Christine Feehan's Blog - Posts Tagged "red-on-the-river"

I’ve always loved reading mystery novels. The Sherlock Holmes series was a favorite of mine. Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, and I loved Agatha Christie. Then I found romantic suspense and Laurie R. King’s Mary Russell mysteries series, Karen Rose’s amazing thrillers, Tess Gerritsen, Sandra Brown, the list is endless! So, to say that I’ve always wanted to write a romantic suspense mystery is an understatement.

I’ve written since I was very young. So, there are some initial mystery/thriller books that I’ve written that will never see the light of day. Let’s call those my practice run. Lol

Last year I decided to sit down and plan out a mystery novel. I normally am a linear writer and pantser. But, to write a mystery you do have to have some planning. I wanted people to really have to guess at who the killer was. It was every bit as fun as I had hoped and that is how Murder at Sunrise Lake came to be published.



I loved the women and the feeling of sisterhood in Murder at Sunrise Lake and though the next book, Red on the River, utilizes those characters it is a standalone book. It is also a romantic suspense mystery. Set in Las Vegas with a poker tournament and a killer following Vienna and her friends as they hike and boulder, this still has a touch of paranormal to it. And it has a hot hero with a secret government job and skills that can save, or end, someone.



The romance between Vienna and Zale is one of my favorite things about Red on the River . It’s an emotional relationship full of passion and hope. This is definitely an action book and I’ll be really interested in how long it will take readers to figure out who the killer is.

Murder at Sunrise Lake will be released in paperback May 24th and Red on the River releases in hardcover June 28th.

Who is your favorite mystery or romantic suspense author? Or what is your favorite mystery novel?

A few more weeks and Red on the River will be out! I can't wait for June 28th!
I thought it would be fun to do a puzzle based off of the book! I hope you enjoy it!

Red on the River is a romantic suspense story but it is also a mystery. If you enjoy looking for clues and guessing at who the killer is then I hope you’ll give this book a try.



I love the dynamics of relationships. I write about more than just romance and feel all relationships are interesting.

Vienna has a variety of relationships she has to face. She’s very real and down to earth in how she thinks of relationships and has respect for them. Even the difficult ones. The relationship between she and her mother has been estranged, so when Vienna ends up in Las Vegas, where her mother lives, it’s time to address what happened between them. Many people are estranged from those they love and we see how that affects Vienna during her trip.

I love how she interacts with her family and friends. She’s a heroine I hope readers admire and can see themselves as.

In Red on the Riverhe hero, Zale, is a man of mystery. Vienna isn’t really sure of what he does for a living but she knows it is secretive and dangerous. Just like he is. He is her own personal mystery.



I loved writing this couple’s story. They are both risk-takers and they put their hearts on the line to find that that is the biggest risk of all. I love that they’re complicated as individuals and as a couple, but they want to simplify their lives. It becomes something they both crave. And something that isn’t easy to achieve.

Tell me who some of your favorite heroines are!

I’ve been asked before why I started writing romantic suspense. I think I’ve always written romantic suspense. It just also happened to have a lot of paranormal elements. Suspense is, at least in my opinion, as much of a hallmark of my stories as romance and a happy-ever-after. What I do feel is different when it comes to Murder at Sunrise Lake and Red on the River is the mystery – the whodunit. And the fact that I don’t have graphic sex in this new series.



When I look back at the Drake Sisters series and the Sea Haven series, I feel that this new series is quite similar to these. It’s a tight-knit group of strong women who empower each other and are like family to one another. There’s not as much paranormal in the new series. I’d call it paranormal-light.



Like the Drakes or Sea Haven series there’s a touch of humor, a bit of the paranormal, sisterhood, romance, suspense and a happy-ever-after. Oh! And that small town feeling. With the Drakes and Sea Haven series there is the town of Sea Haven. With this new series the town is Knightly, but it’s still a small town with interesting characters we meet along the way.

I hope to write more stories about the amazingly strong women of Knightly and hope readers will enjoy their stories.