Confess to Me by Sharon Doering

Heather Hornne is going home.

Haunted by a childhood tragedy and estranged from her family, Heather finds herself back in the outworn town of Hunther, Wisconsin after twenty years running from it.

She returns to finally put the past to rest, but uncovers another tragedy and finds herself in the beguiling grip of a young woman who knows more of her family secrets than Heather does.

To survive this homecoming, Heather must piece together a toxic history that she long tried to forget.

Sharon Doering recently spent some time with The Big Thrill discussing her latest thriller, CONFESS TO ME:

Which took shape first: plot, character, or setting?

Character! For me, if I fall for a character, I will follow them anywhere.

Heather Hornne has a chip on her shoulder, she struggles with her identity, and she is desperate for redemption. She’s a dark soul with moments of hilarity and tenderness.

Sharon Doering

What was the biggest challenge this book presented? What about the biggest opportunity?

Every single character in this book has a secret. The challenge was revealing enough about each character while holding back their secret in a manner that is satisfying to the reader.

There’s a lot going on in the town of Hunther, Wisconsin, which presented so many opportunities to shock and surprise the reader.

Without spoilers, are there any genre conventions you wanted to upend or challenge with this book?

I wanted to challenge marriage/relationship conventions along with the concept of who deserves a happy ending.

No spoilers, but what can you tell us about your book that we won’t find in the jacket copy or the PR material?

In CONFESS TO ME, you will find…

mountain lions
a peculiar marriage-game
a psychologist
hunters
an exorcism

*****

Sharon Doering lives in the Chicago area with her husband, their three kids, and a peculiarly civilized dog, Indy.

In her other life, she was a science professor, a biotech stock analyst, and a xenotransplantation researcher. She has also been a good waitress, a mediocre bartender, and a terrible maid.

To learn more about the author and her work, please visit her website.