#elisesthoughts – Page 2 – Avonna Loves Genres

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Son’s Secret by Daryl Wood Gerber

Book Description

Maggie Lawson is the smart, capable dean of a boutique college, but even the most confident mother has a weakness – her child. When Maggie can’t reach her college senior son, Aiden, to tell him that his father has been shot, she starts to panic. She texts. She calls.

Is Aiden ghosting her, or have the dangerous stories Aiden’s father, her investigative journalist ex-husband, pursues finally brought trouble to her door? Maggie is sure that something is very wrong, but no one believes her. As dark events unfold, she must rely on her own investigative instincts to find Aiden. But when Maggie uncovers a devastating secret, she faces a race against time to save him.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Son’s Secret by Daryl Wood Gerber is not the type of story her readers are used to. Instead of gardens, tea shops, and fairies flying around she has ventured into suspense and mystery. This story explores the complex mother-adult son dynamic. Parents will relate to the main character understanding the fine line between being hovering to being supportive and caring. Plus, the anxiety that every parent goes through when their children do not answer their texts.

This story has Maggie Larson, now the Dean of a college, trying to notify her son, Aiden, that his father has been shot and is in the hospital. When Aiden does not respond she begins to panic. Since they were close, she finds it difficult to believe he would ghost her, disappearing and disregarding her texts.

She eventually gets her ex-husband, Josh, to believe her and together they investigate what could have happened to their son. As they pursue the disappearance, evidence and then threats pile up, convincing them that something seriously has happened.

This story can be considered a domestic and psychological thriller. Readers will be put on a rollercoaster ride. There is tension and intrigue that will have people taking the journey with Maggie.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Why this genre?

Daryl Wood Gerber: When I first became a writer, I wrote suspense, but they did not get published. Finally with the cozy mystery genre I found my voice. Yet, I still wanted to write suspense. So, I took a couple of the suspense I first had written and re-wrote them. I wrote outside the norm of the cozy. I had an English publisher put this story out.

EC: Idea for this book?

DWG: This story had been sticking in my head for a long time. It came to me when my son was clerking for a judge in New Orleans. I thought ‘what would happen if he disappeared, and I could not get a hold of him.’ This is a mother’s worse nightmare.

EC: Do you think part of the key to this story is the non-response of adult children?

DWG: Yes! The adult children do not answer their phones, and many times do not answer their texts. It drives me crazy, and I put it in the story. I would write to my son asking if he had seen my three previous texts and to please respond. He answered, ‘sorry mom I got busy, and I thought I did.’ Really, he could see if he did. My first fear is that something was wrong because he was not responding. I do not think I overreact.

EC: How would you describe Maggie?

DWG: A nurturer, hovers, caring, sometimes smothering. She wonders if she is a helicopter mom. When her friend and daughter-in-law tells her she is too much she wonders if she is over-reacting to her son not responding or is she right to worry. She is a complex character because this is a contradiction to her being a dean of a college, and previously an investigative reporter. After her brother committed suicide, her mother checked out. Maggie promised herself she was not going to be that type of mother and would be dialed in. Her attitude comes from myself who is a mom who does not want to hover but wants to guide because I am older and wiser.

EC: How would you describe her son Aiden?

DWG: He is artistic, creative, and at times emotionally overwhelmed. He is sometimes very tough on himself. After he lost his fiancé, he has become emotionally ripped open for two years. Now a woman comes into his life who he falls in love with. He can be temperamental.

EC: What is the role of Maggie’s divorce?

DWG: Her ex-husband is an investigative reporter. After he had a couple of affairs they got divorced. I had him shot and in the hospital to show that Aiden does not respond to the dad also, never reaches out, even though they are close. Maggie must repair the bridge with her ex so they can work together to find Aiden. He helps to keep her grounded. They become a wonderful team if the emotional baggage is taken away.

EC: What about the role of suicide?

DWG: Maggie had to deal with it twice in her life. Once, when her brother committed suicide, and when she had a student commit suicide. Now she worries if Aiden has committed suicide. This drives the story.

EC: Next book?

DWG: It comes out in October, the first in a new series, “The Literary Dining Mysteries.” It is titled Murder on The Page. It is a cozy mystery involving food and books. A caterer lives in North Carolina in the Blue Ridge mountains who was close to the local bookstore owner. After she were killed, she is determined to find out who did it. Each book in the series will focus on some classic novel. This one will have Pride and Prejudice. The community will have book clubs with food, reading, and dress up.

