Books in Order
Delia Owens Books in Order
About Delia Owens
Delia Owens spent decades as a wildlife scientist in Africa before publishing Where the Crawdads Sing as her fiction debut at age 69. The novel became one of the bestselling books of the 21st century, selling over 20 million copies worldwide, spending years on the New York Times bestseller list, and being adapted into a 2022 film. Before fiction, she co-authored three nonfiction books about African wildlife with her then-husband Mark Owens. Where the Crawdads Sing blends literary Southern fiction with a murder mystery set in the North Carolina marshes.
One Novel That Changed Everything. Where the Crawdads Sing is Delia Owens's fiction debut and only novel as of 2025. The nonfiction books she wrote with Mark Owens are excellent supplements for wildlife enthusiasts.
Fiction
Where the Crawdads Sing
2018
Debut NovelKya Clark is abandoned in the North Carolina marshes as a child. When a young man is found dead, she becomes the prime suspect. A literary mystery of rare beauty.
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Nonfiction (with Mark Owens)
Cry of the Kalahari
1984
First nonfiction bookSeven years studying lions, hyenas, and brown bears in Botswana's Central Kalahari.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Has Delia Owens written more than one novel?
As of 2025, Where the Crawdads Sing remains her only work of fiction. She has co-authored three nonfiction books about African wildlife with Mark Owens. A second novel has not been announced.
Is Where the Crawdads Sing based on a true story?
No — it is a work of fiction. However, Delia Owens drew on her decades of experience as a wildlife scientist in Africa to write the marshland scenes with striking naturalistic detail. The characters and plot are invented.
How is the Where the Crawdads Sing movie?
The 2022 film starring Daisy Edgar-Jones captures the atmosphere and romance of the book well. The mystery elements are slightly simplified. Most readers found it a solid adaptation, though the book's lyrical prose about the marsh is inevitably harder to translate to screen.