When I got the invite to read The Hunter’s Daughter by Nicola Solvinic, I couldn’t say yes fast enough. The synopsis is everything I love in a thriller and I’m happy to report that it absolutely delivered.
Before we get to Nicola’s interview, let’s check out the book.
Title: The Hunter’s Daughter
Author: Nicola Solvinic
Pages: 384
Pub Date: May 14, 2024
Publisher: Berkley
Find it: PRH | Bookshop | GoodreadsSynopsis: Anna Koray escaped her father’s darkness long ago. When she was a girl, her childhood memories were sealed away from her conscious mind by a controversial hypnosis treatment. She’s now a decorated sheriff’s lieutenant serving a rural county, conducting an ordinary life far from her father’s shadow.
When Anna kills a man in the line of duty, her suppressed memories return. She dreams of her beloved father, his hands red with blood, surrounded by flower-decked corpses he had sacrificed to the god of the forest.
To Anna’s horror, a serial killer emerges who is copying her father – and who knows who she really is. Is her father still alive, or is this the work of another? Will the killer expose her, destroying everything she has built for herself? Does she want him to?
But as she haunts the forest, using her father’s tricks to the hunt the killer, will she find what she needs most…or lose herself in the gathering darkness?
Sounds good, right?
1. Please give the elevator pitch for The Hunter’s Daughter.
The secret daughter of a notorious serial killer must catch his copycat, using the tricks her father taught her in the forest long ago.
2. Which came first: the characters or the plot?
I think Anna’s character came first. I wanted to explore the idea of a character who tries to do the right thing, but gets tangled in her own past and the legacy of those who came before her. Anna feels very deeply, and the ripples of her father’s crimes have scarred her life and the lives of others in ways she hasn’t fully understood yet.
3. Why do you love Anna and why should readers root for her?
I love Anna because she’s unpredictable. When I was writing her, I wasn’t entirely sure how she would react to any given situation. She perceives things quite differently than her colleagues do, and her intuition gives her a lot of insight while investigating the crimes unfolding before her. She’s able to make intuitive leaps between places and things, and her sense of those invisible connections is really fascinating to me.
4. Were there any weird things you googled while drafting?
Alllllll the things I googled while drafting were weird! I googled the life cycle of pitcher plants, execution procedures, PCP effects, how rigor mortis works, and how much blood a person can lose and still survive. My search history is truly bizarre!
5. Without spoilers, which scene was your favorite to write?
I loved writing the ending. At that part of the book, I felt like I was running downhill and could see all the plot threads coming together for the climax. While writing it, I wasn’t certain who was going to survive, so it was as much a surprise for me as it hopefully will be for the reader!
Speed (ish) round:
1. You find out that you’re being published for the first time. Describe the next 5 minutes.
I think I sat down on the couch and had to convince myself that I wasn’t dreaming. It was a Cinderella moment, getting to go to the ball!
2. What three things would you take to a desert island?
My Kindle, my cats, and a whole lot of Coca Cola!
3. You can only read one book for the rest of your life. What is it?
Madeline Miller’s Circe. It’s entirely enchanting, and I see something new each time I re-read it. It shows me that a story always changes depending on who is doing the telling.
4. What is the one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?
It’s amazing – like a fairy tale. Sometimes the stars align, and someone will love your book as much as you do!
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Nicola Solvinic has a master’s degree in criminology and has worked in and around criminal justice for more than a decade at local, state, and federal levels. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and cats, where she is surrounded by a secret garden full of beehives.
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Huge thanks to Berkley for the invite and to Nicola for taking the time. The Hunter’s Daughter releases tomorrow and pre-order links are above.
Do you read thrillers? What do you love to read?
Hi Stacee, thank you so much for reviewing the book. I really appreciate it.
Hi Nicola, thank YOU for taking the time to do the interview (and for writing an awesome book!)