PODCAST · arts
Killer Author Club
by Killer Author Club
Three best-selling authors talking about killing (of the fictional kind) with the best thriller and suspense authors in the business. Killer cocktails, killer conversations, and killer guests with hosts Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf, and Kaira Rouda.
Episodes
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The Killers Take the Hot Seat: Kimberly, Heather, and Kaira on Take Back the Night
Tonight, the tables turn. No guest, no interview — just your three hosts in the hot seat answering the questions you’ve always wanted to ask about the book we wrote together. We get into how three thriller writers with very different styles — one plotter, one pantser, one who got kicked out of…
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Who Gets Written Off — and What Happens When They Refuse to Disappear: Sara Paretsky on Bad Company
Before we get into today’s episode, a little news from the Killer Author Club: your hosts Kimberly, Heather, and Kaira have written a thriller of their own. Take Back the Night is out in January — and we’ll be taking it on the road. Tour dates coming soon, so stay tuned. In the meantime, preorder...
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Miss Marple Has Entered the Building: Lucy Foley on Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel
Before we get into today's episode, a little news from the Killer Author Club: your hosts Kimberly, Heather, and Kaira have written a thriller of their own. Take Back the Night publishes January 12, 2027 — and you can preorder your copy now at killerauthorclub.com/killer-book. Lucy Foley joins us...
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Retirement Looks Good on Them — Until It Doesn't: Tess Gerritsen on The Shadow Friends
Before we get into today's episode, a little news from the Killer Author Club: your hosts Kimberly, Heather, and Kaira have written a thriller of their own. Take Back the Night publishes January 12, 2027 — and you can preorder your copy now at killerauthorclub.com/killer-book. Tess Gerritsen…
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Redemption Isn't Given. It's Fought For: Eriq La Salle on Laws of Solomon
Before we get into today's episode, a little news from the Killer Author Club: your hosts Kimberly, Heather, and Kaira have written a thriller of their own. Take Back the Night publishes January 12, 2027 — and you can preorder your copy now at killerauthorclub.com/killer-book. Eriq La Salle joins...
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Behind Bars, He Holds the Key: Charlie Donlea on Guess Again
Before we get into today's episode, a little news from the Killer Author Club: your hosts Kimberly, Heather, and Kaira have written a thriller of their own. Take Back the Night publishes January 12, 2027 — and you can preorder your copy now at killerauthorclub.com/killer-book. Charlie Donlea…
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There Is Nothing She Won't Do: Gillian McAllister on Caller Unknown
Before we get into today's episode, a little news from the Killer Author Club: your hosts Kimberly, Heather, and Kaira have written a thriller of their own. Take Back the Night publishes January 12, 2027 — and you can preorder your copy now at killerauthorclub.com/killer-book. In today’s podcast,...
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From BookTok to Bookstores: Noelle Ihli on Gray After Dark
Before we get into today's episode, a little news from the Killer Author Club: your hosts Kimberly, Heather, and Kaira have written a thriller of their own. Take Back the Night publishes January 12, 2027 — and you can preorder your copy now and win exclusive swag at...
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Three Packages. Three Victims. One Question: Did They Deserve It?: Dervla McTiernan on Three Reasons for Revenge
Dervla McTiernan joins us to talk about Three Reasons for Revenge, a thriller that begins with a woman walking into a police station — and ends with a question about justice that doesn't have a clean answer. We get into the moral weight sitting at the center of this story, how McTiernan…
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It's Been Twelve Years and He's Still Not Over It: Jessica Knoll on Helpless
Jessica Knoll joins us to talk about Helpless, a smoldering, mind-bending thriller about two former college lovers pulled back together twelve years later — and the something old and dangerous neither of them ever fully let go of. We get into the relationships that leave a mark no amount of...
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The Last Ferry Out: Andrea Bartz on Paradise, Expats, and Fighting Back
Andrea Bartz joins us to talk about The Last Ferry Out, a thriller set on a Mexican island where the expats are charming, the secrets are lethal, and the ferry to the mainland runs once a week — if you're lucky. We get into why solo travel through Mexico doubled as research and why it's the kind…
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Someone's Watching: Jamie Day on Beach Thriller
The duo behind the pen name Jamie Day joins us to talk about Beach Thriller, a novel that somehow fits a crumbling beach house, a cold case, a psychic, a runaway teen, and a shadowy Watcher into one gloriously unhinged summer read. We get into the perks and very real perils of co-authoring across...
