Killing the Tea

This week, I got to talk with Rob Hart about the second book in his Assassins Anonymous Series The Medusa Protocol. We dive into the inspiration for the title, how he crafts action without letting his main characters kill anyone, and plans for the third book in the series.The Medusa Protocol SynopsisWhen Astrid, known in her assassin days as Azrael, stopped showing up to Assassins Anonymous, the group assumed her past had caught up with her. Only her sponsor Mark, formerly the deadliest killer in the world, holds out hope that she's okay. Then, during a meeting, the group gets a sign, or rather, a pizza delivery. Is there another psychopath out there who actually likes olives on their pizza, or is Astrid trying to send Mark a message?Meanwhile, Astrid wakes up in the cell of a black site prison, on a remote island. A doctor subjects her to mysterious experiments, plumbing the depths of her memory and looking for a vital clue from her past. She'll do anything to escape, except…killing anyone. Hmm. Turns out it's not easy to blow this joint without blowing anything, or anyone up. Check Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackCheck Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

This week, I was lucky enough to go to Chicago with Steph to see Julie Clark in conversation with Mary Kubica about her new thriller The Ghostwriter!! If you haven't seen the sprayed edges already, you need to. We had so much fun at the event, but also had the best time recording our first IRL episode! The reading gods smiled down on me and now specific fiction books work for me in audio form, so we decided to share some of our favorite audiobooks!Books We Talked AboutFinding Me by Viola DavisThis American Woman by Zarna GargCue the Sun! by Emily NussbaumGirl on Girl by Sophie GilbertThe Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan KamaliDon't Tell Me How to Die by Marshall KarpThe Good Sister Sally HepworthAllegedly Tiffany D. Jackson Check Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackCheck Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

This week, I got to talk with Kimberly G. Giarratano about her newest installation in the noir Billie Levine series, Make a Killing! We dive into what was different about writing this one, how she landed on a luxury luggage company for the story, and how capitalism has seeped into college.Make a Killing SynopsisPrivate Investigator Billie Levine should be ecstatic. She's finally getting the cheating spouse cases she's always wanted. Nothing to do but sit back, snap incriminating photos, and get paid. Except Jeremy Yang is competing for work with his own P.I. firm. Advertising himself as “the man to get the job done” (insert eyeroll), he keeps swooping in and stealing prospective clients. Not to be outmaneuvered, Billie has offered her services to scorned women everywhere.Their rivalry escalates when Billie and Jeremy are hired by an ultra wealthy couple on opposite sides of a corporate takeover. When the bodies start dropping, Billie and Jeremy will have to join forces if they are to come out unscathed; they can kill each other later. Check Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackCheck Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

This week, Gare, Steph and I share some of our favorite LGBTQIA+ books for Pride Month! Also, don't forget you can #ReadQueerAllYear!Books We Talked AboutHarriet Tubman Live in ConcertWinging it With YouWe Are Never Meeting in Real LifeGlitter in the DarkGame ChangerOne Killer ProblemThis Violent HeartJust By Looking At HimHouse of HungerThe Snow GardenThe HoneysExtrasThese Violent DelightsHidden ScarsProvidenceThe ShardsYoung MungoThe Three Lives of Cate KayChain Gang All StarsMad HoneyNo Road Home Check Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackCheck Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

This week, I got to talk with Jennifer Oko about her uniquely crafted novel Just Emilia. We dive into how she created the three women in the elevator as their own characters, but also all the same woman, and the inspiration for the story.Just Emilia SynopsisThe past, present, and future collide in a DC Metro elevator as three women get caught up in a gripping time-traveling tale of memory, emotion, and unspoken truths about their shared history.When Emilia Fletcher finds herself trapped inside a Washington, DC Metro elevator, getting out is the least of her problems. Sharing the confined space with her are Em, a troubled teenager plagued by suicidal thoughts, and Millie, an elderly woman yearning to mend ties with her estranged daughter. As the hours drag on, hunger, exhaustion, and panic set in, revealing an almost incomprehensible truth: they are the same person. Locked in an uncompromising match of memories, the three women excavate and attempt to reckon with the shared shame and suffering stemming from an unresolved trauma that has cast a profound shadow over their lives. Brimming with biting humor, compassion, and quick-witted insight, JUST EMILIA is remarkable journey of self-discovery. Check Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackCheck Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

This week, Steph and I ask all about Gare's experience as a moderator at the Montreal Mystery Festival, and we all share some of our favorite reads halfway through 2025!Don't Tell Me How to DieThis Book Will Bury MeThe Paper PalaceJulie Chan is DeadKeep it in the FamilyThe Devil and Mrs. DavenportThe Manor of DreamsNight WatcherThe Secret Lives of Church Ladies Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

