Over the Falls by Rebecca Hodge

It’s early June in the mountains of eastern Tennessee, and the idyllic beauty of the landscape belies the darkness that lurks beneath the surface. Bryn Collins has been living in isolation for fourteen years after her fiancé jilted her for her despised sister, Del. But when Del goes mysteriously missing, and her fourteen-year-old son, Josh, arrives to ask for Bryn’s help finding her, Bryn is forced into action. Bryn and Josh follow an ever-elusive trail to Colorado, and at the annual Mountain Games competition in Vail, they finally confront the truth. For Bryn, all roads lead to the river, and on vicious Colorado whitewater, she must muster every ounce of courage and strength to save what she most loves in the world.

Rebecca Hodge recently spent some time with The Big Thrill discussing her latest thriller, OVER THE FALLS:

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

The scenes that kicked off this book were the ones involving kayaking whitewater rapids. Once they were in my head, I worked to develop a plot around them and characters that deserved the story. For me, this is pretty typical—plot first/fully developed characters second.

Rebecca Hodge

How does this book make a contribution to the genre?

This is crime fiction with characters you’ll fall for.

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

Although this book is crime fiction, the relationships between characters is a strong element in the story. One of the point-of-view characters is a 14-year-old boy, which is somewhat unusual for the genre.

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

OVER THE FALLS was written during COVID lockdown, and I was envious of my characters’ ability to travel.

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Rebecca Hodge is an author of fiction, a veterinarian, and a clinical research scientist who lives and writes in North Carolina. Fiction writing is the space where her creative side comes out to play, and her writing centers on characters who discover that life is not a spectator sport. She has three grown sons, two crazy dogs, and one patient husband. When not busy writing, she loves hiking, travel, and (of course) curling up with a good book.

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