THANK YOU!!

***

BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Not What She Seems by Yasmin Angoe

Book Description

She left home as the local pariah at twenty-two, but when a family tragedy brings her back, she must confront her tortured past—and a new danger in town that no one seems to understand but her.

After years of self-exile, Jacinda “Jac” Brodie is back in Brook Haven, South Carolina. But the small cliffside town no longer feels like home. Jac hasn’t been there since the beloved chief of police fell to his death—and all the whispers said she was to blame.

That chief was Jac’s father.

Racked with guilt, Jac left town with no plans to return. But when her granddad lands in the hospital, she rushes back to her family, bracing herself to confront the past.

Brook Haven feels different now. Wealthy newcomer Faye Arden has transformed the notorious Moor Manor into a quaint country inn. Jac’s convinced something sinister lurks beneath Faye’s perfect exterior, yet the whole town fawns over their charismatic new benefactor. And when Jac discovers one of her granddad’s prized possessions in Faye’s office, she knows she has to be right.

But as Jac continues to dig, she stumbles upon dangerous truths that hit too close to home. With not only her life but also her family’s safety on the line, Jac discovers that maybe some secrets are better left buried.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

Not What She Seems by Yasmin Angoe is a very suspenseful domestic thriller that will keep readers on their toes.

The plot has the heroine, Jac Brodie, leaving home when she was twenty-two years old. She comes back after a family tragedy, where she must confront her tortured past―and a new danger in town that no one seems to understand but her.

After years of self-exile, Jacinda “Jac” Brodie is back in Brook Haven, South Carolina. But the small cliffside town no longer feels like home. Jac hasn’t been there since the beloved chief of police, her dad, fell to his death―and all the whispers said she was to blame.

Racked with guilt, Jac left town and had no plans to return. But when her granddad lands in the hospital, she rushes back to her family, bracing herself to confront the past.

But as Jac continues to dig, she stumbles upon dangerous truths that hit too close to home. With not only her life but also her family’s safety on the line, Jac discovers that confronting the truth is very dangerous.

This is an excellent read with fast-paced action, jaw-dropping plot twists, and flawed but likable characters.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story and is this a series?

Yasmin Angoe: Currently I plan on this being a one and done stand-alone, although if my publisher wants, I can write more books. I really wanted to write a domestic thriller that is intimate and set in the same state I live in. The focus of the story is how people do not really know who others really are. I hope readers saw this as a cat and mouse type of story.

EC: Was is based on anything?

YA: A modernized version of “The Spider and The Fly.” What happens when people are unmasked.

EC: What was said about the heart pacemaker, is it true?

YA: I asked my cardiologist. I am one of the few younger people that have problems. I wanted to know what would happen if, and could it happen. I thought about having the granddad with a pacemaker. It is not easy, but if the laser is continually applied to that exact spot, it could make it malfunction.

EC: What was the role of the grandfather?

YA: He was the catalyst for the heroine, Jac. Until he was harmed, she did not have a purpose or something to fight for. He was a way for her to work on her own issues by focusing on what happened to him. She wanted to make up for all those years of running away and not facing her own reality.

EC: Beyond that do you think he served as her mentor?

YA: Yes. He called her Junior Dick, as in detective. He taught her things. He always held her together.

EC: How would you describe Jac?

YA: Jac is reckless and is all over the place. She runs from her problems and does not face them. She acts before thinking, which gets her in a lot of trouble.

EC: Is Sawyer Jac’s opposite?

YA: Probably. She is Jac’s good friend. She has a good family life. She is happy and self-assured. She is not coming from a place of loss and hurt like Jac is. Sawyer is more carefree and does not have baggage.

EC: What is the relationship between Sawyer and Jac?

YA: Jac trusts Sawyer completely. She is Jac’s safe place. Jac knows Sawyer is not going to judge her.

EC: Can you explain the quote about USC, which was hilarious?

YA: You mean the one, “USC, the University of South Carolina, the real USC, not the one in California.” I had to do it. Remember the book is set in South Carolina. When I moved here, I now live about ten minutes from USC. Everyone is serious about supporting either USC or Clemson. If someone says USC, meaning the SO CAL one, people will hate them for life. They feel they are the real USC, because it comes first.

EC: What about the other quote, that refers to people who want to be liked and might try too hard?