This week, I got to talk with Allison Bucola about her new thriller The Ascent. We dive into her cult research, the long term damage of growing up in a cult, and how Ophelia's postpartum mental health contributed to the story.The Ascent SynopsisTwenty years ago, the members of a reclusive commune outside Philadelphia vanished without a trace. The mystery of their disappearance has never been solved. No sightings of the members were ever verified, and no bodies ever found. But the group did leave one thing behind: a twelve-year-old girl wandering alone on the side of the road in search of her lost family.In the years since that morning, Lee Burton has tried to put the pain of her past behind her. She has built a new identity for herself, with a doting husband and seven-month-old daughter, Lucy. No one in her life now knows about her connection to “the cult that went missing,” not even her husband. But new motherhood is proving a bigger challenge than she anticipated. She doesn't want to let Lucy out of her sight even for a moment. She can't return to work. She's not sleeping, and she's starting to have paranoid thoughts of Lucy being harmed.Then a stranger shows up on her doorstep, offering to finally answer all of Lee's questions about her past—if she could only trust that the woman is who she says she is. As she digs deeper into the woman's history, the safe, stable life that Lee has constructed for herself threatens to shatter. In The Ascent, Allison Buccola has crafted a nerve-rattling thriller about motherhood, identity, and the truths we think we know about our families. Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

This week, I got to talk with Kristen L. Berry about her debut mystery thriller We Don't Talk About Carol! We dive into Kristen's writing process, the inspiration for the story, and how one person can still make little differences against systemic oppressors.We Don't Talk About Carol SynopsisA dedicated journalist unearths a generations-old family secret—and a connection to a string of missing girls that hits way too close to home—in this gripping debut novel.In the wake of her grandmother's passing, Sydney Singleton finds a hidden photograph of a little girl who looks more like Sydney than her own sister, or mother. She soon discovers the mystery girl in the photograph is her aunt, Carol, who was one of six local North Carolina Black girls to go missing in the 1960s. For the last several decades, not a soul has talked about Carol or what really happened to her. With her grandmother gone and Sydney looking to start a family of her own, she is determined to unravel the truth behind her long-lost aunt and the sinister silence surrounding her.Unfortunately, this is familiar territory for Sydney. Several years prior, working the crime beat as a journalist on the case of another missing girl, her obsession eventually led to a psychotic break. And now, in the suffocating grip of fertility treatments and a marriage that's beginning to crumble, Sydney's relentless pursuit might just lead her down the same path of destruction. As she delves deeper into Carol's fate, her own troubled past resurfaces, clawing its way to the surface with a vengeance. The web of secrets and lies entangling her family leaves Sydney questioning everything—her fixation on the missing girls, her future as a mom, and everyone she's come to trust.Delving into family, community, secrets, and motherhood, We Don't Talk About Carol is a gripping and deeply emotional story about overcoming the rotten roots of your family tree—and what we'll do for those we love. Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

This week, Halley Sutton and I catch up on everything we've been reading and watching, including The Studio and how it examines the intersection of creativity and commerce. We also get into the messy subject of what to do with the art of problematic artists, and the pernicious linguistics and attitudes about women's body image. It's a little bit of everything this week!Halley's SubstackThe White Lotus Podcast  Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

