Why Did I Write The Kill of the Hunt?
When I sat down to write my debut novel, The Kill of the Hunt, my goal was simple: I wanted to write the exact kind of amateur sleuth mystery that I love to devour as a reader. I wanted a puzzle that keeps the gears turning, sharp wit that prompts a genuine laugh, and high-stakes suspense that makes you anxious for the characters on every single page.
To pull back the curtain on how this book came to life, here is the story behind the mystery.
Why This Story?
I have always been drawn to classic British-style whodunits, the kind where an outsider steps into an insular, tradition-bound community hiding dark secrets behind pristine facades. But I wanted to tell a story where the mystery went deeper than a routine whodunit.
The Kill of the Hunt begins when a brilliant young equestrienne’s suspicious death is dismissed as an accident, pulling an unlikely group of amateur investigators into a dangerous web of greed, corruption, and international intrigue. Most of all, I wanted to write a narrative that was genuinely fun to read.
Why These Characters?
I wanted to introduce sleuths the genre hadn't seen before—a trio thrown together by circumstance who have no business solving a crime together, yet fit like puzzle pieces:
Grady Gallagher: A self-deprecating, sharp-witted Washington Post humor columnist who is far more comfortable avoiding the gym and nursing a Scotch at a D.C. gala than dodging danger. He’s an observer who finds himself forced into the arena.
Colonel Sinjin Ravenshire: A disciplined, reserved British Defence Intelligence interrogator and Viscount who carries personal grief and a steely resolve to uncover the truth at any cost.
Elena Verity: A gifted, fiercely capable stable manager and former competitive rider whose deep knowledge of horses and razor-sharp instincts keep the investigation grounded.
Why This Setting?
The Hunt Country of Virginia is one of the most striking and unique landscapes in America. With its historic stone walls, rolling pastures, private estates, and deep-rooted traditions in Loudon and Fauquier Counties, it offers a world steeped in privilege, prestige, and quiet boundaries.
Equestrian society is fascinating, but it can often feel intimidating or opaque to outsiders. I wanted to bring readers into that world—from the dawn routines in the barns to the adrenaline of polo and show jumping—in a way that is utterly accessible, authentic, and entertaining, whether you have spent your life in the saddle or never set foot in a stirrup.
Behind those stately iron gates lies a brilliant backdrop for murder, and I couldn't be more excited to welcome you to the Hunt.
