Step into the world of suspense and secrets with this week’s Jen’s Jewels on FreshFiction.com! I’m sitting down with Liza North to unravel the dark twists of THE WEEKEND GUESTS, a gripping thriller where a seemingly perfect reunion among old university friends takes a chilling turn. Set against the dramatic cliffs of Dorset, this novel blends past regrets, hidden agendas, and a sinister mystery that will keep you turning pages. Join me as Liza shares the inspiration behind her eerie setting, the psychology of friendships that evolve over time, and the unsettling power of a simple postcard. Don’t miss it!
Jennifer Vido: THE WEEKEND GUESTS brings together old university friends with a dark past. What about this specific time in their lives made it ripe for a mystery?
Liza North: University is when you try out new versions of yourself, take risks, push yourself intellectually, build friendships with people you might not have connected with at home. It’s exciting and daunting. That’s one of the reasons dark academia works so well as a genre. I was intrigued by the contrast between that intense but experimental time and the pressured stage in your late thirties, where there are often partners, kids, jobs and responsibilities at stake. So much to lose! And in this case, of course, there’s a dark secret from their student days, which they have been trying to ignore.
Jen: Dorset’s seaside cliffs add a dramatic backdrop to the story. When crafting this setting, did you draw on any personal experiences or particular locations?
Liza: Both my parents grew up in the southwest of England, with its incredible cliffs and beaches, and a history that goes way back. When they moved back to Dorset about ten years ago, I started visiting with my own daughters – and fell totally in love with the Jurassic Coast. It has this amazing, unpredictable geology as well as the beauty and wildness, so it was just crying out for a thriller! I visited a lot of the coast to the east of Weymouth when I was researching the novel, walking or scrambling with my ever-patient dad! I based the Pirate’s Path on a precipitous real-life route up from the sealine to the coast path, called the Smuggler’s Path. And because my characters hike up it in the dark (with frightening consequences), I did it at night myself.
Jen: The idea of receiving threatening postcards is terrifying. What inspired you to use this as a central plot device, and how did it shape the suspense?
Liza: Thank you! I loved the idea of using something as innocuous as a postcard for such a sinister purpose. Part way through the writing process, I had the idea of having them all be prints of famous paintings, which the sender had matched to each recipient. That was a particularly malicious twist. They also help shape the suspense by acting as a bridge between the past and the present timelines, albeit an unpredictable and mysterious one.
Jen: Friendships often change over time. How did you explore who these characters were in college versus who they’ve become at the reunion?
Liza: That was fascinating! I loved thinking about how they would have changed over the years, what might have happened to them, how some personality traits would have solidified, others faded as they left university, got jobs, got married and so on. I also considered the impact of past loves that hadn’t gone to plan, and – especially – how they would react to their shared crime, and the stress of keeping it secret.
Jen: The notion of a ‘perfect’ weekend unraveling into chaos is compelling. What do you think about gatherings like this that can expose long-hidden tensions?
Liza: It can be very stressful spending time cooped up together, especially with people you maybe don’t have as much in common with as you once did – or, on the other hand, with whom you have too much in common! There’s the potential for jealousy as new partners interact with old friends and old flames. Then there’s the extra pressure of a weekend intended to be ‘perfect’ – the stunning house, the beaches, the caterers, the champagne – because everyone feels expected to live up to it in some way. And here, of course, there’s an extra secret agenda – and the postcards – to push them over the edge.
Jen: Each of your characters brings something unique to the story. How did you decide which personalities and secrets would create the most tension and intrigue?
Liza: I didn’t have complete control there – characters tend to take on a life of their own, so some of them went in a direction I hadn’t intended, and I had to tweak the plot to match! But it was important to have that mix of personalities which a lot of friendship groups have, with potential for envy or domination, as well as affection. I knew from the start that Aline would be central, with her confidence and her beauty and the impact that has on the others. Then there is Darryl, the PhD student who lives next to Aline, Michael and Rob in Edinburgh and forms an increasingly disturbing friendship with them. He almost wrote himself – and scared me in the process!
Jen: Are there any underlying messages or themes you hope readers will take away from the story?
Liza: This is about past love (and the flipside: obsessional hate) but also about friendship, how it can survive years apart, or go very sour. It’s about revenge and the corroding influence of secrets; the devastating impact of one major misdeed; the things we can do to other people’s lives without intending to.
Jen: What’s next for you? Is another thriller in the works, or are you exploring something entirely different?
Liza: I’m just finishing up my first draft of another thriller, which I’m really enjoying. A tense family drama this time, set mostly in the northwest of Scotland. I’m also writing a murder mystery for my 11-year-old daughter, who gives me edits on each chapter as I finish it! Just for fun at the moment, but you never know…
Jen: What’s the best way for readers to stay connected with your latest happenings?
Liza: I’m on X, Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook. Or check out my author page on Goodreads or Amazon.
Jen: One last question! What’s on your TBR stack?
Liza: I tend to flip between thrillers/crime fiction and rereading classics, so I’m currently reading The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides, which is absorbing but also very troubling! Then I’ll likely return to an Anthony Trollope (Timothy West did amazing readings on Audiobook) or Wilkie Collins. Janice Hallett’s The Examiner is high on my TBR, and I can’t wait for the next Lisa Jewell, Don’t Let Him In.
In the vein of Lucy Foley’s chilling, atmospheric mysteries, a compulsive, psychological thriller about a group of old university friends whose seaside reunion will end in betrayal and murder.
Five old friends . . . One reunion to die for
After years apart, old college friends Aline, Sienna, Rob, Michael, and Brandon reunite in idyllic Dorset, for a weekend at Aline’s beautiful house perched on a cliff above the sea. It should be the perfect chance to relax, rekindle friendships, and meet each other’s partners; plus, there’s a sitter to watch the kids.
What most of the guests don’t know, however, is that Aline has called them all together for a reason: someone has threatened to expose the dark crime they committed at university. Long ago, these old friends swore one another to silence, and have never spoken of the deed since. But now, menacing postcards have begun to appear—and Aline is convinced it’s one of them turning on the rest.
In Liza North’s propulsive and unsettling dual timeline narrative, truths emerge, secrets surface, and long-simmering grudges explode—and by the end of this reunion weekend, at least one of them will be dead . . .
Thriller Psychological | Thriller Domestic [Harper Paperbacks, On Sale: January 28, 2025, Paperback / e-Book , ISBN: 9780063422643 / eISBN: 9780063422650]
Liza North is a Scottish-based writer of psychological thrillers, OBSESSED and THE WEEKEND GUESTS. She has appeared at various crime and literary festivals and was longlisted for the Crime Writers' Association John Creasey ILP (New Blood) Dagger in 2024.Also an academic and former journalist, Liza has a BA from Oxford University and a PhD in Philosophy from University College London, and has written for the Financial Times and Guardian. A reluctant runner, insatiable reader, and lover of fancy gin, she lives in Edinburgh with her husband and two daughters.
Jennifer Vido writes sweet romances set in the Lowcountry, earning acclaim as the award-winning author of the Gull Island series. Her debut novel, "Serendipity by the Sea," secured the prestigious Best First Book award from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest. In 2024, Vido's talent garnered further accolades, with Baltimore Magazine readers naming her Best Local Author in their annual Best of Baltimore poll, while the Baltimore Sun acknowledged her with an Honorable Mention in their Best of 2024 Author category. When not writing fiction, she interviews authors for her weekly Jen’s Jewels column, leads water exercise classes, and directs a legal nonprofit. Currently residing in Maryland, she and her husband are proud parents to two grown sons and a rescue dog named Fripp.
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