOTIONAL). When Julie discovers Chloe’s body, she doesn’t call the police. Instead, she slips into her dead sister’s meticulously curated life: luxury fashion, high-end skincare, and a devoted online following who never noticed they weren’t quite the same. At first, the transformation is seamless. Julie relishes the perks of influencer fame, but quickly learns that behind Chloe’s flawless feed lay secrets far darker than she imagined. Her sister’s final days were shadowed by paranoia, manipulation, and something far more sinister. Now, trapped on a private island retreat with Chloe’s inner circle—an elite clique of influencers obsessed with status and secrecy—Julie is forced to keep up the act while being haunted by her sister’s untimely death. As events spiral out of control, Julie uncovers the sinister forces that may have led to her sister’s demise and realizes she might be the next target. Darkly funny, fiercely paced, and full of sharp commentary on identity, fame, and the cost of visibility, Julie Chan Is Dead is a twisted thrill ride where fitting in could be fatal—and the people behind the posts are the real danger.

Liann Zhang is an award winning and internationally bestselling Chinese Canadian author. She graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in psychology and criminology. Her debut novel, Julie Chan Is Dead, has won the Libby Award for best thriller, been nominated for an Anthony Award, a Trillium Book Award, a Barry Award, an ITW Award, a Kobo Award, and was longlisted for Canada Reads. Her work has been translated and published in ten languages. She splits her time between Vancouver and Toronto where she lives with her two cats, Juice and Bean.