This week, I got to talk with Tori Eldridge about her newest novel Kaua'i Storm. Tori shares the inspiration for the book, how her settings matter so much to her, and how this book had her personally invested in nailing the culture.Kaua'i Storm SynopsisReturning to Kaua‘i, park ranger Makalani finds her family divided and their way of life at risk in this rich and emotional adventure by the bestselling author of the Lily Wong series.After ten years as a national park ranger in Oregon, Makalani Pahukula is back on Kaua‘i for her grandmother's birthday. Having been gone for so long, Makalani finds the disconnect with her people and her struggles have never been more profound. Neither has her need to reacquaint herself with everything she left behind. When she reaches the homestead, she finds a bickering family and the disconcerting news that her cousins—a failed college football player and a rebellious teenage girl—have gone missing.Makalani hopes they just ran off, too careless to realize the worry they've caused. But when hunters find a dead body in the Keālia Forest Reserve, Makalani fears something ominous is at play, and the search for her cousins grows more desperate. Although her help may not be welcomed by family and locals, Makalani is determined to solve a mystery that poses a greater risk than anyone imagines.The investigation will open her heart, reawaken her love for the land she calls home, and strengthen her bond with her family. Because no matter how long she's been away, for Makalani, Hawai‘i is in her blood. Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, I chat with Brian Watson @readingwithbrian about how long we've both been reading, thrillers that stood out as ones that created our love for thrillers, and some of our favorite domestic suspense thrillers!Books/Authors We Talked AboutRegrets Only by Kieran ScottThe Push by Ashley AudrainYou Deserve to Know by Aggie Blum ThompsonThe Woman Inside by E.G. ScottA.R. TorreMadwoman by Chelsea BiekerI'll Be You by Janelle BrownLocal Woman Missing by Mary Kubica   Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, the iconic Jaime Lynn Hendricks is back for the fifth time to chat about her newest page turner Their Double Lives! Gare and I ask all our burning questions, and we discuss Gare's dog Murphy's debut in a book!Their Double Lives SynopsisA down-on-her-luck waitress at a posh New Jersey country club, Kim Valva couldn't be living a more different life from the carefree socialites she serves. Her live-in boyfriend recently cheated on her, her social life is in shambles, and her dog needs a life-saving surgery that she can't afford. Then her luck seems to change when a mysterious figure identifying themself only as The Stranger contacts her with an offer she can't refuse: Put a pill in the new member's drink and, when he dies, she'll have enough money to fix her dog and her life.Her target turns out to be Tony Fiore—Kim's bad boy ex-boyfriend from high school. Fifteen years have passed, and he now goes by Anthony Fuller. He's cleaned up, made tens of millions, and his gorgeous fiancée, twenty-two-year-old PJ Walsh, is on his arm.PJ had her own agenda from the second she met Anthony. Find him, trick him, marry him, kill him. It was supposed to be easy, but she finds that while living her double life, the lines blur between who she is and who she's pretending to be.Stunned to see Tony again, Kim can't bring herself to go through with spiking his drink. Instead, it is PJ who dies horrifically at the table just as dinner ends. Was someone else at the club—member or worker—tasked with poisoning PJ just as she had been instructed to do to Tony? Who would want both of them dead? With no one to trust and The Stranger to answer to, Kim must peel back the layers of deceit to reveal a deeply buried truth, more shocking than she could ever imagine… Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, Gare, Steph and I are talking about the 2025 Summer thriller releases we are excited to read!Bookwild MerchThrillerFest GoFundMeBooks We Talked AboutLove You to Death by Christina DotsonNight Watcher by Daphne WoolsoncroftThe Laughing Dead by Jess LoureyJust Emilia by Jennifer OkoOne Dark Night by Hannah RichellThe Ghostwriter by Julie ClarkDoll Parts by Penny ZangForget Me Not by Stacy WillinghamOur Secrets Were Safe by Virginia TrenchEcstacy by Ivy PochodaWe Are All Guilty Here by Karin SlaughterHigh Season by Katie BishopHer Many Faces by Nicci ClokeGuess Again Charlie DonleaKing of Ashes by S.A. Cosby Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, I talk with Judy Hutson about her new spy thriller Spy Notes! We dive into the inspiration for the story, how her job as a publicist in the music industry informed the book, and how she chose the places for Johnny to travel to!Spy Notes SynopsisMusic, Mayhem, and Missions...When music publicist Johnny Harrington isn't managing her superstar client Naive, she's enjoying Christmas on her family's idyllic island home in Barbados. But this year's holiday harmony is shattered when an undercover detective turns up dead, and Johnny's new romance with charming businessman Henley becomes entangled in a web of suspicion.Using her backstage pass to Europe's most exclusive social circles through Naive's tour, Johnny becomes an unlikely spy in designer heels. As she juggles a volatile artist with her secret mission, she uncovers a deadly network of drug trafficking that hits dangerously close to home. In a world where every VIP party could be a cover and every intimate encounter could be a setup, Johnny must figure out who's playing her before she becomes the next victim.From private island paradises to high-stakes concert venues, this glamorous thriller proves that in both the music business and espionage, the most dangerous notes are the ones you don't see coming. Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, Gare, Steph and I talk about five of our favorite authors and our favorite book of theirs!Books We Talked AboutThe Last HousewifeBright Young WomenPlay NiceThe Woman InsideJar of HeartsThe Family Next DoorThe Night She DisappearedDark HighwayThe Quarry GirlsThey Never LearnThe TrapThe Children on the Hill Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, I got to talk with Robert Bailey about his emotionally driven action thriller The Boomerang. We dive into the inspiration for the book, the research he did for certain parts, and his favorite parts of writing the relationships in the book.The Boomerang SynopsisThe president of the United States has terminal cancer. Chief of Staff Eli James, his faithful consigliere and best friend, is one of the few who know. But just as the president's condition mysteriously improves, Eli's hit with another blow: his daughter has cancer too.Hell-bent on helping her, Eli turns to Big Pharma's top lobbyist for advice, but their encounter yields more questions than answers. As he races along a twisted trail to the truth, he stumbles upon a devastating cover-up worth billions of dollars—and millions of lives.Armed with this deadly secret, Eli goes rogue, fleeing with his family out west. To keep them safe, he forms an uneasy alliance with land baron Nester “the Beast” Sanchez, known for his ruthless power tactics. An epic showdown brews, and it's the state versus one desperate citizen, willing to risk everything to save his daughter. Can Eli broker a truce with his once allies? Or will there be war in the desert? Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, Halley Sutton is back and we delve into character development, the subconscious influences on storytelling, and the darker themes that often emerge in our work. Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, MacKenzie Green and I dive into everything we loved about Sinners. We dive into Ryan Coogler's succinct visual storytelling, how he tackled the themes of religion, spirituality and race, and how social horror paired with humor comes together so well.Follow MacKenzie hereListen to Manifestation Monday hereTikToks I mentionedSeven Deadly Sins from TheReel VoiceVampires Needing to Be Invited BrandonToksMoviesSammy's Ability to Connect With People is What the Devil Wanted from 5hahemRacism hurts White Couple Too from TheJaam  Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, I got to talk with Liann Zhang about her incredibly voicey and suspenseful thriller Julie Chan is dead. We dive into the inspiration for the story, how her ability to write the environment of the Internet is linked to how she is chronically online (same), and her favorite backstories she created for some extra vapid influencers.Julie Chan is Dead SynopsisJulie Chan has nothing. Her twin sister has everything. Except a pulse.Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier with nothing to lose, finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer. Separated at a young age, the identical twins were polar opposites and rarely spoke, except for one viral video that Chloe initiated (Finding My Long-Lost Twin And Buying Her A House #EMOTIONAL). When Julie discovers Chloe's lifeless body under mysterious circumstances, she seizes the chance to live the life she's always envied.Transforming into Chloe is easier than expected. Julie effortlessly adopts Chloe's luxurious influencer life, complete with designer clothes, a meticulous skincare routine, and millions of adoring followers. However, Julie soon realizes that Chloe's seemingly picture-perfect life was anything but.Haunted by Chloe's untimely death and struggling to fit into the privileged influencer circle, Julie faces mounting challenges during a weeklong island retreat with Chloe's exclusive group of influencer friends. As events spiral out of control, Julie uncovers the sinister forces that may have led to her sister's demise and realizes she might be the next target. Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, Gare, Steph and i talk about books we took risks on that we ended up loving!Books We Talked AboutLion Women of Tehran Marjan KamaliHush Anne FrasierThe Wedding People Alison EspachAn Academy for Liars Alexis HendersonA Density of Souls Christopher RiceThe Shards Bret Easton EllisWe Used to Live Here Marcus KliewerThe Paper Palace Miranda Cowley HellerIKEA BookshelfRing Page TurnerPaperfeel/Matte iPad Screen ProtectorThe Push Ashley AudrainThe Manor of Dreams Christina LiHow We Named the StarsDisorientation Elaine Hsieh Chou Ring Page TurnerPaperfeel/Matte iPad Screen Protector Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR AGATHA ALL ALONGA couple weeks ago, Halley told me she watched Agatha All Along and loved it, which lead to me binging it in one week. We reconvened and broke down all of our favorite parts of this (dare I say) perfectly written show! Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, Marisha Lunde, Gare and I set out to talk about psychological thrillers, but veered into all kinds of other topics, including reality TV. The episode may feel a little disjointed at times, because a tornado touched down near my home and I lost power in the middle of the episode as well as a few other times. Otherwise, enjoy meeting Marisha Lunde and hearing about her journey on Bookstagram!  Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, I got to talk with Saumya Dave about her new thriller The Guilt Pill! She shares how she found the inspiration for the book, how her work as a psychiatrist informed the book, and how she started the book while pregnant with her first child, and finished it while she was pregnant with her second!The Guilt Pill SynopsisWhat if women could get rid of their guilt?Maya Patel has it all—her own start-up, a sexy, doting husband, influencer status, and now, a new baby. Or does she? Because behind closed doors, Maya's drowning.Her newborn's taking a toll on her marriage, her best friend won't return her calls, and her company's hanging on by a thread. The worst part? It's all her fault. If she could just be a better boss, mother, wife, daughter, friend… Maybe she wouldn't feel so guilty all the time.Enter: #Girlboss Liz Anderson, who introduces her to the "guilt pill," an experimental supplement that erases female guilt. At first, it's the perfect antidote to Maya's self-blame and imposter syndrome, and she finally becomes the unapologetic woman she's always wanted to be. But there's a catch: for Maya to truly "have it all," she needs to be ready to risk it all. And as Maya falls deeper and deeper down the pill's guilt-free rabbit hole, her growing ruthlessness could threaten everything she's built for herself—and the family she's worked so hard to protect.Electric, taut, and sharply observed, The Guilt Pill is a feminist exploration of motherhood, race, ambition, and how the world treats women who dare to go after everything they want. Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, Halley and I do a DEEP dive into our thoughts after the season three finale of The White Lotus. Grab a piña colada and enjoy!

