The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard: A Thriller by Kate Robards
Author Interview + Book & Author Info!
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The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard
A missing child, a small town’s secrets, and a desperate killer set the stage for a darkly wrought debut novel that will haunt readers long after the last page. Perfect for fans of Julia Heaberlin and Chevy Stevens.
It’s not that they’ve been all that close in the past few years, but sisters Willa and Sawyer Stannard are bonded by the ups and downs of the life they’ve lived with their mercurial single mother. When Willa is found dead in her apartment from an apparent suicide, Sawyer just knows it’s not possible. A cryptic note from the acclaimed broadcast journalist leads police to rule out foul play. Shattered by grief—and obsessed by the idea that her sister’s death was not a suicide—Sawyer plunges into a search for the truth.
When Sawyer learns that Willa was writing an explosive true crime book about the decades-old disappearance of a toddler that rocked a small town hundreds of miles away, she’s even more convinced that Willa’s death is suspicious. Believing it is somehow connected to the research Willa was doing for the book, Sawyer begins to trace her sister’s steps, deep into a community she can’t begin to understand and to a truth that could destroy her as easily as it did Willa.
As she masterfully ratchets up the suspense, Robards never loosens her grip in a debut novel sure to keep readers guessing—and talking.
To purchase The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard, click on any of the following links: Amazon, Penguin Random House, Barnes & Noble.
Interview with Kate Robards, author of The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard
The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard focuses on the relationship between two sisters, Willa and Sawyer. Sawyer doesn’t believe Willa’s death was suicide and decides to prove it. What led you to writing about a bond between sisters for your debut?
Siblings may share genes, but their personalities can be wildly different. When I began outlining this novel, I had a clear picture of the sharp-edged, smart woman I wanted Willa to be. When I started crafting Sawyer, I spent time considering how a younger sister’s personality may be different, despite sharing a history and a home. Interestingly, being raised in the same family sometimes pushes kids in opposite directions when it comes to personalities. In many ways, Sawyer is the opposite of Willa, which pushes them apart as adults. Sawyer’s not only trying to solve the mystery of her sister’s death, but she’s also trying to understand the person Willa was.
Tell us about Sawyer Stannard, protagonist of The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard:
Sawyer is not a detective; she’s a confused, grieving sister trying to make sense of her sister’s last days. She’s bounced from job to job, settling, for the moment, as a spin instructor. She’s battling her own demons, from living in the shadow of her high-achieving sister to a recurring battle with an eating disorder. Sawyer is an “every girl,” thrown into a dark, twisty web of secrets and suspicions.
What is the significance of the title, The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard?
This is a great question, but an explanation would mean I’d spoil some twisty revelations! I’ve started to see some chatter from early readers about this, but all I will say is that you’ll have to read it to figure out the title.
The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard uses dual Point of View characters. What drew you to that convention for your first novel?
I felt that using a dual point of view allowed me to tell a more detailed, well-rounded story. While Sawyer follows in her sister Willa’s footsteps in the present, alternate chapters explain the past from Willa’s point of view. Because the story is about unraveling the truth of Willa’s death, it only made sense to let Willa speak for herself, too.
As Sawyer investigates, she finds Willa was writing an explosive true crime book about the disappearance of a toddler. Interspersed within The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard are excerpts from Willa’s book. This gives the reader insight into Willa’s research of the toddler’s abduction and draws the reader into that plotline as well. I find true crime fascinating, so I jumped at the opportunity to include this element in my debut.
Tell us about your road to publication with The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard:
Like many authors, it took a long time to find an agent and a publisher. While querying, I applied to a statewide contest for unpublished writers, and I won! One of the prizes was a professional editor, so armed with a polished manuscript and more confidence, I refocused on finding an agent. After that, it didn’t take long to find my agent, Amy Moore-Benson with Meridian Artists. Amy is an enthusiastic champion of my work, and she found a great publishing match with Crooked Lane Books.
What are you working on now?
I recently finished the first draft of a new thriller. While I’m not ready to reveal details yet, I’ll share that it’s tense, gritty, chilling, and darker than I imagined when I began writing! Stay tuned!
I can’t wait to hear!
Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:
I can’t say enough about the importance of perseverance. Right after I finished my manuscript, I attended an author panel at a local library and asked those writers how many queries they sent before landing their agents. Forty, fifty, eighty … it was staggering! Knowing that helped, though.
So, my advice is to keep writing, revising, and submitting – even when your queries seem to vanish into thin air, even when one agent loves the plot but not the characters and another loves the characters but not the plot. It’s all so subjective! I think that if you believe in your work, you owe it to yourself to see how far you can take it.
Kate Robards
Kate Robards holds a degree in journalism and works in communications at a nonprofit organization.
She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and children.
The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard is her first novel.
To learn more about Kate Robards, click on any of the following links: Website, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.
Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell
All We Buried, available now in print, e-book, and audio.
Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator
Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery
The Foundation of Plot, a Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet!) guidebook.
