1–What is the title of your latest release? A RIP THROUGH TIME 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? After responding to a cry for help in modern-day Edinburgh, a Vancouver police detective ends up in the body of the house maid who’d been attacked there…a hundred and fifty years earlier. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I wanted my narrator to be a “fish out of water” in every possible way, which meant setting it abroad. Victorian Edinburgh—known for medical research—is the perfect place for her new employer to live. He’s a doctor who had to take over his family’s undertaking business and uses it for early forensic science. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely. I can’t say that about all my narrators, but Mallory would be very easy to get along with. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Brilliant, driven, guarded 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Too many things! This was endless research (still ongoing as I work on book 2) One of the joys of time travel is that the narrator takes that journey with you, learning about this new…

While reading the description of your book ONE OF US IS DEAD, I was reminded of my favorite Real Housewives. What was your inspiration for this thriller? I actually came up with the idea for ONE OF US IS DEAD when I was sitting in a salon chair. My hairstylist had mentioned something personal I had previously told her (I don’t even remember what it was), and I was like, “Wait, I told you that? I can’t believe I told you that.” She replied, “Yes, you wouldn’t believe the things people say while sitting in this chair.” That was a lightbulb moment for me, and I immediately felt a salon was the perfect setting for a thriller. By the time I got home, I had half the book plotted out in my head. As I drafted the novel, I was definitely inspired by the Real Housewives as well as the book BIG LITTLE LIES.   Is this story divided up and alternating between the perspectives of several different characters? Yes, there are five points of view which was quite the undertaking to ensure they were unique voices and readers wouldn’t be confused by the multiple perspectives. Thankfully, early reviews gush…

How much research goes into one of your books? A: It really depends on the book. If I’m not familiar with the area, I’ll do a lot of location research, but I try to write books in places where I’ve been or where I know someone. For crime details, I have a lot of people I can call upon for help, or I can post a question in the Crime Scene Writers group. I’ve also done a lot of research over the years that’s become my own knowledge base — I’ve gone through the FBI Citizen’s Academy, gone on ride-alongs with local police, toured the morgue and viewed an autopsy, visited Quantico, and participated in training drills with SWAT teams. All that informs my books. For THE SORORITY MURDER, which came out at the end of 2021, I reached out to the head of the Criminal Justice department at Northern Arizona University as well as someone from the campus police department because I had very specific questions. But most of the forensic and psychology details I researched in books I own. For THE WRONG VICTIM, I reached out to a former ATF agent for information about bombs to make sure…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE CATCH   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? After a harrowing attempt on a judge’s life at the courthouse, Deputy US Marshals Madison James and Jonas Quinn are tasked with finding a missing woman and an endangered child in connection to the murder of the judge’s wife. What seems like a fairly straightforward case becomes hopelessly tangled when the marshals discover that the woman they are searching for is not who they think she is.   Madison and Jonas are forced into a race to find the woman and the child before the people who want her dead discover her location. And in a final showdown that could cost her everything, Madison will come face-to-face with the person who murdered her husband.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I typically chose the setting from a place I am familiar with. With this series, I decided to explore the state I grew up in through this series. Washington is an extremely diverse region, from forested mountains to rugged coast lines, to remote islands.   4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real…

How would you describe your book SLEEPING DOGS LIE to readers who may be unfamiliar with your books? As a cozy mystery fan, a lot of times the cover design will give me a clue to whether a book is a fun cozy mystery or more on the suspense or thriller end of the spectrum. Your cover suggests that it’s not a cozy, but the description can be taken a few different ways. It’s not a cozy mystery, I’d describe it as a mystery-thriller. There is definitely a mystery element to the story, but I think it ultimately lands more on the thriller end of that spectrum.   Is this book part of a larger series, or a standalone story? This is a standalone story.   When I’m debating about picking up a mystery, I often want to know a little bit more about the protagonist. What can you tell me about the protagonist in SLEEPING DOGS LIE? Shelby is a twenty-something dog walker in an upscale Bay Area neighborhood. She takes her job seriously and has a genuine love for dogs. When she finds one of her clients dead, she immediately calls the police and becomes quite involved with…

