PHOTO: Chris Patchell, bestselling author of emotionally intense thrillers set in the Pacific Northwest.
Exploring Crime Mystery And Human Emotion
Chris Patchell discusses her bestselling thrillers, from small-town secrets to powerful female leads, revealing how personal history, setting, and conflict fuel her emotionally intense and award-winning crime fiction.
Chris Patchell is a USA Today bestselling author whose darkly compelling thrillers echo with both menace and humanity. A former technology executive turned storyteller, she channels her sharp eye for detail and insight into human behaviour into novels that balance taut suspense with emotional depth. Her fiction, set largely against the atmospheric landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, draws readers into worlds where secrets simmer beneath the surface and justice often comes at a cost.
Her bestselling works, including Deadly Lies, In the Dark, and the Lacey James series, exemplify her gift for weaving complex plots with characters who feel deeply real—haunted, resilient, and endlessly intriguing. Each story not only grips with tension but lingers in the heart, exploring questions of morality, survival, and the unravelling of family bonds.
Patchell’s literary path began in an almost ironic twist: what started as a way of easing the frustrations of a relentless Seattle commute grew into a body of work that has garnered awards and acclaim. The darker turns of human nature, filtered through her lens, become both chilling and compelling, reminding us that beneath ordinary lives often lie extraordinary secrets.
With her latest additions to the Lacey James series and new projects on the horizon, Chris Patchell continues to expand the borders of crime fiction, inviting readers into stories that demand not only to be read but felt.
In Find Her, Officer Lacey James uncovers a chilling crime spree in Sweet Home, Oregon. What inspired you to set this series in a small-town Pacific Northwest setting?
There are so many great things about setting a thriller in the Pacific Northwest. Not only does the rainy season set the perfect mood for a crime series, there are so many natural barriers like the mountains, lakes, rivers and ocean to explore. After moving from Seattle to the Willamette Valley, I was inspired by the beauty of the area and thought it would be the perfect place for a small-town crime series. I wanted some place close to the mountains and a lake, which is how I ended up choosing Sweet Home as the place. It was only after book 4 of the series was published, that I found out there was a serial killer in the 70s who hunted for victims along Highway 20, which runs through Sweet Home.
Your Holt Foundation series features Elizabeth Hot, a survivor turned investigator. How does her personal history influence her approach to solving crimes?
Elizabeth is smart, relentless, and tough as nails. The attack she survived in college inspired her to study the law and spend her career fighting for justice for all victims of violent crime. Using her legal career as a springboard, in her later years, she created a foundation of highly skilled, diverse committed professionals to carry on her legacy. After writing In the Dark, I loved her so much, I was compelled to write Justice for All, which shares Elizabeth’s origin story.
In Deception Bay, Austin Martell returns to his hometown to uncover dark secrets. What drew you to explore themes of family and hidden truths in this standalone novel?
The idea of family secrets and hidden truths has always fascinated me, and Austin and I share some common history. We both grew up in small towns and moved to far-away cities to pursue our dreams and we both grew up in the shadows of our “jock” brothers. In Austin’s case, he has a broken relationship with his mother that he needs to come to terms with to heal some of his wounds. I think that’s a situation that a lot of people can identify with and part of what (I hope) makes him so relatable.
The Perfect Brother delves into sibling dynamics under pressure. How did you develop the complex relationship between Indira and her brother Amar?
Though most people would agree that living in a family rife with drama is awful, writing about it is totally FUN. One of the cool things about this particular sibling relationship is that the typical sibling rivalry dynamic between Indira and Amar is amplified by the cultural dynamics of their family. What I love about this story is that both kids are defying their parents expectations. Amar’s keeping secrets and telling lies—one of which is about to blow up in a spectacular way, while Indira’s openly defiant and truthful to a fault. Weaving each characters’ strengths and weaknesses into the complex fabric of family expectations makes for apretty compelling family drama backdrop for this murder mystery plays out.
Your writing has earned several accolades, including a Next Generation Indie Book Award. How have these recognitions impacted your writing journey and audience reach?
My brother was the athletic star of the family. I never won trophies growing up, so I have to admit, winning some awards for my writing has felt amazing! Not only does it feel special to have someone other than your mom recognize the quality your writing, but it also opens your work up to new audiences. Done right, it’s a nod to your readers saying that this book is worth their time. I’ve been lucky to have so many of my books honored. 😊
With Kill Her being the latest in the Lacey James series, what can your readers expect next in Lacey’s journey?
Apparently, my fictional world of Sweet Home, Oregon is rife with crime, which means Lacey will have some more compelling mysteries to solve in her future! Right now, I’m editing the first book in a new series set in Portland. The second book in that series will have a crossover with the Lacey James series. I’ve already written the first few chapters of the second book and can’t wait to dive more fully into that!
What would you offer to aspiring authors looking to craft compelling suspense thrillers?
Focus on your story conflict first. What’s the external conflict driving your story? What’s the internal conflict driving your characters? How do you plan to escalate the stakes in both? It’s that kind of high-stakes story conflict that will make your suspense thriller compelling. I’d be lying if I said I always get this right. The times when I have to rewrite the most (and there have been books I’ve torn apart multiple times), it’s because I haven’t laid the necessary groundwork up front in the conflict to drive the story all the way through to the end. The work you put in upfront will hopefully save you weeks and months of rewriting in the end.
