Reese Witherspoon’s New Harlan Coben Novel Is ‘Something I’ve Never Done’ (Exclusive)

The Oscar winner is writing a book with the New York Times bestselling author.

Reese Witherspoon is venturing into uncharted territory.

At the second annual Shine Away Hello Sunshine conference, Big little liesactress, 48, tells PEOPLE how her upcoming novel, which she is writing with Harlan Coben, is different from anything she has written before.

“It’s terrifying. I’m trying new things that I’ve never done,” she says. “I wrote books for children. I have written books about my upbringing in the South, but they are only fiction and thrillers, so it is also a genre book.”

Witherspoon published Whiskey in a cupin 2018 and is also the author of the publication Busy Bettyseries of books for children.

Witherspoon also praises her co-author, 62-year-old bestselling thriller author Coben. “That’s why I feel really lucky to have a partner in Harlan Coben, who is so talented and helps me through this whole process,” she continues. “But it’s really cool to delve into this character.”

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When asked if her and Coben’s writing process included late-night emails and phone calls, she replied: Legally Blondethe actress adds that this includes “the odd sharing of articles related to a given topic.”

“It’s really great fun,” he adds.

The upcoming thriller, which is currently untitled, is scheduled to be published in fall 2025 by Grand Central Publishing, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.

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“To say that I’m a fan of Harlan’s work is a huge understatement… The fact that he found my idea for this thriller intriguing enough that he decided to work with me as a co-writer is a dream that has become a reality,” Witherspoon said 2 October in a statement about the project.

“Working with Harlan to delight audiences with mysterious characters and complex plot twists has been more fun than I can describe,” she added. “I can’t wait for everyone to read what we imagine.”

Related: Reese Witherspoon Recalls Finding Her Voice as a Single Mom in Her 20s: I Made ‘A Lot of Decisions About My Kids’

Coben, who said he has been a long-time member of the Witherspoon and Reese Book Club, is also excited about the collaboration.

“Once we started discussing her idea, there was no turning back,” he said in a statement. “Collaborating with Reese was pure joy and creative satisfaction. I couldn’t be more excited to get this novel out into the world.”

The upcoming thriller will be released on October 14, 2025. It is available for pre-order wherever books are sold.

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