There’s nothing I enjoy more than a good playlist. It’s part of every book I write, building songs for inspiration, or thematic links, or simply something I hear while I’m writing that reminds me of the process. Music always plays a crucial role in my story and character development. In recent years, I’ve been able to share them easily with readers using Spotify links. It’s the ultimate mix tape!
In a first, LAST SEEN has two soundtracks. One is mine, and one belongs to my main character, Halley James. She and her husband met and dated among the DC music scene—something close to my heart, and my husband and I did the same. From the dark and sticky corners of the 9:30 Club to Meriwether Post Pavilion, we saw tons of absolutely epic shows. Halley’s soundtrack is full of ultra-cool 90s classics: Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, The Veils, R.E.M. The Replacements, David Bowie, and more, which she plays on her road trip home to Marchburg, VA, and then on to Brockville, TN. Here’s a link to her list. It’s a great blast from my own road trip past, driving the same route from my home in DC to my college, R-MWC in Lynchburg.
Halley’s Play List
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7rlq8DNSyiUXMQduOcWQJr?si=aMwsDHunSE2x2AuafbUTsQ
For my personal playlist, though, things are different. I include songs that speak to me on some level, that inspired characters or moments in the book. Here are five of the most important songs to the story.
Bryan Ferry - “Loop De Li”
I’ve always loved this song, and I happened to see the video while I was outlining the book. It’s such a creepy and telling video.
It became my theme song. The visual of a man screaming on a misty cliff lodged itself in my brain. I built an entire story around it — using the who, what, where, when, and why of that moment to drive the narrative. The video stars two of his sons, as well, and it is incredibly dark, perfect for setting the mood. I would play it to start every day to get in the groove. I’m listening to it right now, as I write this blog, and I get goosebumps every time.
Daryl Hall and John Oates - “You Make My Dreams Come True”
I love this peppy, pop-y song, but I knew Halley would hate it. Though this scene was cut from the final version of the story, when Noah is playing this while making dinner, she teases him mercilessly. This is a girl built on grunge, and she finds his taste in yacht rock laughable. It really helped me find Noah as a character. And I personally find myself singing this song all the time.
Olivia Rodrigo - “Vampire”
I played this on repeat while building the Monster POV in the book. The lyrics are Cat’s theme song. She is taken advantage of by an evil, evil man, makes so many mistakes, and every time I wrote about her, this song popped in my head. It’s a great one for really harvesting the darkness I needed to make the Monster…monstrous.
Death Cab for Cutie - “Grapevine Fires”
This is one of my all-time favorite songs. I listen to it constantly, because I get something new from it every time. I’ve even found book titles in its lyrics. And of course, a literal grapevine fire made it into the story. I had to pay homage to the greatness.
Billie Eilish - “Bury A Friend”
I love the idea of where we go when we go to sleep. Dreams—and memories—play an important role in this story, and this dark little ditty helps me get in the mood of Halley’s confusion and trying to find her way out of the darkness that she’s been forced into. It’s also a great anthem for Cat — you’ll have to read the book to learn why!
Talking Heads - “Psycho Killer”
I mean, how could I not include this spectacular anthem? In this book, we are dealing with a true psycho killer — and maybe more than one. But the opening chapter is the story of this song. A woman running away from a psycho killer…literally, the opening line of the book is “I have never run so fast before.” I couldn’t pick a better song for this book.
Here’s the link to my entire playlist for LAST SEEN
J.T.’s Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7eACXdk6hfKRfUqke7ptWj?si=9eqjqhJkSXGj6amAOAOryQ
From New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison comes a twisted psychological thriller about the bonds of family and the disconnect between memory and the truth.
Come here. Come closer.
Halley James knows her marriage is over. But she’s not prepared for the rest of her life to fall apart too.
No one can hear you. No one can help you.
She just lost her job at the forensics lab. Her dad needs emergency surgery. But the biggest blow comes back home in Marchburg, Virginia, where she discovers her mother didn’t actually die in a car crash. Her mom was murdered—and her father lied about it all these years.
I have nothing to hide from you. Are you hiding something from me?
Since she was six years old, it’s been Halley and her dad. Now, she doesn’t know what to believe. Desperate for the truth, Halley chases down a lead in Brockville, Tennessee. But all there is not as it seems. Brockville’s utopian charm hides a chilling darkness. And Halley’s search for answers threatens to expose an unspeakable reality.
Thriller Domestic | Thriller Psychological [Thomas & Mercer, On Sale: August 1, 2025, Hardcover / e-Book , ISBN: 9781662520372 / ]
J.T. Ellison is the Nashville-based New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 psychological thrillers, and the Emmy® award-winning co-host of A Word on Words on Nashville PBS. She created the Taylor Jackson and Dr. Samantha Owens series, co-wrote the Brit in the FBI series with Catherine Coulter, and has penned multiple standalone hits like A Very Bad Thing, It’s One of Us, and Lie to Me. With millions of books sold across 30 countries, her work has earned the ITW Thriller Award, Indie Next picks, Amazon Editor’s Pick, Book of the Month, among other honors. Last Seen is her most recent thriller.
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