Q&A with Kaira Rouda

 

 

 

Kaira Rouda is the author of the new novel Jill Is Not Happy. Her many other novels include Best Day Ever. She lives in Southern California.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Jill Is Not Happy, and how did you create your characters Jack and Jill?

 

A: I've always been fascinated by people who can charm everyone around them while harboring something much darker underneath. Jill emerged from wondering: what would happen if someone's need for control went beyond manipulation into something truly dangerous?

 

She's the neighbor who brings you casseroles and remembers your children's names—and who would eliminate anyone she perceives as a threat to her carefully constructed world.

 

Jill is cunning, absolutely ruthless, and darkly funny. She genuinely believes she's the heroine of her own story, protecting her marriage and her way of life. The fact that she's willing to kill for it? Well, that's just practical problem-solving in her mind. She doesn't see herself as evil—she sees herself as efficient. 

 

As for Jack, he seems to be one step behind. But is he?

 

Q: The writer Kimberly Belle said of the book, “A revenge thriller at its best, who knew til death do us part was so lethal for some people? A clever spin on the glue that keeps marriages together.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: Kimberly absolutely nailed it! She understood that for Jill, "til death do us part" isn't just a romantic promise—it's a literal threat to anyone who tries to interfere with her marriage. The "glue" holding Jack and Jill's marriage together isn't love or compatibility; it's Jill's willingness to do absolutely anything to maintain her version of marital bliss.

 

What makes it darkly funny is that Jill sees herself as the ultimate devoted wife. In her mind, she's not a killer—she's a problem solver. Someone flirting with Jack at a party? That's a problem. A coworker getting a little too friendly? Another problem. Jill has a very permanent solution for problems.

 

The revenge element comes from her belief that anyone who threatens her marriage deserves whatever they get. She's protecting what's hers, and she's remarkably creative about it.

 

Q: How was the novel’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: The title "Jill Is Not Happy" is both an understatement and a warning. On one level, it sounds almost petulant—like a child having a tantrum. But when you understand what Jill is capable of when she's unhappy, it becomes much more sinister.

 

The beauty of the title is its simplicity. It could be something a neighbor says in passing, a casual observation about someone's mood. But for anyone who crosses Jill, her unhappiness might become their death sentence. 

 

It also reflects how we often miss the warning signs right in front of us. Everyone in Laguna Beach might notice that "Jill is not happy," but they have no idea what she's willing to do about it. 

 

Q: Part of the novel takes place on a trip to Utah—why did you decide on that location for Jack and Jill’s road trip?

 

A: The Utah setting came from a very personal experience. My husband and I took a vacation to the Utah national parks, and I'll never forget watching the sunset over the Hoodoos in Bryce Canyon.

 

The landscape is absolutely breathtaking—otherworldly, really—but as I stood there taking in those dramatic rock formations and the vast, isolated wilderness, I had a very different thought: this would be the perfect place to kill someone. Fictionally speaking, of course!

 

Utah's national parks offer this incredible combination of stunning beauty and complete isolation. Miles and miles of red rock canyons, hidden trails, and places where you could disappear completely. For someone like Jill, who needs to solve her problems permanently and discreetly, it's almost too perfect. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I'm currently working on my next novel, We Were Never Friends, which is set in Palm Springs and features a group of sorority sisters who are forced to reunite when one of their sons gets engaged to another's daughter. Of course, bad things happen from there...

 

Like Jill Is Not Happy, it explores the facade of perfect relationships and what happens when long-buried secrets surface. There's something about forced reunions that brings out both the best and worst in people—especially when these women have spent decades carefully crafting their post-college identities.

 

The Palm Springs setting provides that same kind of glossy, affluent backdrop where appearances matter tremendously, but underneath the poolside cocktails and charity galas, old grudges and dangerous secrets are waiting to explode.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Readers should prepare themselves for a protagonist who's both hilarious and absolutely terrifying. Jill's internal monologue is wickedly funny—she has opinions about everything from her neighbors' landscaping choices to the proper way to dispose of evidence. She's the kind of character who will make you laugh out loud, then immediately make you check your locks.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Kaira Rouda.