If you're listening to these episodes as their air, you're getting what was going to be April 8ths Tuesday episode today, because Halley Sutton and I HAD to talk White Lotus Spoilers and finale predictions!If you want to skip White Lotus spoilers (through Season 3 Episode 7) you can listen to the first few minutes, and when I say skip to this timestamp if you don't want spoilers, skip ahead to 31:02. *Yes, there were 25 mins worth of White Lotus to talk about, and really, we could've probably done 90 minutes on it.Then, we talk about how the setting you are in can influence your writing, and Halley shares some great insight from her friend's book Pen on Fire, about how to fit any amount of writing into your busy life.  Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, Gare, Steph and I share some of our favorite single POV thrillers!Books We Talked AboutAnd Now She's GoneChasing the BoogeymanThe Devil and Mrs DavenportThe Book of EssieThe Family TreeThings We Do in the DarkAn Anonymous GirlProvidenceTheir Vicious GamesKismetLook What You Made Me DoSugarA Criminal DefenseThe InmateThe Mirror House Girls Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week I got to talk with Olesya Lyuzna about her historical noir Glitter in the Dark! We dive into Olesya's lifelong obsession with the 1920s, some wild facts she learned while researching, and how humans have always been chasing really similar feelings, even 100 years ago.Glitter in the Dark SynopsisThe search for a kidnapped singer in Prohibition-era New York leads an intrepid reporter from Harlem speakeasies to the dazzling world of the theater, all while grappling with her warring passions.Ambitious advice columnist Ginny Dugan knows she's capable of more than solving other people's beauty problems, but her boss at Photoplay magazine thinks she's only fit for fluff pieces. When she witnesses the kidnapping of a famous singer at Harlem's hottest speakeasy, nobody takes her seriously, but Ginny knows what she saw―and what she saw haunts her.Guilt-ridden over her failure to stop the kidnappers and hard-pressed for cash to finally move out of her uptight showgirl sister's apartment, Ginny resolves to chase down the truth that will clear her conscience and maybe win her a promotion in the process. When private detective Jack Crawford starts interfering with her case, Ginny ropes him into a reluctant partnership but soon finds herself drawn to the kind heart she glimpses beneath his brooding exterior. Equally as alluring is Gloria Gardner, the star dancer of the Ziegfeld Follies who treats life like one unending party. Yet as Ginny delves deeper into the criminal underworld, the sinister plot she uncovers seems to lead right back to the theater.Then a brutal murder strikes someone close to her, and Ginny realizes the stakes are higher than she ever imagined. This glamorous world has a deadly edge, and Ginny must shatter her every illusion to catch the shadowy killer before they strike again. Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, I got to talk with Elizabeth Rose Quinn about her new thriller Follow Me! We dive into the personal inspiration for this book, and how cathartic it was to write as a new mother.Follow Me SynopsisAfter her twin sister, Chiara, goes missing at a mom-fluencer weekend, Adrienne Shaw will find her no matter what it takes. They may have been on the outs, but no one comes for her sister and gets away with it.It's been a year, the authorities have no answers, and her brother-in-law is useless in the matter. It's time for Adrienne to take the case into her own hands. Following in Chiara's last footsteps, Adrienne goes undercover, infiltrating the same influencer retreat as the last thing she wants to be: an Instamommy.The remote ranch in Northern California is certainly welcoming—in a cult-adjacent kind of way. A charismatic leader, communal crafts, fixed smiles—and a lot of dead eyes.Going on gut instinct and chasing a wild theory—that Chiara came here and never left—Adrienne is determined to uncover the truth before the too-perfect-to-believe women figure out who Adrienne really is: a threat to be eliminated. Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