1–What is the title of your latest release? LEAVE YESTERDAY BEHIND 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A popular actress at a turning point in her career. A professional athlete forging a new path as a fiction writer. And a serial killer interested in seeing both of them dead . . . 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? My heroine is an actress who shoots her TV show in New York City. I wanted a bulk of the action to take place far away from that world, especially since she has gone through a traumatic experience and needs time to heal. I decided to take her back to her childhood home of Aurora, a small town just outside of New Orleans. She would feel safe there, staying with her great-aunt and being around friends she trusts. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? AB-solutely! Callie is fun, feisty, and loyal. She would always tell me the truth and have my back. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? I would say HOT, HOT, HOT—but I’m sure you want something a little more descriptive than that! Let’s go with…

I admit that I usually go for cozy mysteries rather psychological thriller – when it comes to books. But your latest book, THE OTHER FAMILY, sounds like some of my favorite horror films. What draws you to writing thrillers? I’m a Type A personality, so I think it’s likely about control. Psychological suspense novels are driven by fear of the unknown–for the characters, and for readers. But as the author, I know what’s going to happen–I’m the one who’s making it happen. In real life, there are so few things we can control, and there’s always going to be a measure of uncertainty and fear–unnerving for someone who likes to be in charge. In my fictional world, I truly am! The book description for THE OTHER FAMILY describes a sinister “watcher”. In some suspense or thrillers, the perspective alternates between a few of the main characters, along with an unknown killer playing the role of voyeur. Does your book jump perspectives as well? Or do your characters just get an eerie feeling of being watched, without confirming it for the readers throughout the story? My novel unfolds from three perspectives. Nora Howell is a mother of two who’s recently moved…

1–What is the title of your latest release? MALICIOUS INTENT   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Dr. Ivy Collins, founder and CEO of Hedera, Inc., is ready to begin clinical trials of her company’s cutting-edge prosthetic. Her work has been heralded by government, medical, and advocacy groups and everyone hopes the device will be a success. Well, almost everyone. Someone is trying to sabotage Hedera and the launch, but to what purpose—and how far will they go to get what they want? Meanwhile, U.S. Secret Service Agent Gil Dixon can’t believe he’s finally been reunited with Ivy, his childhood best friend. Now that he’s found her again, Gil intends to spend the rest of his life with her. But it will take all his skill to uncover the truth in time to save Ivy’s life’s work, her own life, and the innocent lives caught in the crossfire.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The entire series takes place in Raleigh, NC. I wanted it to be in North Carolina, not far from a fictional town I created in my previous series, and in a location where there is a Secret…

Jennifer Vido: What inspired your gripping new release, THE CAGE?  Bonnie Kistler: The opening scene in the elevator came from my years of practicing law in big firms in high-rise buildings. I spent countless hours riding up and down in these “cages,” and the situation often struck me as fraught with peril. Imagine getting trapped in a disabled elevator. Then imagine getting trapped with someone who might wish you harm. That’s where we find Shay Lambert and Lucy Carter-Jones when The Cage begins. The larger themes of the novel were inspired by the fall-out from the Great Recession of 2008. I knew so many bright young professionals who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Once you lose your place on the ladder of success, it’s hard to ever get back on the right rung. That’s Shay’s back story. The third big “light bulb” moment came when a big news story broke: a prominent man was arrested for frequenting a massage parlor/brothel in Florida. The women involved appeared to have been trafficked, and that got me thinking about the exploitation of workers at all levels of the labor spectrum. What’s the office culture like at the fashion conglomerate…

I see that your new book, THE SINISTER, is the ninth book in the series. Can it be read as a standalone story for readers who may be new to the series? THE SINISTER can most definitely be read as a standalone. I wrote this purposely to work as a standalone. I quickly and economically give the reader the information they need to understand the back story.   How would you describe your main character, Bruno Johnson, to readers? Bruno Johnson is an ex-cop, ex-con who rescues children from toxic homes in South Central Los Angeles. He couldn’t do it as a cop because of all the rules and policies so now he goes outside the law to rescue the children.   From the book description, it says that family plays a big part in THE SINISTER. Does having the main character deal with family issues increase the anxiety or sense of danger? Bruno Johnson is a real person with real problems. He rescues children and women from hostile environments and the story—each novel–always overlaps into his family. He keeps the children he rescues which means his family continues to grow. With a bigger family comes more problems. I’m very…