Killer Author Club

Killer Author Club
  • 4.9 (36)
  • BOOKS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Three best-selling authors talking about killing (of the fictional kind) with the best thriller and suspense authors in the business. Killer cocktails, killer conversations, and killer guests with hosts Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf, and Kaira Rouda.

  1. 6D AGO

    Smiles, Secrets & Sun-Soaked Betrayal: Kaira Rouda on We Were Never Friends

    Kaira Rouda joins us to unpack We Were Never Friends, a wickedly sharp thriller that peels back the polite smiles and champagne toasts of female friendship—and exposes what’s really simmering underneath. She talks about writing women who can adore and despise each other in the same breath, balancing dark humor with the serious stakes of betrayal and murder, and why Palm Springs isn’t just a setting, but a character with secrets of its own. Bright, biting, and deliciously tense, this is friendship with a knife behind its back. Download and listen today—because some friendships don’t end… they explode.

    37 min

  2. JAN 23

    Genre Jumps, Literary Scandals & Murder Most Meta: Jenna Blum on Murder Your Darlings

    Jenna Blum joins us to talk about Murder Your Darlings, her razor-sharp leap from historical fiction into the thriller space—and why switching genres is both exhilarating and risky. She reveals how much of the story grew out of very real author anxieties, how she deliberately broke genre rules (and turned up the heat between her two leads), and why satire was the perfect lens for skewering the literary world. From fan culture and book tours to egos, pressure, and stalkers, this episode pulls back the curtain—and sharpens the knife. Download and listen today—because the publishing world has secrets worth killing for.

    34 min

  3. JAN 16

    Puzzles, Savants & AI Nightmares: Danielle Trussoni on The Puzzle Box

    Danielle Trussoni joins us to unpack The Puzzle Box, a high-concept thriller where intellect, obsession, and danger collide. She explains savant syndrome—what it is and how it shapes a character who sees the world differently—and the very real challenges of embedding actual puzzles into a novel without breaking the suspense. We talk about Japan as a haunting setting, using AI as a quietly terrifying plot device, and why Danielle still writes her first drafts longhand. Smart, eerie, and deeply unsettling.

    31 min

  4. JAN 9

    Memory, Murder & the Perfect Title: John Marrs on Dead in the Water

    John Marrs joins us to dive into Dead in the Water, a twist-laden thriller built from pieces—literally. He shares how he writes stories in fractured parts, why memory is the most dangerous unreliable narrator of all, and how one character can die… and die again. We unravel the hunt for the exact right title, the balance between psychological authenticity and breakneck pacing, and the real people who inevitably (and sometimes unknowingly) fuel his darkest ideas. Download and listen today—because with John Marrs, nothing stays buried for long.

    36 min

  5. 12/12/2025

    Creepy Paul Returns: Kaira Rouda on The Second Mrs. Strom

    Kaira Rouda is back with The Second Mrs. Strom, the long-awaited follow-up to Best Day Ever—and yes, Creepy Paul is front and center again. Kaira shares why she resurrected one of her most unsettling characters, why readers love to hate him, and the real-life personalities who helped shape his uniquely chilling charm. She also dishes on the Paris research trip that ended in spectacular disaster—think food poisoning and a hotel full of Nazis—and how it all funneled into the book’s deliciously dark vibe. Download and listen today—because Creepy Paul always has one more secret.

    27 min

  6. 12/05/2025

    Secrets, Smoke & the City of Lights: Kimberly Belle on The Paris Widow

    Kimberly Belle takes us deep inside her Edgar winner, The Paris Widow, a pulse-pounding thriller where a dream vacation ends in a literal bang. She unpacks the mystery of a husband who vanishes—presumed dead—and the desperate search for answers that sends one woman racing through Paris, where danger hides behind every iconic landmark. Kimberly reveals the dark world of blood antiquities, the tension of being alone in a foreign city, and the spiraling danger that comes when you realize you never really knew the person you loved. Download and listen today—because in Paris, even the brightest lights can cast dark shadows.

    30 min

  7. 11/28/2025

    Secret Societies, Dark Academia & Feminist Fire: Gilly Macmillan on The Burning Library

    Gilly Macmillan joins us to talk about The Burning Library, a gripping blend of dark academia, historical intrigue, and feminist power struggles. She reveals how the idea for a secret society of women fighting over a centuries-old manuscript sparked the story, the research rabbit holes that nearly consumed her, and how she built this layered mystery rooted in both past and present. We also dig into Gilly’s favorite obsession outside of writing—a pastime that fuels her creativity and keeps her curiosity lit. Download and listen today—because in The Burning Library, knowledge is power… and power is dangerous.

    38 min

  8. 11/21/2025

    Power, Privilege & Palm Trees: Kaira Rouda on Under the Palms

    Kaira Rouda returns with Under the Palms, the sharply cutting follow-up to Beneath the Surface—a story that’s Succession in the Southern California sunshine. She reveals the major plot twist that managed to surprise (and genuinely scare) even her, why she loves writing terrible characters readers love to hate, and how her past life as a gossip columnist sharpened her instinct for scandal. And yes… we’ve got movie news. Download and listen today—because in Kaira Rouda’s world, the higher the power, the darker the secrets.

    29 min
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4.9
out of 5
36 Ratings

About

Three best-selling authors talking about killing (of the fictional kind) with the best thriller and suspense authors in the business. Killer cocktails, killer conversations, and killer guests with hosts Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf, and Kaira Rouda.

Information

  • Creator
    Killer Author Club
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    66
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Killer Author Club
  • Show Website
    Killer Author Club

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