Gare, Steph and I share more Kindle Unlimited thrillers so you can basically read for free.Blacktop WastelandValentineThe Devil and Mrs DavenportFracturedThe ButcherStrange Sally DiamondLike a SisterThe Good LieDarling GirlsThe Memory WatcherRicochetSuch Quiet GirlsA Killer's CodeThe Secret WitnessSlewfoot Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, I got to chat with Emily Carpenter about her new horror-thriller Gothictown.  We dive into how a newspaper article she saw during the pandemic inspired the story, and how she crafted such a creepy vibe for Julianna, Georgia.  Gothictown SynopsisWelcome to gentle Juliana, where you can have it all…if you pay the price.The email that lands in Billie Hope's inbox seems like a gift from the universe. For $100, she can purchase a spacious Victorian home in Juliana, Georgia, a small town eager to boost its economy in the wake of the pandemic. She can leave behind her cramped New York City rental and the painful memories of shuttering her once thriving restaurant and start over with her husband and her daughter. Plus, she'll get a business grant to open a new restaurant in a charming riverside community laden with opportunity. It seems like a dream come true…or a devil's bargain.A few phone calls and one hurried visit later, and Billie, Peter, and six-year-old Meredith are officially part of the Juliana Initiative. The town is everything promised—two hours northwest of Atlanta but a world away from city living, a “gentle jewel” with weather as warm as its people. Between settling into their lavish home and starting her new restaurant, Billie is busy enough to dismiss any troubling signs…But Billie's sleep is marred by haunting dreams, and her marriage with Peter is growing increasingly strained. Meanwhile the town elders, all descended from Juliana's founding families, exert a level of influence that feels less benevolent and more stifling day by day.There's something about “Gentle Juliana”—something off-kilter and menacing beneath that famous Southern hospitality. And no matter how much Billie longed for her family to come here, she's starting to wonder how, and if, they'll ever leave. Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, I got to chat with one of our podcast faves ASHLEY WINSTEAD! In her third appearance on the show, we talk about her new thriller, This Book Will Bury Me, and how she exorcized her own demons after she found herself obsessed with true crime forums in the wake of her father's unexpected death. She shares why she was drawn to writing a roman à clef about grief and true crime obsession, and her willingness to critique herself through that form.This Book Will Bury Me SynopsisIt's the most famous crime in modern history. But only she knows the true story.After the unexpected death of her father, college student Jane Sharp longs for a distraction from her grief. She becomes obsessed with true crime, befriending armchair detectives who teach her how to hunt killers from afar. In this morbid internet underground, Jane finds friendship, purpose, and even glory...So when news of the shocking deaths of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho takes the world by storm, and sleuths everywhere race to solve the crimes, Jane and her friends are determined to beat them. But the case turns out to be stranger than anyone expected. Details don't add up, the police are cagey, and there seems to be more media hype and internet theorizing than actual evidence. When Jane and her sleuths take a step closer, they find that every answer only begs more questions, and begin to suspect their killer may be smarter and more prolific than any they've faced before. Placing themselves in the center of the story starts to feel more and more like walking into a trap...Told one year after the astounding events that concluded the case and left the world reeling, when Jane has finally decided to break her silence about what really happened, she tells the true story of the Delphine Massacres. And what she has to confess will shock even the most seasoned true crime fans... Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

