We chat with author Tess Sharpe about No Body No Crime, which is a new action packed thriller about two women whose lives―and hearts―are destined for each other.
Hi, Tess! Welcome back! How has the past year been since we last spoke?
Busy, busy! It always feels like I’ve got ten things in the hopper. Also I learned how to make jam. I currently have 18 half-pints sitting on the kitchen counter and so much more fruit to process.
Your latest novel, No Body No Crime, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Be Gay. Do Crime. That was four, but it sums it up pretty well!
What can readers expect?
A book where I take everything I normally take seriously and poke fun at it. No Body No Crime is a silly, twisty and murderous romp through my Calabama world full of women who will survive no matter what—and do anything for each other. Also there’s a feral peacock named Doris, who is as murderous as our two leading ladies.
The official log-line: NO BODY NO CRIME is a classic girl meets girl, girls kill boy and bury him in the woods love story.
A rural PI finds herself on the trail of the one who got away—with her heart and with murder. Eight years after a sweet sixteen party that ended with the two girls in love and that good for nothing boy in the ground, Mel Tillman is tasked with finding Chloe Harper, but as soon as she hunts down her ex, the two women quickly discover that they didn’t bury that boy—or their feelings—deep enough.
Where did the inspiration for No Body No Crime come from?
I drew a lot from my love of 80’s action-adventure movies with a strong romance element like ROMANCING THE STONE and the early Coen Brothers films, specifically RAISING ARIZONA and FARGO, both of which had a huge impact on me as a pre-teen when my Gramz showed them to me.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
This was the first time I got to write from the POV of the villain, which was really fun because Rick is so over the top. He’s got just a few chapters, but he was fun to write and narrate.
In my character notes I had written down: Rick drinks coors light out of a plastic human skull. H’’s such a black sheep weirdo. He’s not the brightest bulb and I enjoyed writing about a not-so-smart criminal because I think we often lean into the “brilliant criminal mind” trope (I’m totally guilty of this, too) when in reality, a lot of crime is done by not-so-master-minds.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
I stopped and started this book quite a bit because of contract negotiations. Those early “no AI” clauses took a lot of finessing on both sides of the publishing coin. Kudos to Macmillan for giving me the most comprehensive clause I have seen so far!
Normally I write the proposal, I sell the book, and then I finish it pretty quickly after selling it. This one I had to take a long break just because negotiations understandably took a bit longer than usual and as a full time writer, I had to turn my attention to other paying work to keep the financial gears of life going. Luckily, the character voices in this one are strong enough that jumping back in felt like a treat instead of a challenge and I had spent enough time away from if that I was so excited to get back into it!
Your first book published just over a decade ago! What are some of the key lessons you’ve learned between that book and your most recent release?
The thing I’ve learned the most in publishing and through the last decade and 20 or so books (under this name and others) is that you’ve always got to be ready to pivot away from pitfalls and to never put your book eggs in just one basket. Diversify income and creative streams as much as possible.
Also to find a true support system of fellow writers.
What’s next for you?
My next YA out in September is a collaboration with Marvel, WHITE WIDOW: SECRET SISTERS about the amazing spy Yelena Belova. She ends up in charge of a small child while on the run during a sort of Spy Exchange Program and it has its challenges. One of my notes was “everything is sticky!” when I was writing it!
Then I’ve got an original YA out in 2026, HOW SHE FELL, which is told in prose and in story-boards about a teen filmmaker who films her last moments and sends them to her best friend, proving she didn’t fall off the Bluffs like everyone thinks—she was pushed. I’m also hard at work on my next adult thriller, about a childfree influencer who finds herself thrust into a double nightmare when she finds herself guardian of her nieces and nephew after her trad-wife family influencer sister is murdered.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?
I adored THE UNEXPECTED CONSEQUENCE OF BLEEDING ON A TUESDAY by Kelsey B. Toney (now a USA Today Bestseller!) and I cannot wait for Amy Spalding’s upcoming IN HER SPOTLIGHT!
