What is the title of your latest release?
THE DROWNING GAME
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Nadia and her sister build yachts for the ultra-wealthy. While Nadia works in the U.S., Cass is overseeing a build for a Chinese billionaire in Singapore. When Cass is found dead after a fall from a hotel balcony, Nadia learns that her sister was involved in dangerous, globe-spanning work to save a family. Solving her sister’s death will drag Nadia into the same terrifying web of espionage, dark family histories, and cutting-edge AI. Will she survive?
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
Once I hit on using the superyacht industry as the milieu my sisters live in, I was limited to locales where yachts are built. I also needed to focus on the ultra-high-net-worth individuals who buy these floating palaces. Russian oligarchs have gotten plenty of attention—I wanted something different. When I read that Chinese billionaires sometimes hide their wealth in Singapore, I had my setting. Then I started playing “what if?” What if someone needed to flee China? What if people were willing to kill to stop them? What if a woman was asked to risk her life and reputation to do the right thing?
Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Yes! I’d love to grill Nadia about what it is like to work with the ultra-wealthy. And I appreciate her impeccable taste in food and wine. Plus, we both love poetry and Singapore Slings.
What are three words that describe your protagonist?
In the beginning—competent, clever, and timid. In the end—determined, brave, and resourceful. And still clever.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I didn’t care one bit about owning a superyacht until I started researching this novel. Now – yeah, it would be pretty sweet! I also learned a lot about how the Chinese version of the CIA – the Ministry of State Security—operates. Don’t mess with these guys.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
It’s a mix. If I try to rush through the first draft, I only capture the tip of the iceberg. I need to understand what’s going on beneath the surface, even if most of that information never makes it into the novel. Thus I do some editing as I go along, then edit the entire manuscript once it’s done.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Cheetos. I cannot lie.
Describe your writing space/office!
After a wildfire, I got the chance to create my study from the ground up. I looked at a lot of photos of Indian Jones-inspired decor. Then I went to estate sales, hunting for unusual items. I found arrows from Papua New Guinea, a genuine Soviet vodka flask, and an ankusa from India—the sharp metal hook used to guide and control elephants. I get the creeps every time I look at it. But I love the international feel of my writing space.
Who is an author you admire?
So many! For starters, Daniel Silva, Dennis Lehane, Elif Shafak, and Louis de Bernières.
Is there a book that changed your life?
Books seem to find their readers when they are most needed. Many books have helped shape my life. But it was Mystic River that made me decide to write crime fiction.
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I wrote my debut novel, Blood on the Tracks, as part of my healing after we lost everything in a wildfire. I pitched the book at Pitchfest at Thrillerfest—a version of speed dating with agents and editors. I got an agent, and he moved quickly. I was eating pho with friends when my phone rang. I went into a bathroom stall to hear about the latest offer for the book—the offer we ultimately went with.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
I read all genres. But I’m on a spy thriller kick right now.
What’s your favorite movie?
Again, so many. I loved 1917. The original True Grit and the remake. I was thrilled with Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. And Galaxy Quest makes me laugh every time.
What is your favorite season?
Autumn. I guess I enjoy melancholia.
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Drinks with friends then dinner and a movie.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
The Diplomat with Keri Russell. Love it! The intrigue, the opulence, the witty dialogue and most of all the smart women.
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I’ve loved real Mexican food my entire life. But Singapore opened my eyes to a lot of amazing dishes like satay and their iconic Chicken Rice.
What do you do when you have free time?
Free time?!?! Right now, I’m putting myself through my own master’s degree in espionage. I got input from my connections in the intelligence community, and used ChatGPT to help me create a 13-month syllabus. It’s intense—hard work and a tight schedule. But fascinating!
What can readers expect from you next?
I’m working on a novel featuring an FBI agent, an unusual character known as the Mythologist.
A woman’s investigation into her sister’s death exposes the dark side of a secret life in a gripping novel of power, money, and murder by a Wall Street Journal bestselling author.
Sisters Nadia and Cass Brenner are heirs to Ocean House, a decades-old empire that builds superyachts for the rich and powerful: emirs, oligarchs, and titans of industry throughout America and Europe. They’re a next-generation success with the design of their soon-to-be-commissioned megayacht for a Chinese billionaire. But the sisters’ entrée into the coveted Asian market is tragically cut short when Cass falls from a fortieth-floor hotel window.
A Singapore detective rules suicide. Nadia’s been in the yacht business too long not to be suspicious. Especially when she discovers Cass’s involvement in dangerously illicit activities. Pulled into the same web of betrayal, lies, and secrets that trapped her sister, Nadia is on the most perilous mission of her life. Because uncovering the truth behind her sister’s death could tear the Brenner family apart—and it just might get her killed.
From Seattle to Austria to the South China Sea, Nadia must hold on to the one thing that can keep her safe. It’s the Brenner family motto: Trust no one.
Thriller Terrorism | Thriller Spy [Thomas & Mercer, On Sale: January 1, 2025, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781662510014 / ]
Barbara Nickless is the Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of two award-winning crime series. Her first series has been optioned for television. She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association, and the Association of Former Intelligence Officers. Barbara lives in Colorado where she loves to hike, cave, snowshoe, and drink single malt Scotch. Her most recent research travel involved taking cover from rocket fire and being grilled at military checkpoints.
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