Today, Gare and I talk with Marshall Karp about his book that we all loved (Gare, Steph and me) Don't Tell Me How To Die. He shares the inspiration for the book and how his determination to get the story right delivered us one of our new favorite books!SynopsisI have one thing to do before I die.And time is running out.I had it all: a fantastic husband, two great kids, an exciting career. And then, at the age of forty-three, I found out I would be dead before my next birthday.My mother also died at forty-three. I was seventeen, and she warned me that women would flock to my suddenly single father like stray cats to an overturned milk truck. They did. And one absolutely evil woman practically destroyed his life, mine, and my sister's.I am not letting that happen to my family.I have three months, and I plan to spend every waking minute searching for the perfect woman to take my place as Alex's wife, and mother to Kevin and Katie.You're probably thinking, she'll never do it. Did I mention that in high school I was voted “Most Likely to Kill Someone to Get What She Wants”?From thriller writer Marshall Karp (cocreator with James Patterson of the #1 New York Times bestselling NYPD Red series), and rich with Karp's deft array of three-dimensional characters and his signature biting humor, Don't Tell Me How to Die has so many twists and turns, you'd swear he wrote it with a corkscrew. Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, Gare and I share books we think will cure your White Lotus hangover after the season finale!Books We Talked AboutBorn for ThisIt Could Be AnyoneRunning ColdWe Were Never HereThe Hollywood AssistantShe Started ItThe WhispersThe Vacationers Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, I talk with Nick Kolakowski about his mystery-thriller Where the Bones Lie! We dive into the inspiration for the story, his closeness to one of the characters, and how he subverted the noir genre.Where the Bones Lie SynopsisFor Dash Fuller, Hollywood's underbelly is home. He's spent years making the film industry's worst secrets disappear, and it's left him a cynical burnout with a taste for bourbon and self-loathing.But when a young woman comes to him with a peculiar quest, Dash sees a chance at redemption. Madeline Ironwood is the daughter of Ken Ironwood, a notorious smuggler and murderer who disappeared 20 years ago. Ken's skeleton has just been discovered in a barrel at the bottom of a dried-up lake, and Madeline wants to know who killed him.Dash agrees to help, and as this desperate daughter and jaded cynic claw their way through a world of sun-bleached secrets, crooked cops, and Hollywood thugs, they soon uncover a conspiracy involving some of LA's most powerful people.Learn more about Nick Kolakowski here Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, Gare and I share some of our favorite popcorn thrillers, AND discuss actors we want to see on future seasons of White Lotus.Books We Talked AboutIf You See MeReturn to MidnightOn the SurfaceYou Killed Me FirstThis Girl's A KillerThe TeacherThe Astrology HouseThe Final ActThe Lake of Lost GirlsCount My Lies Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, Halley Sutton and I introduce a new series about writing! I've said on this podcast a few times that I will finish my book this year, and this series is a way to make sure I do spend time on it, and stay in the writing state of mind. For our first topic of this series, we talk about things that keep us close to writing even when we aren't putting down tons of words. Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, Gare and I talk about books we wish we could erase from our memories and re-read!Books We DiscussedLocal Woman MissingThe Last Winter of Dani LansingThe Night BirdThe Girl Who Was Taken1984The ShardsAll the Missing GirlsWhat You Don't Know Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, Gare, Steph and I talk about 2025 thrillers we are excited about!Glitter in the DarkCount My LiesThis Book Will Bury MeImmaculate ConceptionThe Death of UsWhispers of Dead GirlsA Thousand Natural ShocksThe Missing HalfDon't Tell Me How to DieThe Memory CollectorsOne in FourTheir Double Lives Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, Gare, Steph and I share books that you can easily escape into!Books We Talked AboutWatch Out for HerDon't Tell Me How to DieNotes On Your Sudden DisappearanceThe Real DealCross My HeartLenny Marks Gets Away with MurderThe Paradox HotelA Killer's MindCackle Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, Halley and I dive into recommendations for Dark Valentine coded thrillers!Books We Talked AboutCross My HeartIt Takes MonstersTo Die ForThe Close UpMore Than You'll Ever KnowKill for LoveThe Last PartyMy HusbandIt Had To Be YouVladimir Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, I go to talk with Heather Levy about her new mystery thriller This Violent Heart! We dive into her inspiration for the book, how her personal experience informed her writing, and exploring kink through a new character.This Violent Heart SummaryDevon Mayes thought she was done with the small conservative town she once called home. She fled when she was eighteen after her best friend Summer took her own life, leaving Summer's twin brother, Keaton, lost in his grief. But when tragedy strikes again, Devon has nowhere to turn but back to the place that first broke her heart.Being back in Arkana means struggling with the old guilt that shrouds her bisexuality and her feelings for Keaton. There's so much she's still hiding from him—and so much of their shared past that's now resurfacing.It's not long before Devon has reason to believe Summer's tragic death wasn't suicide after all. Summer had secrets, too…and she wasn't the only one who didn't want them exposed.As Devon and Keaton piece together the mystery of what happened that fateful summer, they must reckon with their own truths before they can move forward. But one person will do whatever it takes to stop them. Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, we answer a listener request for thrillers with romance. At least, we tried to answer it. Some felt questionable to call romance once we started talking, but that's thrillers for you!Books We DiscussedThe Woman InsideBath HausHello, TranscriberMy Lovely WifeSeeing StrangersThe Girl in 6EThis Violent HeartThe Grave Between UsKiller PotentialCackle Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, I talk with Carter Wilson about his new page turner Tell Me What You Did. We dive into the inspiration for Poe's name, what got him writing about a podcaster, and how he crafted a chilling nemesis.Tell Me What You Did SynopsisShe gets people to confess their crimes for a living. He knows she's hiding a terrible secret. It's time for the truth to come out…Poe Webb, host of a popular true crime podcast, invites people to anonymously confess crimes they've committed to her audience. She can't guarantee the police won't come after her "guests," but her show grants simultaneous anonymity and instant fame—a potent combination that's proven difficult to resist. After an episode recording, Poe usually erases both criminal and crime from her mind.But when a strange and oddly familiar man appears on her show, Poe is forced to take a second look. Not only because he claims to be her mother's murderer from years ago, but because Poe knows something no one else does. Her mother's murderer is dead.Poe killed him.From the USA Today bestselling author of The Dead Girl in 2A and The New Neighbor comes a chilling new thriller that forces the question: are murderers always the bad guys? Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

