the time it was about the princess and the p.i.

Posted September 15, 2025 by Stacee in Interviews | 0 Comments

when I got the invite to interview Nikki, I didn’t even see it at first. I was so excited to get a digital copy of the princess and the p.i. that I missed the line about Nikki being available. I quickly replied and I very likely used shouty caps.

before we get to Nikki’s answers, let’s check out the book.

Title: The Princess and the P.I.
Author: Nikki Payne
Pages: 480
Publisher: Berkley
Pub Date: September 16, 2025
Find it: PRH | Bookshop | Goodreads

Synopsis: Famed Reddit detective Fiona Addai is great at solving problems—online, that is. Cold cases, reality TV scandals, everyone calls on @Princess_PI. It’s her way of escaping her strict religious life at home and the memory of her brilliant brother’s sudden death. But when the sheltered sleuth tries to apply her inquisitive skills to real life, her plan to reclaim her late brother’s invention from the ruthless corporation that stole it goes disastrously wrong. Now, instead of getting justice, Fiona finds herself accused of murder.

Maurice Bennett is no stranger to insomnia. These days, he’s not losing sleep over the cases he’s solving—but running from the one he couldn’t. Instead, he’s been settling for small-time scandals that don’t stir up the guilt he’s buried. But when he spots Fiona Addai at the center of a murder investigation, something clicks. And for the first time in a long while, Maurice feels that old spark of intrigue.

However, Fiona is not the helpless damsel she appears to be. Sure, she needs Maurice’s help to clear her name, but she’s got conditions of her own: she wants a crash course in real-world detective work. Maurice isn’t exactly thrilled. With every late-night stakeout and tension-filled interrogation, their partnership starts to feel a little too close for comfort. To bring the real killer to light, they’ll need to trust each other and that might be the most dangerous gamble of all.

sounds good, right?

1. Please give the elevator pitch for The Princess and the P.I.

A sheltered Reddit sleuth accused of murder teams up with a jaded PI in Prince George’s County to clear her name and unravel a tech conspiracy—while trying not to fall for each other. Think Only Murders in the Building meets Moonlighting

2. Which came first: the plot line or characters?

The characters came first. Fiona and Maurice showed up fully formed in my imagination—the “what if” of a brilliant but sheltered Black girl detective meeting a weary PI who’s allergic to sleep. The plot unraveled from what sparks would fly between them.

3. Why do you love Fiona and Maurice and why should readers root for them?

Fiona is smart, funny, and deeply earnest, even when she fumbles IRL. Maurice is all rough edges and quiet tenderness under the PI trench coat. You root for them because they see the best—and the worst—in each other, and somehow that makes them both braver.

4. Were there any weird things you googled while researching?

“How to smuggle an enormous hard drive drive in your bra” (yes, it made it into the book). Also: “how many murders is too many in a romance?”

5. Without spoilers, which scene was your favorite to write?

I think it would have to be the “Princess and the Pea” scene I still kick my feet when I think of it. You’ll know it when you get to it!

Speed(ish) round:

1. You find out you’re being published for the first time. Describe the next 5 minutes.

Screamed. Called my mom. Ate something deep fried.

2. What 3 things would you take to a desert island?

A notebook, a solar-powered Kindle, and plantains.

3. You can only read one book for the rest of your life. What is it?

Pride and Prejudice. I never tire of Lizzie Bennet’s side-eye.

4. What is the one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?

Protect your joy—it’s easy to lose it in deadlines.

5. You wake up and discover that you are Bella in Twilight. You know how it plays out. What do you differently?

I would’ve beaten down Jacob’s door!

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Nikki Payne is a romance author and cultural anthropologist who writes sharp, sexy, and subversive stories. She’s known for remixing classic literature—like Pride and Prejudice—with Black girl joy, bold heroines, and a splash of spice. She is a member of Smut U, a premium feminist writing collective, and is a cat lady with no cats.