I grew up twelve miles from where this story actually happened, without knowing it. I knew the descendants of the families involved before I ever read the court records that would eventually become Willow Creek — which is, I think, exactly how this book was always going to find me.

A few years ago, I read about the criminal case from 1864, and it did not sit right with me. My criminal defense training kicked in, and I did not believe Henry Deadmond was guilty. I researched the story, then created a possible motive for Henry while intentionally leaving the case unsolved. It is complicated—and that complexity is part of what drew me in.