As summer heats up, so does the suspense in Kieran Scott's latest thriller, PEOPLE WILL TALK. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Cape May, this gripping novel unravels the dark undercurrents of a seemingly perfect wedding day. Scott masterfully weaves together themes of betrayal, ambition, and loyalty, exploring the complexities of human nature when pushed to its limits. With three women at the center of a murder investigation, the story delves into class dynamics, social media influence, and the lengths people will go to protect their reputations.
Whether you're a fan of psychological suspense or simply love a good page-turner, you won't want to miss this revealing conversation with one of today's most captivating authors.
Jennifer Vido: The story revolves around a wedding gone wrong. What drew you to explore the darker side of what's typically seen as a joyous occasion?
Kieran Scott: Honestly, whenever I’m doing something fun or joyous, I can’t seem to stop myself from imagining something going drastically wrong or wondering about potential dark backstories around what’s going on around me. Usually these are just fleeting thoughts that I immediately let go, but I attended a surprise wedding a few years ago and found myself wondering . . . what if a woman walked in here and claimed to already be married to the groom? Or what if half these women were his ex-girlfriends and hoped they’d been invited to a party at his house for a reunion, but instead were forced to watch him marry someone else? I had so many ideas! So, I had to write one.
Jen: Your novel tackles themes of betrayal, ambition, and loyalty. How do you balance these complex interpersonal dynamics with the demands of a fast-paced thriller plot?
Kieran: Every time I start a new scene from a character’s point of view, I make sure to remind myself of what this particular character’s primary goal is, what their motivation is and what their key character flaw is. I’ll reread the last scene from that character’s point of view to make sure their POV is continuous. I find that’s the most important thing for me to do to keep everything organized. Keeping it fast-paced, for me, is just about making sure each scene contains some sort of revelation or something that sends the character in a different direction.
Jen: The story features three women implicated in a murder. How do you approach writing female characters in high-stakes situations without falling into stereotypes?
Kieran: I try so hard to avoid stereotypes, but I don’t think I always succeed. It’s very difficult, when you’ve spent a lifetime consuming as much content as we do, to completely avoid letting those things become a part of you. Key for me is reading out loud. I can often find the pitfalls I’ve fallen into by doing that. I was really conscious of it this time around because it would have been easy to fall into stereotypes with a pro athlete, a wedding influencer, and a Jersey mom as my cast. Each of these characters definitely brings to mind an instant stereotype. Hopefully I pulled it off.
Jen: Class dynamics play a significant role in the story's setting. How do you use the Cape May location and the Frank family's social status to explore broader societal issues?
Kieran: I’m always going to be fascinated by these places where people with multiple houses and cars and unlimited incomes live alongside families who are living paycheck to paycheck and are barely making things work. I grew up as a kid whose family often scrambled to buy food and make the mortgage and I had friends whose families had shore houses and ski houses and took multiple vacations a year. At the time I thought my situation was unique, but the longer I’ve lived, the more I’ve seen how very not unique that is. In the case of these vacation towns, you have people who live, work and go to school there all year and are then invaded every summer by outsiders upon whom they often really rely for the bulk of their yearly income. I was interested in showing that life through Leanne and her bakery, but brought in the added layer of her sharing custody of her nephew with the richest of the rich, Peter Frank. Leanne is fighting for custody of Hudson so hard because she truly believes that the life she can give him is much healthier than anything Peter can bring, and I hope the book shows both sides of that coin truthfully.
Jen: Your protagonist must navigate complex moral terrain. How do you craft characters that remain relatable while making ethically questionable choices?
Kieran: I think it’s important to remember that nobody’s perfect. There’s that old adage about how everyone thinks they’re a good person, but not everyone can actually be a good person. I try to make sure that I show how characters come to the conclusions they do, and how they support them in their own minds. Even if we, as readers, are calling b.s., at least we can see why they believe they’re doing the right thing, or how they justify doing the wrong thing. If everyone in a book did the morally right thing all the time, it would be a very short, and (in my opinion) boring book.
