Killer Author Club

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.

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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...

Hannah Mary McKinnon is back with Only One Survives, a tense, twisty thriller about fame, friendship, and the dark side of all-female bands. She takes us behind the scenes of writing original lyrics, weaving music into the storyline, and the technical challenge of crafting a timeline full of flashbacks. Oh—and the six little words that started it all.

Download and listen today—because fame may be fleeting... but secrets can be kille...

The legendary Anthony Horowitz returns to the Killer Author Club to talk about Marble Hall Murders, the latest entry in his wildly clever Susan Ryeland/Atticus Pünd series. He shares the challenge of weaving stories within stories, his inspiration for creating crime fiction that’s both clever and self-aware, and why his writing process—though deeply rewarding—is far from easy or fast. Plus, we get exciting updates on book-to-screen...

J.T. Ellison joins us to talk about her gripping thriller It’s One of Us, a story that tackles a zeitgeisty—and deeply personal—topic with her signature twisty flair. We explore why marriage is the perfect pressure cooker for suspense, the surprising (and shady) world of sperm banks, and how setting her stories in Nashville and beyond adds layers of atmosphere and danger.

Download and listen today—because in J.T.’s world, family sec...

Bestselling author Peter Swanson stops by to talk about the brilliant mind games behind his latest thriller—and the despair (and delight) of writing a story backwards. We dig into why he calls his work “New England noir,” what makes the region such fertile ground for suspense, and how real-life people sneak into his novels. Plus, don’t miss hearing about the chilling scene he set in an infamous—and iconic—location.

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