RIVER VALE, N.J. — Kieran Scott knows that divorce changes a family. For her latest thriller, the River Vale author began wondering what it might do to everyone gathered around the marriage.
“I’m at the age where people are starting to get divorced, go to couples therapy, explore—shall we say—alternate marital living arrangements,” Scott said. “It got me thinking about how people always discuss how divorce affects the kids, for good reason, but I never really hear people talk about how divorce affects the friend group.”
That question became the foundation of “The Getaway,” which Thomas & Mercer will publish Sept. 1.
The novel follows a group of longtime friends whose luxurious retreat at a Hamptons estate turns increasingly dangerous as hidden betrayals emerge and a hurricane cuts off their escape.
Asked to describe the novel in five words, Scott offered a complete diagnosis: “character flaws lead to death.”
In “The Getaway,” the guests have gathered at The Villa, the estate of billionaire Lincoln Foster. Mysterious blue cards begin appearing in their bedrooms, exposing secrets involving their host and the visitors themselves.
As the revelations accumulate and the storm approaches, the estate becomes a trap. The guests must confront one another, their own conduct and the possibility that someone among them is willing to kill.
Scott said readers can expect “Secrets, back-stabbing, naivete, female friendships, multiple murders, drama, twists and turns, lots of bad weather, two cheeky teenagers and one adorable chihuahua.”
The story grew from Scott’s interest in the way a breakup might affect not only a couple and their children but an entire social circle.
“What if you had a close group of four or five couples and the keystone couple in that group—the relationship everyone sort of looked aspired to—broke up?” she said. “How might that change things and what might transpire?”
The novel also draws on the enduring appeal of stories about wealthy people behaving badly.
Scott said readers get both an aspirational glimpse of large homes, lavish décor, clothing, cars and parties and the satisfaction of discovering that the people who possess those things remain deeply flawed.
“There’s something about that peek into their humanity that makes us feel better about our own humble lives,” she said. “Also
seeing a narcissistic billionaire who uses their money as a weapon get murdered can be fairly satisfying. As long as it’s, you know, fictional.”
Scott has written more than 50 novels for children and teenagers. Eight books published under the pen name Kate Brian became New York Times bestsellers.
Her transition to adult fiction began with a particular story she had long wanted to tell. That story became “Wish You Were Gone,” her first adult novel.
“There were a few things that inspired the shift into the adult market,” Scott said. “First, I had this one story I had always wanted to tell—the story in ‘Wish You Were Gone’—and when my father passed away, I felt finally free to tell it.”
Scott also realized she had reached a point where she had stories she wanted to tell to people her own age. At the same time, she had begun to feel removed from her teenage years and uncertain that she could create an adolescent voice authentic to contemporary young readers.
The thriller genre, however, was already familiar ground.
“As for the thriller question, I discovered my love for writing mystery thrillers when I wrote the ‘Private’ and ‘Privilege’ series, so if I get to choose, that’s the genre I’m writing in,” Scott said.
“The Getaway” features a large ensemble of couples, hosts and unexpected guests. Scott said she often finds characters least like herself the easiest to write.
“I think it’s because I’m able to say, ‘Okay, obviously I would do this, so let’s have her do the exact opposite,’” she said.
She particularly enjoyed writing Suzy, a character inclined to create conflict and challenge authority.
“I am not one to cause drama or challenge others,” Scott said. “I’m basically allergic to confrontation.”
An early scene in which Suzy questions the authority of her children’s camp director made Scott uncomfortable personally but proved easy to write.
Scott also says, “I also enjoyed writing the teenaged twins because I have two teenaged boys, and I think the way they live and think is so interesting,” she said. “They veer slightly toward caricatures of influencers, which was just fun to write.”
Some of Scott’s own fears also found their way into the novel.
She is frightened of hurricanes and tornadoes and has a recurring nightmare in which her husband leaves her for another woman and appears entirely unconcerned by her distress.
“Which is hilarious because he is the most loyal, loving, sanctity-of-marriage believer you’ll ever meet,” Scott said. “Like sitting here, I can’t even imagine him doing this, but my subconscious is apparently terrified of it.”
Scott said therapists have attributed the nightmare to a fear of abandonment. She said that fear informed the relationship between Lincoln and Lily in the novel.
Her influences extend well beyond contemporary thrillers. Scott grew up watching “Hill Street Blues,” “LA Law” and “Miami Vice” with her mother. More recently, she has watched series including “The Lincoln Lawyer,” “The Diplomat,” “Will Trent” and “The Night Agent.”
“It’s basically mysteries, thrillers, spy stories, crime dramas,” she said. “It all feeds the mystery muscles.”
While writing, Scott generally listens to classical piano or string trios, which she finds calming and conducive to concentration.
She also reads widely in literary fiction and romance. Scott cited Jennifer Weiner’s layered characterization, Maeve Binchy’s handling of large casts and Sophie Kinsella’s humor among her influences. Her “insta-buys” include books by Richard Osman, Deanna Raybourn, and Nita Prose.
Scott recently enjoyed “Margot’s Got Money Trouble,” praising its voice and well-drawn relationships. Among forthcoming thrillers, she said she is eager to read Sarah Pekkanen’s “The Locked Ward” and “My Husband’s Wife,” by Alice Feeney.
Beyond entertaining readers, Scott hopes “The Getaway” prompts them to consider the relationships in their own lives.
“How far are they willing to go to maintain them?” she said. “What do they find tolerable in friendship and where do they draw the line?”
Scott graduated from Rutgers University with a bachelor’s degree in English and journalism and lives in River Vale with her husband and two sons.
“The Getaway” will be released Sept. 1 in paperback, electronic and audiobook editions. Visit kieranscott.com.