Kelly Mancaruso is an American author of contemporary thrillers. She is best known for Rumoured (2025), a psychological suspense novel co-written with her sister Kristina Mancaruso. The book was selected as the July Debut of the Month by LoveReading UK.
Kelly Mancaruso grew up in upstate New York, where she and her sister began writing stories together in childhood. In addition to her Bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, she also holds an MA from the University of Nottingham.
She has a background in education and psychology and worked as a PR manager before becoming a senior creative copywriter for a software company.
Rumoured (2025) follows Naomi Barnes, an investigative journalist drawn to the case of Harlow Hayes, a global pop icon arrested for murder. Told through Naomi’s perspective, the novel explores themes of fame, identity, and public narrative.
“The world thinks they know who I am. But they have no idea,” says Harlow, whose fame becomes a mask for a darker truth. The book received early praise for its pacing and structure. Megan Collins called it “a deliciously fun puzzle to solve,” while Rachel Wolf described it as “a rollercoaster ride… twisty and dark.”
Kelly signed a two-book deal with Bloomsbury Publishing and has expressed strong views about the craft of writing. “First drafts should be terrible,” she said. “It’s about painstakingly tweaking a paragraph one thousand times until you’re finally (somewhat) happy with it.”
Kelly Mancaruso lives in Nottingham, England, with her husband and their dog. She continues to collaborate with her sister from opposite sides of the Atlantic.
Photo credit: themancarusosisters.com