Jen: The novel touches on themes of reputation and public image. How do you view the role of social media and influencer culture in shaping modern interpersonal relationships and conflicts?
Kieran: This is such a complex topic, I could go on for days, but I’ll try to keep it simple. For me, social media has been mostly a good thing. There are people in my life who wouldn’t be in my life if not for Facebook. I have managed to curate an Instagram feed that I find soothing and informative. But I did delete Twitter several years ago when a person I admired posted something so offensive it made me want to vomit, and my life has been SO MUCH BETTER since committing the simple act of deleting that app from my phone. My social life has seen zero negative effects. My career has not taken a nose dive from not posting on Twitter. So, I’ll just say that if you’re ever feeling like social media is getting unhealthy for you, you’re right, and you will not suffer from getting away from it.
Jen: How do you maintain your unique voice while meeting reader expectations for the thriller category?
Kieran: I write in the voice I’m most comfortable writing in. If I tried to be someone else, emulate a style, or if I overthought every word, I’d never get anything done. So instead of trying to be super noir or stylistic, I concentrate on short chapters, cliffhangers and gasp-worthy moments. I think that’s really what thriller readers need to feel satisfied, and hopefully, they enjoy my voice along the way.
Jen: How can readers stay in the know about your upcoming releases and events?
Kieran: I post everything on Instagram and am now on threads under the same name.
Jen: What books are you most excited to dive into this summer?
Kieran: I’m excited for Kimberly McCreight’s new book, Like Mother Like Daughter, which I believe comes out the same day as mine (7/30). Jamie Brenner is a favorite of mine, so I’m looking forward to A Novel Summer. This is such a book nerd thing, but I’m excited for the fourth book in the Thursday Murder Club series to come out in paperback, because I’ve got all the others in paperback and I’ve been waiting and waiting and I can’t take it anymore. And, of course, The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. The Hawthorne series is so addictive!
Kieran Scott brings her distinctive “sharp and stylish” (BookPage, starred review) prose to this breathlessly suspenseful novel that combines Glass Onion with Big Little Lies as three women are implicated in a murder after a wedding goes horribly wrong.
When the Frank family throws their annual clambake at their gorgeous beachside home on Cape May, the seafood is always delivered to white-clothed tables on fine bone china. And Peter Frank, the beloved son and perennial heartbreaker, will make the rounds, charming every woman on the guest list.
Top of that list this year are Maya, his tennis star girlfriend just coming off the high of winning Wimbledon; Catherine, his high school sweetheart turned wildly successful wedding planner and influencer; and Leanne, the fiercely protective aunt and legal guardian of his only son. When Maya, Catherine, and Leanne arrive expecting an extravagant feast, they’re instead lured into a room together by a mysterious text to find Peter and…Tilly.
Tilly, all golden blonde hair and perfectly tan skin, explains to the three women that she and Peter plan to get married that night, that Maya and Peter are through, that Peter will no longer be investing in Catherine’s company, and that Leanne must give up guardianship of her nephew. The enraged women attend the impromptu wedding, but when a chandelier falls and crushes the bride, suddenly they’re three likely suspects with three perfect motives. Now they’ll have to work together to figure out who really did kill Tilly, and fast—because maintaining a good reputation in this crowd can be murder.
Thriller Domestic | Mystery Woman Sleuth [Gallery Books, On Sale: July 30, 2024, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781668038109 / eISBN: 9781668038116]
Kieran Scott is an American author of such chick lit books as The Princess and the Pauper, Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys, The Virginity Club, Sweet 16, Fake Boyfriend, and the Private series.
Jennifer Vido writes sweet romances set in the Lowcountry filled with southern charm and hospitality. In between chapters, she interviews authors for her bi-weekly Jen’s Jewels column on FreshFiction.com. Most mornings, she teaches an arthritis-friendly water exercise class for seniors before heading to the office to serve as the executive director of a legal non-profit. A New Jersey native, she currently lives in Maryland with her husband and two rescue dogs and is the proud parent of two sons who miss her home-cooked meals. To learn more, please visit her website.
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