I’m Thrilled to Share a Peek at THE FIANCÉE

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There’s just over a month until the launch of my next suspense novel, THE FIANCÉE, the story of a captivating yet cunning young woman who joins a family and threatens to upend their picture-perfect lives. Are you ready to meet her? Ha, I hope so.

Here’s a sneak peek at the prologue and the first chapter:

https://www.katewhite.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/The-Fiance-Excerpt.pdf

And here’s a taste of the audio version:

https://soundcloud.com/harperaudio_us/the-fiancee-by-kate-white

Are You Seeing the Light at the End of the Tunnel?

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Now that we’re fully vaccinated, my husband and I have started to give small dinner parties again—for other vaccinated friends. For some reason I can’t explain (a need still for comfort food?), I’ve felt an ever-present urge for fried chicken and have been serving up batches of it. I hope you’re getting to spend more time with your family and friends now, too.

My Funny Little Secret Weapon

I’ve just turned in my 2022 thriller this week (phew!) and await word from my editor (oy). Because I write one book a year, this is also the time when I have to begin coming up with a plot for the nextbook—which will be released in 2023 (yes, it’s a bit like spinning several plates at the same time).

With each novel I outline chapters in a spiral notebook, but when I’m first toying with plot ideas for a new book, I use a tiny notebook I carry in my purse to jot down random thoughts. Recently Laura Trant, a wonderful former intern of mine who is now a dazzling on-air journalist in the UK, sent me this little notebook as a gift since she knows I love leopard print. It’s exactly what I needed!

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What I’m Reading/Watching:

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When the Stars Go Dark
by Paula McLain

Over the past year, I’ve read more than my share of so-called twisty thrillers with ridiculously convoluted and bizarre endings (can you relate?). So I was thrilled to discover Paula (The Paris Wife) McLain’s first thriller, the story of a female cop who returns to the town where she was mostly raised and agrees to try to help solve the disappearance of a young woman, eerily similar to a case from her youth. Brilliantly written, haunting, and unputdownable.

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Mare of Easttown
HBO

I’m sure you’ve heard the buzz about this show. It’s not one of my all-time favorites, like Lupin or The Fall, but I’ve enjoyed Kate Winslet’s very believable performance as a weary, jaded female cop (why are there so many of those??).

A Great List of Movie Thrillers

You’ve probably got your own list of favorite movie thrillers, right? But I’m sure like me, you’re always looking for some you might have missed. I thought this long list was excellent and it includes many I adore, but it left out a few of my personal favorites: Jagged Edge, Witness, The Next Three Days, and Lincoln Lawyer.

https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/g28513718/best-murder-mystery-movies/

What I’m Cooking

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As I mentioned above, I’m been craving fried chicken big time. For really plump, crispy chicken, I follow a terrific tip I read years ago. Instead of adding the baking soda and baking flour to the flour, add it to the buttermilk bath your chicken goes into first (I use two cups of buttermilk, a couple of eggs, 1 tsp of baking soda and 2 tsps of baking powder). Dip first in the buttermilk mixture, then in seasoned flour before frying. I’ve started working with boneless, skinless pieces and always use a Fry Daddy. Less terrifying than a stovetop pan.

Until next month,

Kate White