YA: A lot of people are like this these days. It seems they do not have their own mind. People do not have to go along to get along. This could apply to most of the characters in the book. For example, Jac’s mom tried to mold her two daughters into what she thought a Southern lady should be. Jac rebelled against this. She wants to be different, which is why she was known as the “wild Brodie girl.”

EC: How would you describe one of the characters, Faye?

YA: She does not really want to go along to get along. But she does do it when she needs it to further her goals. Then she goes back to what she really wants to be after convincing others. She pushes people, does not like to leave loose ends, and fakes apologies. She has two faces: innocent, bubbly versus coy and unfriendly. The title comes into play because the story shows how most of the characters did have two faces. Faye has it to the extreme.

EC: Do you think Jac has two faces?

YA: No. This is problematic for her. The town is OK with people having two faces. People like to deal with others who are complacent, nice, and do not create any worries. Jac wants to be accepted for who she is: not a girly girl. Jac can see through Faye and does not take her at face value. As the story goes on Jac realizes she is responsible, thoughtful, and perceptive.

EC: In the beginning of the book readers are unsure of Jac?

YA: Yes. Jac had a lot of issues with the town and herself. The readers do not know what happened between Jac and her dad’s death. I wanted the reader to be on the ride with Jac. At first, Jac sees herself as a loser who cannot do anything right. This might make her unreliable in the beginning until her whole truth comes out.

EC: Next book?

YA: It is coming out in December 2025. I am working it on currently. It will be a revenge story. It will deal with complicated families.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Last Mission by Lisa Childs

Book Description

Even the best-laid plans can go up in flames…

Mack McRooney is retired from military special ops, but there’s one final mission he has to take on—catch the saboteur targeting his brother-in-law’s firefighting team…even if that means becoming a firefighter himself. Partnering with state trooper Wynona Wells, however, was not part of the plan. Mack and Wynona are fighting their fiery attraction to one another and a deadly saboteur. And if they lose this fight, they might just also lose their lives…

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Elise’s Thoughts

Last Mission by Lisa Childs is the series finale. Those who like the characters will be saddened that they will not be able to read any more stories about them.

In this one the hero is Mack McRonney, retired from military Special Ops. After his brother and sister were targeted by the saboteur, he decides to go undercover to find the culprit, working for the Hot Shots. Also, trying to find the antagonist is State Trooper Wynona Wells, who feels she has something to prove to the townspeople. Both are equally distrustful of each other and suspect that each might be a person of interest.

To keep an eye on each other, both decide to reluctantly work together, and neither is happy about the sparks of attraction that affect them. They fight against them, but ultimately, their feelings are too strong to resist. However, each has baggage from their past, making it difficult to open their hearts. They grow closer and take each other off the suspect list after they are targeted, many times saving each other’s life.

The epilogue was an excellent wrap-up for the books and series. There are a lot of twists and red herrings, making the book mystery more enjoyable.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Is this the last book in the series?

Lisa Childs: Yes, this is the last book in the series. This branch of my Hotshot heroes is done. Emotionally it was hard to say good-bye to the characters. I had in my head for a long time that the hero would be Mack, and the heroine would by Wynona for the finale. The series came about when my husband who used to work for the US Forest Service when in college went out with a Hot Shot team.

EC: How would you describe Mack?

LC: He is mysterious. No one knew what he did for a living. He is very independent and is used to working alone. He is a quick thinker, having been in dangerous situations before. Some of the other characters might think he is cocky, but I think he is confident because he always survived the dangerous military missions he undertook.

EC: How would you describe Wynona?

LC: She feels she has had to prove herself. Determined, fearless, lonely, persistent, self-reliant, and independent. Since she lost her parents, she feels adrift.

EC: What about the relationship between the two of them?

LC: There is a book quote, ‘she can trust Mack with her life, not just her heart.’ She can never figure Mack out; afraid he would leave to go on a mission and not come back. They distract each other and keep secrets. They have some trust issues. Wynona has not had the best of luck with her choices and those around her, so she does not trust her own judgement. Ever since his mom abandoned Mack and his siblings, he also has trouble trusting people to stick around. They both have the same type of conflict, which draws them together. She sees him as intriguing and infuriating. He sees her as fascinating and mystifying. She has built a wall because she is afraid of losing those she loves, especially after her parents died.

EC: What is the role of Mack’s sister, Sam?

