Karen M. McManus is a best-selling American author known for writing mysteries and thrillers for a young adult audience. Her first novel, One of Us Is Lying (2017), is told from the perspective of four students who are accused of murdering a classmate and forced to discover the true killer. In the novel’s sequel, One of Us Is Next (2020), three students at the same school are forced into a high-stakes game of truth or dare. The final book in the series, One of Us Is Back (2023), follows the characters from the first book as they recover from the trauma of their experiences. In addition to this series, McManus has written several standalone thrillers that address similar themes. McManus’s novels often feature multiple narrators, teenage protagonists, false accusations, and mysterious murders.

Like most of McManus’s novels, You’ll Be the Death of Me is an example of young adult fiction. Young adult fiction describes novels written for readers approximately 12 to 18 years old, typically featuring protagonists of similar ages. Young adult fiction spans nearly all genres, although the most common are contemporary fiction, fantasy, and romance. Writers of young adult fiction aim to address issues that affect young adults, such as romantic relationships, relationships with parents, coming of age, and personal development.