Alissa Lee: I Love a Twisty Plot
In this interview, author Alissa Lee discusses exploring close-knit relationships with her debut literary suspense novel, With Friends Like These.
Alissa Lee lives in the Bay Area and was formerly Associate General Counsel and COO, Legal at Google and has taught writing workshops to incarcerated youth through The Beat Within. She is a board member of Friends of the San Francisco Public Library and is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Harvard College. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
In this interview, Alissa discusses exploring close-knit relationships with her debut literary suspense novel, With Friends Like These, her advice for other writers, and more.
Name: Alissa Lee
Literary agent: Michelle Brower and Danya Kukafka at Trellis Literary Management
Book title: With Friends Like These
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release date: November 4, 2025
Genre/category: Literary Suspense
Elevator pitch: Five former Harvard roommates have played a secret game for decades, but when the stakes rise and the friends agree to play one last time, deadly consequences emerge from old lies.
What prompted you to write this book?
I started this book at a time when I was trying to keep up with a busy job, raising kids, and maintaining the important relationships in my life. I remember running into friends who seemed so accomplished and put-together, but once we dug below the surface, I was surprised to hear about their struggles. I started thinking about how good we had become at erecting these facades, what happens when they break down, and how they don’t serve us in our relationships as well as we think. That experience really focused my attention on how important a few key friends have been to me. I love a twisty plot, and while this book is meant to be suspenseful, it’s really about the friendships that carry us through our lives.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
I’ve been working on this story for at least eight years, but I stopped and started more than a few times. The story has always centered on a game the characters play, which was my way of exploring close-knit relationships and the limits of friendship, but there was a version where the main characters were men. Beta readers wanted to see these guys taken down hard, and I realized that didn’t leave much room for the story I wanted to tell.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
The traditional publishing process is a unique one with its own pacing. At times, it can feel like everything is moving so slowly, but then you get notes and deadlines come quickly. The biggest surprise though has been how generous my agents, editor, and other writers have been. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that others are invested in a project you’ve been carrying alone, and that kindness is something I’ll always remember with such gratitude.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the revision process, both with my agents and my editor.I think because they’re such smart women who came to me with a clear and resonant vision for how the book could be improved, I trusted them early on. As a result, I felt like every note was given in the spirit of making the book better, and this made the revision process a pretty smooth one.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I hope that this book gives readers an opportunity to think about the friendships that really matter to us and whether we’re making the investments we need to so that those relationships can keep growing. One of the most rewarding moments so far in this process was a note I got from one of my college roommates after I’d sent her an advance copy. She felt like the book spoke to the phases of our lives, the struggle and rewards of keeping friendships going, and the emotional vulnerability that is hard to expose when you’re young, but you can lean into based on years of our lives being intertwined. That was what I was going for, and to have her experience that, well, it felt like the warmest hug.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
The process of getting a book out into the world can sometimes feel like an interminable climb, so when you find yourself losing faith, remember that so many gains can be made by just showing up. Revising that problematic chapter one more time, sending out the next batch of query letters, or turning up at your local bookstore to support a fellow writer—all of it counts. If we just keep showing up for ourselves and for others, good things will follow.