After three days of bookish tourism, my sister-in-law Jamie and I recapped our trip while we waited to board at LaGuardia.  We dove into Liz and Greg's Trust Issues Book Launch, the bookstore crawl we completed, and how we slowly became subway girlies.  Some parts may be choppy since we had to pause for airport announcements! Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, I got to talk with Jakob Kerr about his new technothriller Dead Money! We dive into hos his experience in Silicon Valley informed the book, why the tech industry is a prime thriller setting, and how he came up with one of the best intro paragraphs.Dead Money SynopsisDon't call me a fixer. This isn't HBO.In her job as unofficial “problem solver” for Silicon Valley's most ruthless venture capitalist, Mackenzie Clyde's gotten used to playing for high stakes. Even if none of those tech-bro millions she's so good at wrangling ever make it into her pockets.But this time, she's in way over her head—or so it seems.The lightning-rod CEO of tech's hottest startup has just been murdered, leaving behind billions in “dead money” frozen in his will. As the company's chief investor, Mackenzie's boss has a fortune on the line—and with the police treading water, it's up to Mackenzie to step up and resolve things, fast.Mackenzie's a lawyer, not a detective. Cracking this fiendishly clever killing, with its list of suspects that reads like a who's-who of Valley power players, should be way out of her league.Except that Mackenzie's used to being underestimated. In fact, she's counting on it.Because the way she sees it, this isn't an investigation. It's an opportunity. And she'll do anything it takes to seize it.Anything at all.Featuring jaw-dropping twists and a wily, outsider heroine you can't help rooting for, Dead Money is a brilliant sleight-of-hand mystery. Written by a longtime insider, it is also a dead-on snapshot of the Valley's rich and famous—and a glimpse at the darkness lurking behind the tech world's cheery facade. Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, Gare, Steph and I talk about the next 3 books on our TBRs!Books We Talked AboutTemperRabbitsVantage PointThe Dark Hours A Long Time GoneA Killer's MindThe ReformatoryWhere Are the Children?The Last Caretaker Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

