Megan Abbott (born August 21, 1971) is an American screenwriter and author of crime fiction and non-fiction analyses of hardboiled crime fiction. Her novels and short stories have drawn from and reworked classic subgenres of crime writing from a female perspective.
Early life and education Abbott grew up in the Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe. She graduated with her bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan. She received her Ph.D. in English and American literature from New York University. Retrieved 19 Sept 2026.
Career Abbott has taught at NYU, the State University of New York and New School University. In 2013 and 2014, she served as the John Grisham Writer in Residence at the University of Mississippi.
In 2002, Abbott published her first book, The Street Was Mine: White Masculinity in Hardboiled Fiction and Film Noir. In it, Abbott challenges the archetypes of the "tough guy" and "femme fatale" common to noir literature.
Three years later, Abbott published Die a Little, the first of several novels presenting woman-centered takes on traditional noir tropes. Set in midcentury Los Angeles, the story centered on Lora King, a schoolteacher whose brother Bill falls in love with Alice Steele, a former costumer for the film industry. Suspicious of Alice's motives and jealous of her hold over Bill, Lora sets out to investigate Alice's background, only to find herself pulled into the dark side of Hollywood.
In addition to literature, Abbott has written for major journals and newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times. She also writes a blog with novelist Sara Gran.
Television work Abbott was a screenwriter for The Deuce, an HBO show that premiered in 2017 and deals with pornography and the Mafia in New York in the 1970s and beyond. In 2019, she adapted her bestselling novel Dare Me into a TV series on USA Network. She served as co-showrunner on the series, along with Gina Fattore.
Influences Abbott was influenced by film noir, classic noir fiction, and Jeffrey Eugenides's novel The Virgin Suicides. Two of her novels refer to notorious crimes. The Song Is You (2007) is based around the disappearance of Jean Spangler in 1949, and Bury Me Deep (2009) on the 1931 case of Winnie Ruth Judd, dubbed "the Trunk Murderess".Kelly, Alan. "Tugged into Darkness: An interview with Megan Abbott" 3AM Magazine. Monday, August 24, 2009.
Reception and awards Abbott has won the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award for outstanding fiction. Time named her one of the "23 Authors That We Admire" in 2011.Time Staff. "Pack Your (Book) Bag: The best pages to turn this summer, from 23 authors we admire." Time Magazine Special. The Best Books for Summer Reading. Thursday, June 30, 2011. Publishers Weekly gave her 2011 novel The End of Everything a starred review.Publishers Weekly. Review date: May 30, 2011.
Awards +YearTitleAwardResultRef.2006Die a Little Anthony Award for Best Novel Barry Award for Best First Novel Edgar Award for Best First Novel 2008 QueenpinAnthony Award for Best Paperback Barry Award for Best Paperback Original Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original 2009Bury Me DeepHammett Prize2010 Anthony Award for Best Paperback Barry Award for Best Paperback Original Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original Macavity Award for Best Novel2012The End of EverythingAnthony Award for Best Mystery Dare MeSteel Dagger Award2013 Anthony Award for Best Mystery 2014The FeverStrand Critics Award for Best Novel Retrieved 2026-05-20.2015 ITW Thriller Award for Novel2016"Little Men"Anthony Award for Best Short Story Retrieved 2026-05-20.2017 You Will Know MeAnthony Award for Best Mystery ITW Thriller Award for Best Novel Macavity AwardsSteel Dagger Award2018Give Me Your HandLos Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller Retrieved 2026-05-20.2019 Anthony Award for Best Novel Steel Dagger Award2021Booklist Editors' Choice: Adult Books for Young AdultsLos Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller2022ITW Thriller Award for Hardcover Novel Booklist's Best Mysteries & Thrillers2025El Dorado DriveLos Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller Retrieved 2026-05-10. Hammett Prize Retrieved 19 Sept 2026.
Publications
As editor
Non-fiction
Novels
Short stories "Oxford Girl" (2016). Appeared in Mississippi Noir. "Girlie Show" (2016). Appeared in In Sunlight or in Shadow: Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper. "Little Men" (2015). Appeared in The Best American Mystery Stories 2016. "My Heart Is Either Broken" (2013). Appeared in Dangerous Women.
Filmography Television Year Title Writer Producer Notes2017-18 The Deuce also story editor2019 Dare Me also executive producerTBA The Turnout
References
External links Megan Abbott's website
Short statement on why she thinks LA is so associated with noir. Interview