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Every May 1st, He Comes for Them: Alex Finlay on The Anniversary
Alex Finlay joins us to talk about The Anniversary, a novel that opens with a quote from Ted Bundy and somehow is also a love story. We get into the singular challenge of writing a serial killer thriller with genuine heart at its center, and how Finlay built an entire decade of two lives out of a...
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She Remembers a Life That Wasn't Hers: Lauren Oliver on The Girl in the Lake
Lauren Oliver joins us to talk about The Girl in the Lake, a novel that asks one of the most unsettling questions in suspense: what if the key witness to a decades-old disappearance is a six-year-old who wasn't even born when it happened? We dig into Lauren's fascination with places where the...
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Wide Awake at 3am: Allison Winn Scotch on The Insomniacs
Allison Winn Scotch joins us to talk about The Insomniacs — and the genre pivot that ten novels of commercial fiction finally led her to. We get into why she crossed over to the dark side of suspense, how she landed on a story about four strangers who can't sleep, and what it means to write...
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They Called It Murder. She Called It Justice: Sally Hepworth on Mad Mabel
Sally Hepworth joins us to talk about Mad Mabel, and the character at the center of it — Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick, 81 years old, gloriously grumpy, desperately lonely, and Australia's youngest convicted murderer. We get into what it takes to write a woman this prickly and make readers root for her...
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New Face, New Name, New Nightmare: Deborah Goodrich Royce on Best Boy
Deborah Goodrich Royce joins us to talk about Best Boy, a thriller built on one of the most chilling questions in suspense: what if the past you buried comes back — and you can't even remember it? We get into the real-life story that sparked the novel, how Royce uses debilitating migraines and...
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No Way Out: Will Dean on Adrift
Will Dean joins us to talk about Adrift, a thriller that proves you don't need a deserted island or a locked room to feel utterly, terrifyingly trapped. We explore the creative challenge of confining an entire story to a narrowboat in rural Illinois and why a villain who controls through...
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Broken Promises & Borrowed Babies: Danielle Girard on Pinky Swear
Danielle Girard joins us to talk about Pinky Swear, a twisty thriller built on the most innocent vow of all—a childhood pinky promise that refuses to stay buried. We dive into the high-stakes world of surrogacy and the terrifying leap of trust it requires, the complexities and inevitable failings...
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Ex-Orcism Brunch & Botanical Revenge: Lisa Unger on Served Him Right
Lisa Unger is back in the clubhouse to dish on Served Him Right, a deliciously dark thriller that begins with an ex-orcism brunch. We talk about female friendships and the power of sisterhood, Lisa’s use of botanicals as a plot device (harmless herbs… or something more?), her return to the…
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Smiles, Secrets & Sun-Soaked Betrayal: Kaira Rouda on We Were Never Friends
Kaira Rouda joins us to unpack We Were Never Friends, a wickedly sharp thriller that peels back the polite smiles and champagne toasts of female friendship—and exposes what’s really simmering underneath. She talks about writing women who can adore and despise each other in the same breath,...
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Genre Jumps, Literary Scandals & Murder Most Meta: Jenna Blum on Murder Your Darlings
Jenna Blum joins us to talk about Murder Your Darlings, her razor-sharp leap from historical fiction into the thriller space—and why switching genres is both exhilarating and risky. She reveals how much of the story grew out of very real author anxieties, how she deliberately broke genre rules…
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Puzzles, Savants & AI Nightmares: Danielle Trussoni on The Puzzle Box
Danielle Trussoni joins us to unpack The Puzzle Box, a high-concept thriller where intellect, obsession, and danger collide. She explains savant syndrome—what it is and how it shapes a character who sees the world differently—and the very real challenges of embedding actual puzzles into a novel...
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Memory, Murder & the Perfect Title: John Marrs on Dead in the Water
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...
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Creepy Paul Returns: Kaira Rouda on The Second Mrs. Strom
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...