LC: She is very similar to Wynona. They both are in careers with male egos who do not respect women for doing their jobs. Sam is very tough and independent. She is worried Wynona will get hurt by Mack because she does not think he will stick around.

EC: What is the role of Mack’s brother Trick?

LC: He is the younger sibling. He looked up to his brother, but he also was hurt by him. Even as he idolizes him, he is resentful of Mack for leaving.

EC: How would you describe the saboteur?

LC: He is frustrated for being overlooked. Does not feel as relevant. Resentful, angry, and has rage. He is out for revenge. The rage built as he kept doing things. He is arrogant in that he enjoys getting away with it. He is punishing everyone for not getting the respect he deserved.

EC: Next books?

LC: This year out in September will be The House by The Cemetery and out in September of next year will be Only the Dead Within, both part of the Grave Digger series.

I have a few coming out next year. In January will be A Match for the Sheriff, part of my cowboy series. In February there will be Hostage Security, a romantic suspense. In May the book out will be Personal Security, part of the bodyguard series.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Talking to Strangers by Fiona Barton

Book Description

When Karen Simmons is murdered on Valentine’s Day, Detective Elise King wonders if she was killed by a man she met online. Karen was all over the dating apps, leading some townspeople to blame her for her own death, while others band together to protest society’s violence against women. Into the divide comes Kiki Nunn, whose aggressive newsgathering once again antagonizes Elise.

A single mother of a young daughter, Kiki is struggling to make a living in the diminished news landscape. Getting a scoop in the Simmons murder would do a lot for her career, and she’s willing to go up against not just Elise but the killer himself to do it.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Talking to Strangers by Fiona Barton is the second book in the series. This one involves three women out for the truth, all will be narrators in the story.

Police detective Elise King is assigned to investigate the murder of local hairdresser Karen Simmons. Before her death, Simmons ran a singles group called the Free Spirits, and King immediately sets her sights on the men Simmons was dating. The author humanizes the detective by showing how she is trying to cope and recover from a mastectomy and chemotherapy.

Stepping on King’s toes, almost competing with her is Kiki Nunn, a journalist striving to find the big scoop. Considering she interviewed Karen about her online dating she decides to investigate the online dating angle.

Then there is Annie Curtis, who lost her young son Archie sixteen years ago in the same woods that Karen died. Though the police swiftly arrested Nicky Donovan for Archie’s murder, a pedophile who killed himself in custody. Annie is agonized both to feel the old wound being ripped open and to be racked by the unbearable suspicion that Nicky was innocent, and Archie’s killer is still at large.

It is fascinating to see how Barton has all three women come together in the end to help find the murderer.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Fiona Barton: This is the second book in the series with my detective Elise King. I had a conversation with a friend who was talking about on-line dating when it started out. She had a date with someone and sent a map of coordinates. She was very excited. I was dubious because I wondered if she was putting herself at risk. I then spoke to other friends. This is now the new normal of dating. I know of women who met lovely men and got married.

EC: What about the victim, Karen?

FB: She was being judged. There are people who were negative about her dating strangers and thought, ‘what was she thinking. Did she ask for it in a way.’ I hoped to explore this judgement in the book. There is a book quote, from Elise she “hated the fact she was just a number.” People do not realize there is a person behind that number. It is so dehumanizing.

EC: What about social media?

FB: It is here and will not be rid of. I wanted to show the effects of social media and how it can be used. The ‘friends’ on social media are usually people that the person does not know and have just popped up. Communication is more and more on-line.

EC: How would you describe Elise?

FB: She is an incredibly ambitious woman. She is driven. In book 1, Local Gone Missing, readers see that Elise thought her life was sorted out until her boyfriend dumped her for a younger woman and she discovered she had breast cancer. Her whole world turned upside down. Elise feels vulnerable and has a fear the cancer will come back. She started to question and is doubting herself. She is battling the physical and emotional side of the disease, which she tries not to acknowledge. Elise is on her own but is lonely. I think she is a woman in conflict.

EC: How would you describe the journalist Kiki?

FB: She is a single mom. Because she has a child to raise, she is no longer in mainstream journalism. She is pushy, takes risks, and is always looking for a scoop. Like Elise she is lonely. Kiki cares about Karen and does not see her as a number.

EC: What role does Annie play in the story?

FB: She is a victim who had her child murdered. Annie tries to put one foot in front of the other, but having Karen die in the same woods as her son has reopened all the wounds. Like Kiki and Elise, she is also lonely even though she is married. Annie feels she is not heard in her marriage.

