Andrew Pyper, novelist who wrote best-selling thrillers, dead at 56

Canadian novelist Andrew Pyper, whose thrillers included “Lost Girls” and “The Demonologist,” died Jan. 3 of cancer, his family confirmed. He was 56.

According to his obituary, Pyper spent his final moments with his wife of 20 years, Heidi, and his children, Maude and Ford.

“Andrew was not done living, writing, raising his children or loving his wife but accepted his illness with tremendous courage and grace,” the obituary stated.

According to his website, Pyper was born in Stratford, Ontario, in 1968. He received a bachelor’s degree and master’s in English literature from McGill University and earned a law degree from the University of Toronto.

Pyper’s most recent novels included “The Homecoming” (2019), “The Only Child” (2017) and “The Damned” (2015). According to Pyper’s website, “The Demonologist,” published in 2013, won the International Thriller Writers Award for Best Hardcover Novel, and was a No. 1 bestseller in Canada and Brazil.

Writing under the pseudonym of Mason Coile, Pyper published “William” in 2024, CBC reported. Two more novels, including “Exiles,” are scheduled to be published posthumously, according to the news outlet.

Pyper wrote 14 novels during his career.

In a statement, Putnam Books’ Executive Editor Daphne Durham called Pyper “an inventive, surprising, and profoundly collaborative writer, who clearly loved telling stories,” People reported.

“Everyone loved working with (Andrew) because he was such a pro,” Durham said. “But he was also a delightful, warm, funny person.”

© 2025 Cox Media Group