Killer Author Club

John Marrs joins us to dive into Dead in the Water, a twist-laden thriller built from pieces—literally. He shares how he writes stories in fractured parts, why memory is the most dangerous unreliable narrator of all, and how one character can die… and die again. We unravel the hunt for the exact right title, the balance between psychological authenticity and breakneck pacing, and the real people who inevitably (and sometimes unknow...

Kaira Rouda is back with The Second Mrs. Strom, the long-awaited follow-up to Best Day Ever—and yes, Creepy Paul is front and center again. Kaira shares why she resurrected one of her most unsettling characters, why readers love to hate him, and the real-life personalities who helped shape his uniquely chilling charm. She also dishes on the Paris research trip that ended in spectacular disaster—think food poisoning and a hotel full...

Kimberly Belle takes us deep inside her Edgar winner, The Paris Widow, a pulse-pounding thriller where a dream vacation ends in a literal bang. She unpacks the mystery of a husband who vanishes—presumed dead—and the desperate search for answers that sends one woman racing through Paris, where danger hides behind every iconic landmark. Kimberly reveals the dark world of blood antiquities, the tension of being alone in a foreign city...

Gilly Macmillan joins us to talk about The Burning Library, a gripping blend of dark academia, historical intrigue, and feminist power struggles. She reveals how the idea for a secret society of women fighting over a centuries-old manuscript sparked the story, the research rabbit holes that nearly consumed her, and how she built this layered mystery rooted in both past and present. We also dig into Gilly’s favorite obsession outsid...

Kaira Rouda returns with Under the Palms, the sharply cutting follow-up to Beneath the Surface—a story that’s Succession in the Southern California sunshine. She reveals the major plot twist that managed to surprise (and genuinely scare) even her, why she loves writing terrible characters readers love to hate, and how her past life as a gossip columnist sharpened her instinct for scandal. And yes… we’ve got movie news.

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The legendary Lee and Andrew Child join us to talk Exit Strategy and all things Jack Reacher. They share the surprising story behind Reacher’s name, the one line he would never cross, and how a character born from an idea became a global phenomenon. Plus, Lee reveals the only writing advice you’ll ever need—simple, sharp, and straight from the master himself.

Download and listen today—because when Reacher’s on the move, you don’t wa...

Vanessa Lillie joins us to talk about Blood Sisters, a powerful thriller inspired by a real-life crime near her hometown and the thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous women whose cases too often go unsolved. She opens up about tackling serious, real-world issues with empathy and grit, shining a light on the complexities—both good and bad—around the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and why Indigenous crime rates are heartbreakingly ...

Our very own Killer Heather Gudenkauf returns to talk about The Perfect Hosts, her explosive new thriller that kicks off with a pistols-and-pearls gender reveal party gone fatally wrong. She shares how that wild premise first took shape, why she set the story on a sprawling horse ranch, and how she opened the book with a literal bang. Plus, Heather reveals the storytellinghill she’ll die on—and why she swears by it in every book sh...

Nicole Baart joins us to talk about Where He Left Me, a lush and haunting thriller where nature itself becomes a character. She shares how the eerie Hemlock House setting amplifies tension, how she balances poetic prose with heart-pounding suspense, and what her research into planetary sciences revealed about love, loss, and connection. We also dive into the origins of the unforgettable tagline—“In every world, I’d find you”—and Ni...

Sandra Block joins us to dish about The Bachelorette Party, the thriller that came to her in the middle of the night and refused to let go. We talk about weaving true crime into fiction, her bold research into real-life serial killers, and why female friendships gone wrong make such irresistible reading. Plus, she confesses how real people sometimes inspire her most deliciously dark characters.

Download and listen today—because this...

Tessa Wegert kicks off a brand-new series with In the Bones, set in the eerie, atmospheric Thousand Islands region of upstate New York. She shares the chilling real-life concept of phrogging (yes, it’s as creepy as it sounds), how she learned to stomach some truly disgusting research for the sake of accuracy, and the secret room hidden inside her 120-year-old house. Moody, mysterious, and unforgettable—this one’s got it all.

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Zoje Stage returns with Dear Hanna, bringing back the unforgettable character from Baby Teeth in a chilling new story. We dig into her research on sociopaths, the eerie differences between child and adult versions, and what it’s like to write from inside the minds of psychopaths and sociopaths. Zoje also shares how she blurs genre lines to keep readers off balance—and why her next project might surprise you: a children’s book!

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Chevy Stevens is back with The Hitchhikers, a thriller designed to make readers sweat. Set in 1976, she talks about the joys—and challenges—of writing historical fiction, plus how synesthesia and even her dreams fuel her prose. Chevy shares her winding path from art to real estate to bestselling author, and why she keeps a secret file of passion projects waiting in the wings. A fun and fascinating glimpse into the mind of one of to...

Rachel Howzell Hall joins us to talk about What the Fire Brings, a searing thriller where memory, trauma, and identity collide. She reveals how real-life stories of people of color going missing inspired the novel, why poisonous tomatoes might one day appear in her books, and how even the happiest childhoods can fuel the darkest, most gruesome fiction. A powerful, layered conversation that blends social urgency with edge-of-your-se...

Journalist-turned-novelist Elise Hart Kipness serves up high-stakes suspense in her latest thriller Close Call. Inspired by her own career in reporting, Elise shares why she set a kidnapping story against the cutthroat backdrop of professional tennis. We talk about how technology raises the stakes in her thrillers, what it takes to write convincingly about pro athletes, and the delicate balance between adrenaline-pumping pacing and...

Hank Phillippi Ryan joins us to talk about The House Guest and the killer details behind her storytelling. She shares her preferred method of murder on the page—and how it helps her characters reclaim their power. We dig into the discipline of sitting down to write for months while trusting the process, the balance of being both a bestselling novelist and an Emmy-winning investigative reporter, and the not-so-surprising career advi...

Bestselling author Sarah Pekkanen takes us inside The Locked Ward, a chilling story born from her real-life visit to an actual psychiatric ward. We talk about the fascinating nature vs. nurture dynamic of twins separated at birth, the delicate balance of portraying mental illness with sensitivity and respect, and the technical challenge of controlling what readers know—and when. Packed with tension, empathy, and psychological depth...

We’re celebrating a milestone with Karin Slaughter—her 25th novel, We Are All Guilty Here! Karin takes us inside her newest thriller and introduces a powerful new protagonist destined to keep readers hooked for books to come. We talk about her fearless approach to writing violence against women with both urgency and empathy, and what it’s like to see her stories leap from the page to the television screen. Twenty-five novels in, an...

James L’Etoile joins us to talk about River of Lies, a gripping mystery that blends page-turning suspense with real-world social issues. He shares his fiery research into arson, how he crafts twists that are as ironic as they are iconic, and the challenge of weaving relevance into riveting storytelling. We also shine a light on James’s work as a tireless volunteer in the crime writing community—and how giving back fuels his creativ...