EC: Of the three women characters which pushed the case along?

FB: I think they all had a hand in it. Elise helped it along through her investigation, finding out the information. Kiki took a deep dive into the online dating world. I think they thought they were stepping on each other’s toes, but they complimented each other. I think they could be friends. In this book when they were together both saw crisis but could be friends.

EC: Next book?

FB: No title, but Kiki will be featured.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Another Girl Lost by Mary Burton

Book Description

Ten years ago, fifteen-year-old Scarlett Crosby was held captive in a terrifying ordeal with a girl named Della. Scarlett escaped, their predator was killed, and Della simply vanished. Detective Kevin Dawson always wondered if Della even existed.

A decade later, Scarlett is a successful artist. As hard as she tries to move on, the mysterious Della remains her inescapable obsession. Then a girl’s body is discovered—a link to Scarlett’s horrific past—and all her old traumas resurface. So does Della. Scarlett has seen her hiding in plain sight. The girl who knows Scarlett’s secrets, who understands the desperate compromises Scarlett made to endure hell, and who, like Scarlett, embraced the darkness to survive.

As a suspicious Detective Dawson once again comes calling, and obsessions turn deadly, Scarlett fears there isn’t a living soul she can trust. As for Della, who’s watching from afar, what could she possibly want from Scarlett now? And what new nightmare lies ahead?

***

Elise’s Thoughts

Another Girl Lost by Mary Burton has suspense, intrigue, and mystery. This plot will keep readers wondering if her characters are like the ones in the book Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn or are they real heroines, especially after the victim becomes a suspect.

Ten years ago, fifteen-year-old Scarlett Crosby was held captive in a terrifying ordeal with a girl named Della. Scarlett escaped, their predator was killed, and Della simply vanished. A decade later, Scarlett is a successful artist. As hard as she tries to move on, the mysterious Della remains her inescapable obsession.

Della knew Scarlett’s secrets, understanding the desperate compromises Scarlett made to endure hell, and who, like Scarlett, embraced the darkness to survive, considering they were abused. The scenes of abuse are somewhat disturbing but not graphically described. Now Scarlett is confronted when a girl’s body is discovered, a link to her horrific past, and all her old traumas resurface. Nobody except Scarlett believes that Della ever existed, including Detective Kevin Dawson, who killed her captor and rescued her initially. But Scarlett still feels as if Della is around every corner.

Detective Dawson and his partner Margo Larson are both trying to pin on Scarlett the murder of the girl discovered. They no longer see her as a victim but now a suspect. Scarlett believes that it was Della who participated in the murder, but no one believes Della is alive. The detectives believe Della was made up to help Scarlett cope with her terrible situation or to give her an alibi for the murdered girl found.

What makes the plot very interesting is how it goes back and forth between present and past. Readers get to know Scarlett better realizing she was broken while trapped in the basement, trying to build a normal life, and how she is dangerously obsessed with Della. Although broken, she is did not permanently break even with her psychological and physical abuse.

It is interesting how the main characters are all involved in subterfuge and deception. All the characters are complex. The plot is gripping, engaging, twisty, dark, with triggers and twists.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: What is the idea for the story?

Mary Burton: This is stand-alone. I wanted to use gaslighting, how a woman believes she knows the truth but everyone around her is convinced she is wrong. I thought that is a good jump off point to have the heroine remember something while everyone around her is trying to convince her that might not be true.

EC: You like the heroines to be complex?

MB: I wanted my heroines to have imperfections that push the boundaries and are dealing with their own demons and imperfections. Their intentions are very good people with their methods unconventional. They are also trying to be independent.

EC: How would you describe Della?

MB: She is connected to the heroine, Scarlett. Scarlett thinks she comes back for her own reasons to want to control her. She was trapped with Scarlett, which bonded them in many ways. She discovered the body of another girl when trapped with Scarlett by the rapist. She embraced the darkness. While trapped with Scarlett she used hate and fear to her advantage.

EC: How would you describe Scarlett?

MB: She is frustrated that people think she is lying or confused about Della returning. She is clear-headed. She has not let go of Della. She is angry about Della, even obsessed with her, and cannot move on. This is why she keeps repainting Della’s picture. I think she is broken, trying to put herself back together, but the cracks are there. She is getting stronger, but still is fragile. Scarlett is searching for normalization. She is trying to leave her past behind, but it is not letting her go. Scarlett is trying to distance herself from the darkness, which was helped by the Judge.

