Ep. 94: Mysteries & Thrillers 101 with Kimberly McCreight (Author of Friends Like These)

<p><strong>In Episode 94, Kimberly McCreight (author of <a href="https://amzn.to/3huTiAK" target="_blank" rel= "nofollow noopener">Friends Like These</a>) joins me to deep dive into the mysteries & thrillers genre (including the difference between a mystery and a thriller, how involved authors are in deciding their books’ titles, and what makes a great twist…and to talk about the inspiration behind her new novel.</strong></p> <p><em>This post contains affiliate links, through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).</em></p> <h2>Highlights</h2> <ul> <li>A bit about <a href="https://amzn.to/3huTiAK" target= "_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Friends Like These</a> including Kimberly’s inspiration for this story.</li> <li>The difference between a mystery and a thriller.</li> <li>How involved Kimberly and other authors are in determining which sub-genre their books will live in.</li> <li>How involved Kimberly and other authors are in determining their books’ titles.</li> <li>How Kimberly comes up with her titles and what makes a good title.</li> <li>If manuscripts are ever submitted without a working tile.</li> <li>How involved Kimberly and other authors are in determining their books’ jacket copy.</li> <li>What makes a good twist / ending.</li> <li>How Kimberly threads in her red herrings to lay the groundwork for a good twist.</li> <li>How Kimberly keeps her twists fresh amid the sea of thrillers out there.</li> <li>Whether Kimberly reads a lot within the thriller genre.</li> <li>Where Kimberly gets her inspiration from (or, more accurately, doesn’t get her inspiration from).</li> </ul> <h2>Kimberly’s Book Recommendations <a class= "spp-timestamp">[38:52]</a></h2> <p><strong>Two OLD Books She Loves</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/3A8WHfD" target="_blank" rel= "nofollow noopener">The Bell Jar</a> by Sylvia Plath | <a href="https://amzn.to/3A8WHfD" target="_blank" rel= "nofollow noopener">Buy from Amazon</a> | Buy from Bookshop.org<strong><img src= "https://ir-na.am