Shari Lapena is a Canadian novelist best known for her 2016 thriller novel The Couple Next Door, which was a bestseller both in Canada and internationally.

Before beginning her writing career, Lapena worked as a lawyer and English teacher. She published her debut novel Things Go Flying in 2008, which was shortlisted for the Sunburst Award in 2009. Her second novel, Happiness Economics, was a finalist for the Stephen Leacock Award in 2012.