EC: How would you describe Margo?

MB: She is broken and damaged, and she did some bad things in the name of justice. She is desperate for love and attention. She is angry and readers can see that in how she has handled her former cases. She is looking for retribution and has a destructive pattern. She likes being on the edge, taking dangerous assignments, and has an edgier relationship with Detective Dawson. Margo very much likes control and manipulates people. She presses the boundaries and sometimes breaks them. She wants to set Scarlett up. She is very persuasive and a bit of a sociopath. She knows how to use people’s emotions against them.

EC: What role does Detective Dawson play?

MB: He likes to give orders. He is determined and has tunnel vision. He is not a perfect guy and is not a great detective. His loyalty to Margo is his Achilles heel. He is manipulated by Margo.

EC: What about the rapist Reed?

MB: He is pure evil. He found Della who became his facilitator and helper. He is a psychopath who will do physical harm.

EC: Next book?

MB: It will be another stand alone with a complicated heroine who is trying to piece together clues from a cold case. No title yet.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: This Is Why We Lied by Karin Slaughter

Book Description

Everyone here is a liar, but only one of us is a killer…

A secluded cabin retreat

For GBI investigator Will Trent and medical examiner Sara Linton, McAlpine Lodge seems like the ideal getaway to celebrate their honeymoon. Set on a gorgeous, off-the-grid mountaintop property, it’s the perfect place to unplug and reconnect. Until a bone-chilling scream cuts through the night.

A murderer in their midst

Mercy McAlpine, the manager of the Lodge, is dead. With a vicious storm raging and the one access road to the property washed out, the murderer must be someone on the mountain. But as Will and Sara investigate the McAlpine family and the other guests, they realize that everyone here is lying….Lying about their past. Lying to their family. Lying to themselves.

Who killed Mercy McAlpine?

It soon becomes clear that normal rules don’t apply at McAlpine Lodge, and Will and Sara are going to have to watch their step at every turn. Trapped on the resort, they must untangle a decades-old web of secrets to discover what happened to Mercy. And with the killer poised to strike again, the trip of a lifetime becomes a race against the clock…

***

Elise’s Thoughts

This is Why We Lied by Karin Slaughter is a book that has all the trademarks including twists, and intensity. A word of warning there is child abuse, domestic violence, brutal treatment of women, incest, substance abuse, and rape as part of the story, but it is done in a very empathetic way for the victims.

The plot has GBI investigator Will Trent and medical examiner Sara Linton, going to McAlpine Lodge to celebrate their honeymoon. Set on a gorgeous, off-the-grid mountaintop property, it’s the perfect place to unplug and reconnect. Until a bone-chilling scream cuts through the night. They investigate and find out that Mercy McAlpine, the manager of the Lodge, is dead. With a vicious storm raging and the one access road to the property washed out, the murderer must be someone on the mountain. But as Will and Sara investigate the McAlpine family and the other guests, they realize that everyone here is lying.

Every member of this family is despicable. They are cold, unfeeling, manipulative, abusive, and controlling. There are suspects galore because almost everyone in the story, not just the family, has some sort of motive to kill Mercy.

The story unfolds through the dual points of view from Will and Sara. Mercy’s point of view and backstory are revealed in the letter entries written to her son over the years that chronicle her mental and physical abuse as well as the resentment festering within her toxic family.

This is a great crime procedural. As Faith, Will’s police partner, says about the crime, “an Agatha Christie locked-room mystery with a VC Andrews twist.”

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How is the TV series coming along?

Karin Slaughter: It is going great. It is starting up on the third season. I read the first script, and it is fantastic. I think they are doing a terrific job. I think they captured the spirit of the characters and Ramon, who plays Will Trent, is incredibly sexy and really has the heart of Will. This is what matters. I think of this as a separate thing where the books are the books, and the show is the show. I keep to the books as I tell stories based on the characters I created, and they tell stories based on the interpretation of the characters.

EC: How did you get the idea for the story?

KS: It was a locked lodge mystery. I go up to my cabin in the North Georgia mountains when I write my books. I want to lean into it to write about the woods and the mountains. Of course, I must bring in a murder and not have people just being happy.

EC: Did you take any of your characters out of their comfort zone?