Tyler and I finish up our recap of the movies we saw in theaters in 2024!Movies We Talked AboutOddityIt Ends With Us Strange DarlingBlink TwiceSaturday NightAfrAIdVenom: The Last DanceAnoraHereticConclaveGladiator IIInterstellarBabygirl Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, Halley Sutton, Steph Lauer and I talk with Layne Fargo about her new book The Favorites! We dive into her inspiration for the book, trips Halley and Layne took to research the book, how she used character names from Wuthering Heights in The Favorites, and her lifelong love for figure skating!The Favorites SynopsisShe might not have a famous name, funding, or her family's support, but Katarina Shaw has always known that she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating—and each other—to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating the world with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style, and rollercoaster relationship. Until a shocking incident at the Olympic Games brings their partnership to a sudden end.As the ten-year anniversary of their final skate approaches, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha, claiming to uncover the "real story" through interviews with their closest friends and fiercest rivals. Kat wants nothing to do with the documentary. But she can't stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy either. So, after a decade of silence, she's telling her story: from the childhood tragedies that created her all-consuming bond with Heath to the clash of desires that tore them apart. Sensational rumors have haunted their every step for years, but the truth may be even more shocking than the headlines.Inspired by the powerful love and hate that fuel Emily Bronte's classic, Wuthering Heights, The Favorites is an exhilarating dance between passion, ambition, and what it truly means to win. Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, Gare and I chose our own sub-genres to give recommendations for!I chose "Mind Benders" and Gare chose "Missing Persons/Cold Cases" so if you are looking for books in either of those genres, we've got you covered!Kate's BooksRecursionI'm Thinking of Ending ThingsThe Mechanics of MemoryThe New OneStay AwakeGare's BooksThe Lost HouseA Flicker in the DarkThe Man on the TrainLeave the Girls BehindAll Good People Here Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, Tyler joins me to discuss the many movies we saw in 2024 thanks to our AMC membership.Movies We Talked AboutAnyone But YouAmerican FictionArgylleDuneDune 2Civil WarMonkey ManChallengersThe Fall GuyFuriosa: A Mad Max SagaInside Out 2Bad Boys: Ride or DieThe BikeridersMaxxxineLonglegsTwistersA Quite Place: Day OneDeadpool & Wolverine Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

This week, we catch up on how our holidays went, talk about words/phrases of the year for 2025, and share ore backlist thrillers we want to read!Books We Talked AboutHostageTake it BackWhat January RemembersWe SpreadSuch a Pretty SmileThe Truth About Melody BrowneOutSummer RentalSuch Sharp TeethThe House on Needless StreetThin AirNotes on Your Sudden Disappearance Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram