Alafair

Burke

Bestselling Novelist

Award Nominated Author

Travels from: New York, NY

“[A] master of her craft… Alafair Burke is the New York Times best-selling crime writer that other best-selling crime writers croon over.” — Los Angeles Review of Books

Alafair Burke is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, Edgar Award nominated author of fifteen crime novels, including THE NOTE, THE WIFE, and THE BETTER SISTER, which has been adapted for television on Prime Video. Published in more than twenty languages, her books have been featured on “Best Book” lists from the Today Show, Entertainment Weekly, People, O (Oprah Magazine), Oprah Daily, The Boston Globe, Washington Post, Sun Sentinel, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and numerous other outlets.

She has been called “a genius for plot” and “one of our greatest contemporary mystery writers.” She has served on the board of the Authors Guild Foundation and as the President of Mystery Writers of America, the first woman of color to be elected to that position. In addition to her own novels, she also co-authored the bestselling Under Suspicion series and a sequel to the iconic WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN with Mary Higgins Clark.

A distinguished graduate of Stanford Law School, Alafair is a full professor at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, where she teaches criminal law and procedure. Her legal scholarship focuses on the discretionary decisions of prosecutors and police, and she frequently serves as a legal commentator for various media outlets. She lives in East Hampton and New York City.

Alafair's Featured Titles

The Accidental Novelist

This honest, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious talk traces Alafair’s unexpected path to becoming a prolific and bestselling author: from a childhood crush on Andy Gibb, to growing up in a town with an active serial killer, to reading Encyclopedia Brown on her weekly trips to the library with her librarian mother, to working in police precincts and criminal courtrooms as a prosecutor, and, finally, to a dream of writing “one little book.” Audience members will realize that it is never too late to find an idea that might just change your life.

The True Crimes Behind the Books

In this fascinating, personal, fact-based talk, Alafair delves into the true crimes that have affected her as both a former prosecutor and author. After growing up under the shadow of an active and sadistic serial killer in her hometown of Wichita, Kansas, she learned that another killer was prowling the Pacific Northwest when she was in college. Spoiler alert: She ended up having personal contact with both of them. This talk also explores why audiences crave crime stories.

Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan

Alafair has worked as a law professor while also writing fifteen novels and co-authoring another eight with Queen of Suspense Mary Higgins Clark. This talk provides concrete advice for increasing productivity while also living a happy and balanced life.

Righting (and Writing) Wrongful Convictions

In addition to being a bestselling author, Alafair is also a law professor and nationally recognized expert on police and prosecutorial discretion. In this informative yet entertaining talk, Alafair draws on social science to explore the leading causes of wrongful convictions, including mistaken eyewitness testimony and false confessions. She also includes personal stories about working on a wrongful conviction case that inspired the debut novel that launched her second career.

“Alafair was a featured author at one of our Club Book events, and she thoroughly entertained us from start to finish. Hearing about her unique life stories that led her to writing crime novels was captivating. By the end, this inspiring speaker not only got me interested in wanting to read more of her books, but I was also drawn to her humor and authenticity. Alafair Burke has a gift with words in both speaking and writing.” — Jill Kufrin, Library Board and Friend of Library member, 2025

“Alafair was an exceptional speaker. She was very personable and passionate. We received great feedback from our guests of cross-sector leaders and community members.” — Julie Finck, Ph.D., CEO, Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation

“We were thrilled to have Alafair Burke join us for our Writers LIVE! annual series at the Palm Beach County Library System. Alafair was a fantastic guest – smart , funny, and down-to-earth – and she shared great behind-the-scenes stories about her books, her writing process, and how her legal background influences her storytelling. The audience loved the interactive feel of the conversational format, and Alafair was generous with her time and thoughtful in answering questions. It was such a treat for readers and aspiring writers alike to get such an inside look at her work. We’re so grateful she could be part of this year’s series – it was truly a highlight!” — Kristina Wernisch, Adult Activities Coordinator, Palm Beach County Library System

“Alafair Burke is the Founding Honorary Chair of Hamptons Whodunit for a reason: People love her. Not only is she the author of page-turning thrillers, but she is also a distinguished law professor and a revered member of the mystery writing community who has a large breadth of knowledge on a variety of topics. Alafair’s panels at Hamptons Whodunit always attract large crowds, not only because she is so personable, but because the audience knows that they will be captivated by her interesting insight into the crime writing world.” — Carrie Doyle, CEO and Co-Founder of Hamptons Whodunit

“Alafair Burke was the featured speaker for our annual author night, to the absolute delight of our library patrons. Alafair has so many fans in our community, and they loved hearing about her writing process and her insider knowledge from being a prosecutor. Alafair made the audience laugh, graciously answered all their questions, and even entertained a few superfans. We can’t keep Alafair’s books on our shelves and recommend her to any library or institution looking for an engaging speaker!” — Kara Thomas, Adult Services Librarian, Lindenhurst Memorial Library

“As a storyteller, Burke is a master knot maker. . . . Because it’s impossible to give a sense of how very clever the plot of The Note is without ruining the fun of reading it, I’ll simply say that nothing is as it seems. . . . Burke is also celebrated for her nuanced takes on women’s lives. . . . Here, it’s the complications of friendship among women that’s the deeper mystery Burke explores.” — Maureen Corrigan, Washington Post (on THE NOTE)

“Burke, whose peers rightly praise her originality and excellent plotting, knows how to keep a reader—and her characters—off-kilter and eager for the next twist.” — Oprah Daily, “Spring’s Most Spine-Tingling Thrillers” (on THE NOTE)

“This story is twisty and surprising and a real page-turner. I loved it.” — John Searles, The TODAY Show (on THE NOTE)

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Alafair’s Newsletter

Honors, Awards & Recognition

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
Edgar Award Nominee for Best Novel (THE EX)
Recipient of the Pinckley Prize for Distinguished Body of Work by the Women’s National Book Association
Best books of the year lists by The Washington Post, Boston Globe, and Sun-Sentinel