KS: Sara is comfortable in the woods, while Faith hates it. Sara and Will see nature as beautiful and amazing. Faith complains about there being too many birds, the heat, not to mention how many mosquitoes. She is not an outdoor person by any stretch.

EC: What role did Will and Sara’s honeymoon play in the story?

KS: I think it was my way of moving the relationship forward without having to write a wedding scene. I was able to show the difference for them between dating, living together, and being married, having it formalized. Sara previously has been in a bad marriage and a good marriage, to the same guy. Sara wants to make sure she is supportive, but also very clear about her needs. Sara has learned as she got older to listen and compromise.

EC: Can you talk about this dysfunctional family? How would you describe Mercy?

KS: She is complicated. Women like her tend to be presented in black and white. She needed to get away from her family, protect her son, break the cycle of abuse, and get away from her lover, Dave. As readers find out more about her, they will realize she has no money, no friends, no place to live, no driver’s license, and no car. Questions to explore: if in that situation could someone walk away and take their child with them? For Mercy the answer is no. Dave has always pulled her back each time. For her, it is easier to just give in and stick with the devil she knows. She is really cut off from the world. She makes bad decisions for herself.

EC: Did you base her abuse on reality?

KS: Yes, considering that is how someone in an abusive relationship lives with no one to turn to, no one to help them, and in complete isolation.

EC: How would you describe Dave?

KS: He has a similar background to Will but is a miserable, horrible turd, while Will is on his honeymoon, and this is the happiest time in his life. Dave is a drifter, abusive, and an alcoholic addict. Amanda, Will’s boss best sums it up, Dave is addicted to being broken.

EC: What is the theme of the book?

KS: It is about safety. Mercy never felt safe. Sara felt safe because of her family and Will. The realization for Will is that he can trust Amanda, Faith, and Sara. He has a support system he never had as a child.

EC: Is Mercy the likable character and Dave the dislikable character?

KS: I do not think it is that easy. If you met Dave in real life someone would think he is fun, interesting, and charming, while people would not particularly warm to Mercy. Like people I have known, in her core Mercy is trying but she cannot get out of her own way.

EC: What role did Mercy’s letters to her son Jon play?

KS: They are important. They give readers some clues to figure out who done it. They also show how she felt invincible in her own life. She does not feel anyone is looking out for her. She is very aware that her job is to protect him and not the other way around.

EC: What do you want to say about Jon?

KS: Mercy tried to separate him from the toxicity of their family. She has diluted herself that Dave never hit him and was never awful to him. Like a lot of women, she does not understand their children watched what was happening, when their mother was being abused by their father. In Jon’s world it was acceptable, and the abuse was normalized.

EC: What about Cecil, Mercy’s dad?

KS: He is just an angry old man. He has lost his sense of who he is. From a physical level he lost some of his mobility. I think he knows he is an asshole and wants his way. Mercy speaks about him being two different people where guests see him as laid back, outdoorsy guy, but he is a miserable person. He knows how to be nice and accommodating with strangers but does not do it with his own family. He was a bully and cruel, a choice he made.

EC: What about Bitty, Mercy’s mom?

KS: She is a lousy mother and grandmother. She is the worst kind of liar because she gaslights both her children, saying ‘listen to your father and do not talk to him that way,’ even though he deserves to be talked to that way. Her silence is just as damaging than showing anger. She was never on her children’s side. She was psychologically abusive and cruel.

EC: Would you say that Christopher, Mercy’s brother is a schlump?

KS: Yes. He is just a weak-willed person who never stands up for her. He does the easiest thing. He allows her to be on her own. He never confronts anybody. He likes to fish, because it is solitary and quiet.

EC: How did you come up with the way you did the interviews with the suspects?

KS: I showed the different aspects of how they can approach an interview. They can be defensive, combative, disinterested, or helpful. This is policing 101. I did want to show these different sides. The title of the book becomes so appropriate because everybody is lying. Some lie because they want to be helpful and exaggerate. But exaggeration is a lie. Some are hiding something that has nothing to do with the crime. Some are lying because they know about the crime and are complicit.

EC: Do you canoe because you wrote a whole scene about it?

KS: Yes, I do and kayaking. I prefer kayaking because it is a good workout and can take people to the most beautiful places.

EC: Next books?

KS: It will be a stand-alone crime novel, and my 25^th book, out next year. No title. After that I will do another book with the whole gang surrounding Will Trent.

THANK YOU!!

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