A New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a BA in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager. Elle is the author of more than fifty contemporary fiction and romance novels, published by a variety of major houses. Her work includes the Off-Campus series, the global phenomenon which has captivated millions of readers around the world.

Tell us about Thornbird. What was your inspiration and what made you want to dive into thrillers? 

I’m a huge thriller fan, both as a reader and a writer. In my teens I was reading thrillers by Stephen King, Dean Koonzt, John Grisham (I love legal thrillers!) as well as a lot of true crime. My first books as an author were all romantic suspense titles, with a prominent mystery or suspense plot. 

So this genre has been a large part of my history. In a thriller, the emphasis shifts to what drives the character to keep going—whether that’s their mission, their survival, or how they navigate high-stakes situations. Writing Thornbird allowed me to explore the thriller space but with young adult characters and take the plot in unexpected directions. 

This is a serial killer novel. Have you had a fascination with this branch of true crime for a while? Is there a particular killer you researched for the book? 

One of my first two published novels was a romantic suspense called Silent Watch (about the sole survivor of a serial killer) so I guess you can say I’ve had a fascination for a while. I’m a big fan of Ann Rule’s true crime books.

One of my favorites is Small Sacrifices, which covered the Diane Downs case. True crime has definitely been a genre I’ve gravitated toward my whole life. 

For this book, in particular, there wasn’t a specific killer I researched, although I’m very familiar with nearly all of the more known serial killers/true crime cases. Gabriel Thorn isn’t based on anyone real, and I don’t get into great detail about his crimes, which is intentional. I wanted the focus to be more on his daughter and her journey. 

 Seeing this through the eyes of a serial killer’s daughter is such a fascinating perspective. What were some things that surprised you about writing through this POV? 

Not a lot of people can say they’re the child of a serial killer. That experience is a unique one. That said, what surprised me about writing from Ryan’s POV is how relatable she is. She’s lived so many lives under different aliases, so discovering who she is despite her family history is a large piece of Ryan’s story, and I think a lot of people can understand that feeling.

How did you approach writing Ryan’s internal world—especially the paranoia of knowing everyone is watching you? 

The worst-case scenario for anyone trying to keep a low profile is to be the new kid in a very small town where everyone wants to get to know you. Ryan needed to feel the paranoia to push her into facing her family’s demons, in order to work through it and reclaim her life out of her father’s shadow. 

There’s something chilling about small towns and buried secrets. What makes Starling, Tennessee, the perfect setting for this story? 

Starling is set in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee with a history of unsolved mysteries. It felt right for Ryan’s story to take place here. Small towns, in particular, tend to have the kind of secrets that residents want to keep hidden because everybody knows everyone, so there’s more at stake if these secrets come to light. In a big city setting, nobody knows you. You can move through life more easily, in a sense. But in a small town, the spotlight is perpetually on you. 

What were some big shifts you had to undergo in the writing process moving from rom-coms to a dark thriller? 

In a romance, the focus is often on overcoming challenges in order to find love, or on personal growth that allows a character to accept it. In a thriller, the stakes are often higher, life or death at times, and you’re also keeping track of so many different suspense threads that need to be slowly unveiled to the reader. Both genres keep the reader guessing, and they’re both full of tension, but the way the plot threads unravel are handled differently. 

What elements of your writing did you feel you carried forward into this new genre? 

In many ways, writing a romance and a thriller follows a similar foundation: I start by considering who the characters are, what motivates them, and which key plot points will shape their journey. However, as the story unfolds, the approach begins to differ. 

Did you feel pressure—internally or externally—about pivoting genres? 

I didn’t feel pressure at all! I’ve written romantic suspense in the past, which was both challenging and rewarding, but in recent years my focus has been on contemporary romance. Readers who come to me now expect those lighter, spicier stories. I chose to write Thornbird under E. Kennedy to make it clear that with this story, readers should expect something different from me.  

What are some of your favorite thrillers? 

Oh gosh, I have many. The ones I’ve read more than once and are “comfort” reads (if you can call them that) would be: Misery by Stephen King, the Wire in the Blood series by Val McDermid, A Time to Kill by John Grisham, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.  

What are some of your favorite shows and movies in this genre? 

I will watch any true-crime documentary you put in front of me! And I love any sort of procedural TV show where the characters are investigating/solving a crime, like Criminal Minds or Law & Order. The most recent show that I absolutely loved was His & Hers on Netflix. I loved the book, and I think the adaption was fantastic. 

 Do you have a favorite true crime podcast? 

My Favorite Murder and Crime Junkie are my go tos.  

What are you working on next? 

I’m currently working on my next young adult thriller, which is yet another departure from what readers are used to from me! 

Thornbird by E. Kennedy

Ryan Shipley is back in Starling, Tennessee hoping that no one will recognize her. No one can know who she really is and the truth about her past–her father is the infamous serial killer, Gabriel Thorn, who was caught ten years ago. Despite all that time, people are still interested in the Gabriel Thorn case. Their investigations will uncover dark, hidden secrets that might prove that Ryan knows more about her dad’s past than she has ever let on.

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