Behind The Book Hooked With Caitlin Rother 

I’m honored to once again do this Behind The Book Q&A with investigative reporter and New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother. Caitlin Rother has mainly written true crime and today we are going to discuss her new thriller titled, Hooked, the first in the “Katrina & Goode” series. I was so happy to get a head start and read and devour this! Hooked is out today on February 1^st wherever you get your book!

Q: For the readers who haven’t read Hooked, would you like to give a brief description of the novel?

A: Here’s the marketing blurb for the book, which I helped to write. I think it sums up nicely:

In this suspenseful thriller by Caitlin Rother, a journalist and cop fight a sexual attraction as they join forces to expose a layered scheme of dark and dangerous secrets.

When investigative reporter Katrina Chopin and surfing homicide detective Ken Goode lock eyes, there’s an immediate attraction. Sparks fly as they bond over cocktails, sharing their common experiences of being orphans and losing loved ones to suicide.

But the next time they meet, it’s from opposing sides of a high-profile case. Two biotech execs, whose company is developing a groundbreaking sexual enhancement drug, turn up dead in the wealthy seaside enclave of La Jolla Farms, where Goode can readily see that the forensic evidence doesn’t add up.

As they work their own angles, sometimes together and sometimes at odds, their growing attraction threatens to cost them their jobs―and their lives. As Katrina and Goode pursue answers behind these mysterious events, a secret stalker taunts Katrina with details of her tragic past, which takes her to the brink of death. But once the duo rips the mask away from this beautiful paradise, the corrupt underbelly behind all that glitters is revealed.

 Q: Which scenes in Hooked did you enjoy creating? My favorite parts were Katrina & Ken’s chemistry, the killer reveal and the ending. 

A: Trying to answer this question is kind of like being asked to choose your favorite child. I think the opening scene in the prologue, which came very late in the writing and rewriting of this book, is one of which I am most proud of. I took great care in writing the scene later in the book (I’ll try to avoid spoilers) where Katrina and Goode face the strongest temptation to the sexual chemistry between them. I also felt that the climatic scenes at the Hotel del Coronado were also very important and so those are among my favorites as well.

Q: I can’t wait to read books 2, 3, 4 and beyond! I know in the Authors & Acknowledgments Section you wrote how books 2 & 3 were already finished and that you are currently writing book 4! What can fans expect in future books? While we await future books, do you recommend we read the prequel Naked Addiction? 

A: Sure, reading Naked Addiction will give you the back story for Detective Ken Goode, one of the two main characters in the “Katrina & Goode” series. But just remember that I started writing Naked Addiction about 35 years ago, so I have grown quite a bit, as has the hero, Detective Goode, even though only a couple years have passed in between that book and Hooked. The sequel, Staged, which is book 2 in the series, will be out in June and is available for preorder now. Staged picks up right where Hooked leaves off… I have an update since the acknowledgments were published: I have finished book 4 as well now, so it’s ready to go. Books 3 and 4 are currently under submission with my editor. Fingers crossed!

Q: If Hooked & its sequels were to be made into a television series or movie, who would be your perfect cast to play Katrina and Ken? 

A: It’s funny, but it took me a while to think about how to answer this question. Because it took me a long time to get Hooked published, my first choice for Ken Goode has probably aged out. I always saw Ryan Gosling as the actor to play Goode, partly because he is tall and athletic looking, but primarily because he is smart and sarcastic, and he is good at playing multilayered characters. I think the closest and most age-appropriate actor now is probably Glen Powell, although he doesn’t really have a surfer’s build (I’m picturing broad shoulders). But then again neither does Ryan Gosling. Perhaps there is an actor out there that would fit the character better who isn’t famous. Or maybe we just adjust the ages a little. Just as long as the casting director doesn’t settle for someone who is too short for this role, as Tom Cruise was for the Jack Reacher character…  As for an actress to play Katrina Chopin, I like Natalie Portman, because she is smart and confident, even though she doesn’t really fit the physical picture I have of Katrina in my head. But I think most importantly, whichever two actors are chosen for these roles must have the right chemistry, not just physically and sexually, but in terms of their sense of humor and their ability to banter.

Q: Are there any themes and lessons you hope readers pick up on as they read Hooked & its sequels?

A: As with a lot of my true crime books, I am drawn to stories that feature suicide and addiction as underlying themes. The same goes for wealthy people behaving badly and the greed and corruption that tend to lie under the surface of beautiful places in Southern California, where materialism and image are so important to certain people, the rich in particular. I don’t want to sound preachy when I say this, but it was important to me to pay homage to two professions – journalists and detectives – that were once respected and admired for doing their jobs, for doing the right thing, for being ethical, for having integrity, and for protecting democracy and the common good, because I think today that is not necessarily the case.