Q&A with Kit Frick

 

Photo by Carly Gaebe/Steadfast Studio

 

 

Kit Frick is the author of the new young adult novel The Reunion. Her other books include the YA novel I Killed Zoe Spanos. She is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Reunion, and how did you create your cast of characters?

 

A: The Reunion was inspired by a vacation—a good one with no murder! After not traveling for two years during the pandemic, I took a wonderful trip to a resort in Cancún, Mexico not unlike La Maravilla in the novel.

 

Because I’m a murder mystery writer, no vacation is complete without my imagination cooking up a crime scene, and thus the setting for The Reunion was born. The rest of the story followed from there.

 

In terms of the cast, I began with my “core four” teen protagonists and expanded out from there to build the entire Mayweather clan—11 in the reunion party and three more family members who aren’t along for the trip. It involved a massive Google sheet with many columns!

 

Q: Why did you decide to set the novel at a Caribbean resort?

 

A: Clearly my own vacation was the direct inspiration for the setting, but more broadly, “an idyllic vacation takes a dark and deadly turn” is one of my favorite thriller sub-genres. I love the juxtaposition between a picture-perfect setting and a shocking crime.

There’s a longstanding literary tradition in this vein, and it was thrilling to dive into those waters with The Reunion.

 

Q: The Publishers Weekly review of the book says, in part, “Frick handily explores themes surrounding gender roles, loyalty, sexuality, and toxic masculinity in this cleverly layered mystery.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: Love it! I think the reviewer got to the heart of a lot of what this story explores beneath that glossy resort veneer.

 

In The Reunion, as in all my YA novels, I set out to entertain readers with a suspenseful and fun story, but I’m also always seeking to unpack the real-life identity and culture issues that teens navigate every day.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?

 

A: Never trust your family? Just kidding! If there is a universal takeaway, it has something to do with secrets kept in a pressure cooker exploding sooner or later, but mostly I just want readers to connect with the characters and enjoy the ride as the mystery unfolds.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: My first suspense novel for adults, The Split, releases in February, so I’m working on a variety of articles and listicles to promote it.

 

I’m also polishing up the draft of my as-of-yet-untitled second book for adults, a thriller set on Lake Como in Italy. I’m so excited about both of these books!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I love to stay connected with readers, and one of the best ways to do so it by signing up for my author newsletter, These Little Secrets: bit.ly/KitLetter. It goes out once a month, and there’s always a giveaway, book news, and more!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Kit Frick.