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Secrets, Smoke & the City of Lights: Kimberly Belle on The Paris Widow
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...
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Secret Societies, Dark Academia & Feminist Fire: Gilly Macmillan on The Burning Library
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…
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Power, Privilege & Palm Trees: Kaira Rouda on Under the Palms
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...
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Reacher, Rules & the Road Ahead: Lee and Andrew Child on Exit Strategy
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…
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Justice, Humor & Heart: Vanessa Lillie on Blood Sisters
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,...
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Pistols, Pearls & Perfect Murder: Heather Gudenkauf on The Perfect Hosts
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…
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Stars, Secrets & Hemlock House: Nicole Baart on Where He Left Me
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...
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True Crime, Twisted Friendships & The Bachelorette Party: Sandra Block Spills All
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...
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Secrets, Phrogging & the Thousand Islands: Tessa Wegert on In the Bones
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...
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Sociopaths, Secrets & A Killer Comeback: Zoje Stage on Dear Hanna
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....
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Strangers on the Road: Chevy Stevens on The Hitchhikers
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...
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Poisonous Tomatoes & Buried Truths: Rachel Howzell Hall on What the Fire Brings
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…
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Tennis, Tech & Tension: Elise Hart Kipness on Close Call
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…
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Murder, Media & The Method: Hank Phillippi Ryan on The House Guest
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...
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Twins, Secrets & Tension: Sarah Pekkanen on The Locked Ward
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...
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25 Books of Murder & Mayhem: Karin Slaughter on We Are All Guilty Here
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...
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Arson, Twists & Real-World Stakes: James L’Etoile on River of Lies
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...
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Rock Stars, Envy & a Very Creepy Cabin: Hannah Mary McKinnon on Only One Survives
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...
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Meta Mysteries & Killer Confessions: Anthony Horowitz on The Marble Hall Murders
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...
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Podcast Title: Secrets, Sperm Banks & Southern Suspense: J.T. Ellison on It’s One of Us
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...
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Backwards Murder & New England Noir: Peter Swanson on Twisting the Thriller
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...
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Misery on Crack & Writing from the Dark: Kiersten Modglin on Do Not Open
TikTok sensation Kiersten Modglin joins us to talk about her latest twisty thriller, Do Not Open—a book one reviewer dubbed “Misery on Crack.” She shares how she draws from her own darkest places to create unforgettable characters, what it means to be vulnerable on the page and off, and how she...
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Cults, Killer Secrets & a Remote Utah Resort: Clémence Michallon on Our Last Resort
Clémence Michallon returns with Our Last Resort, a haunting thriller set against the eerie isolation of a remote Utah resort. She shares her deep research into cults (and her personal connection to the Nxivm cult), how a single haunting song sparked the idea for the novel, and what it takes to...
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Royals, Roulette & A Vegas Love Story: Chris Bohjalian on The Princess of Las Vegas
Chris Bohjalian joins us to talk about his glitzy, twisty novel The Princess of Las Vegas, inspired by a real-life royal who flipped the script on a centuries-old monarchy. Chris shares why he set this story in the neon-lit world of gambling and grit as we dive into the underbelly of seedy…
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Memory, Murder & the Mind Games of The Ghostwriter: Julie Clark Tells All
Julie Clark joins us to unravel the layers of her latest twist-filled novel, The Ghostwriter. We talk about striking the perfect balance between suspense and emotional depth, and how growing up in the 70s helped shape the atmosphere of the book’s haunting past timeline. Julie dives into using...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Three best-selling authors talking about killing (of the fictional kind) with the best thriller and suspense authors in the business. Killer cocktails, killer conversations, and killer guests with hosts Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf, and Kaira Rouda.
HOSTED BY
Killer Author Club
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Killer Author Club have?
Killer Author Club currently has 86 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Killer Author Club about?
Three best-selling authors talking about killing (of the fictional kind) with the best thriller and suspense authors in the business. Killer cocktails, killer conversations, and killer guests with hosts Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf, and Kaira Rouda.
How often does Killer Author Club release new episodes?
Killer Author Club has 86 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Killer Author Club?
You can listen to Killer Author Club on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Killer Author Club?
Killer Author Club is created and hosted by Killer Author Club.
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