Q&A with New York Times Bestselling Author Megan Miranda: Daughter of Mine

Author Megan Miranda talks to Book Club about her latest novel, Daughter of Mine, an instant New York Times bestseller

“When Hazel Sharp, daughter of Mirror Lake’s longtime local detective, unexpectedly inherits her childhood home, she’s warily drawn back to the town—and people—she left behind almost a decade earlier. But Hazel’s not the only relic of the past to return: a drought has descended on the region, and as the water level in the lake drops, long-hidden secrets begin to emerge…including evidence that may help finally explain the mystery of her mother’s disappearance.

Riveting and suspenseful, Daughter of Mine is Megan Miranda’s best novel yet, filled with “delicious twists, dark secrets, and a deadly past” (Ashley Elston, New York Times bestselling author of First Lie Wins) that will keep you turning the pages late into the night.”

Choosing our October book was a no-brainer; Daughter of Mine, a familial suspense story set in a small town, is the latest novel from New York Times bestselling author Megan Miranda, and our book club welcomed her back for the second(!!!) time. And we’re hoping there’s a third - Miranda hinted at a new book that we hope is coming in 2025.

Miranda worked in biotech before she was a high school science teacher, and it was only after she had her two kids that she turned to writing. And we’re so glad she did!
“I was reading constantly. I feel like that’s the common denominator for so many people who love to write.”

Here are a few excerpts from our conversation (*spoiler alert!*):

About the inspiration behind ‘Daughter of Mine’
”I knew I wanted a mystery centering around a family. I loved the show Mare of Easttown. I was, like, obsessed with it, this idea of a woman who was a cop in a small town where she also grew up - what were those dynamics like?…What if I have a character who’s not a cop, but her entire family is?…A lot of times [when writing a thriller], it has to do with revelations that a character discovers about themselves or their family that they didn't know as they were going on.”

How the ending almost changed
”Gage was more involved than he actually was. He wasn’t a villain, but he was definitely not good.”

Favorite character in ‘Daughter of Mine?’
“It’s always my main character, because you’re in their head.”

Writing books as a mom of two early in her career
”I had kids that went to bed when I put their blackout curtain down at 6:45, and so I just started writing at night…There was not a ‘this is how I did it’ because it just changed constantly. I was writing when they were at Taekwondo in my car.”

Her advice for aspiring novelists
”Realizing it is a business, because there’s the creative side, and the business side and those are very different…Finding the people that you want to work with is really important, and that they have the vision that you do for a project is really important.”

Thank you to author Megan Miranda for letting us share a few quotes from our conversation. Pick up Daughter of Mine, out now!