S J Watson's debut novel, Before I Go To Sleep, became a phenomenal international success, selling over six million copies worldwide. It won the Crime Writers' Association Award for Best Debut Novel and the Galaxy National Book Award for Crime Thriller of the Year, and has been translated into more than 40 languages. The film adaptation, starring Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth and Mark Strong and directed by Rowan Joffe, was released in 2014.

His second novel, Second Life, was published to acclaim in 2015, followed by Final Cut in 2020. He is currently at work on new fiction, with two further novels due for publication in 2027.