We are very excited to sit and down and talk with D.M. Barr. She is author of several thriller novels and the editor of multiple anthologies as well. Two of her upcoming works for 2025 are: Deadly When Disturbed and Vacations Can Be Murder.
Deadly When Disturbed has received tremendous praise from early reviewers and is set to release on January 14th. When describing the book, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Marshall Karp said, “D. M. Barr’s latest domestic thriller is a total rush. It’s like being back with Betty and Veronica all over again—only this ain’t high school, and these women (like the title says) are DEADLY WHEN DISTURBED.”
Click here to read more about Deadly When Disturbed
Thriller Magazine: What drew you to the thriller genre?
Psychological suspense and domestic suspense novels and films are what I like to read and watch on the screen. But I actually didn’t know I’d written a psychological thriller until I sent my first manuscript to an editor who told me that’s what I’d written. I’d made the same mistake so many new writers make, not initially researching the tropes connected to each genre. I’ve hopped around a little since then–romantic suspense, romantic comedy, nonfiction–but I always return to psychological and domestic thrillers because, as I recently told my critique group, the manuscript doesn’t feel right unless someone dies.
TM: It’s difficult to have unique ideas in an established genre. However, one of your previous novels, EXPIRED LISTINGS, is a psychological thriller that has earned great praise from readers for its unique storyline. One reviewer called it “a tongue-in-cheek exaggerated look at the cut-throat world of realtors as they jostle and connive to win sellers’ listings.” What inspired you to write this book?
That was my first novel, and I wrote it primarily to explain to the world what a dangerous life we led as Realtors (since I am a Realtor too!). Think about it—we put photos on our signs and in our ads showing us looking our very best, and then we announce to the world the address of the empty house where we’ll be alone for 3-4 hours on a Sunday. We get into cars with strangers or have them get into ours (at least we did.. Since COVID, it doesn’t happen as much anymore.) And we meet people we’ve never met before or vetted at vacant houses. I’d say all that’s a bit risky. Even though the Realtors in my books die somewhat ironic deaths, it’s designed to point out that agents should watch their backs out there. Since Expired Listings came out, I’ve written two other thrillers involving Rock Canyon Realty. One was more of a rom-com because I couldn’t write about death during COVID. And the third, Deadly When Disturbed—a very dark novel–comes out in January from Level Best Books.
TM: Your next upcoming novel, DEADLY WHEN DISTURBED, is a domestic thriller. What motivated you to try your hand in this genre?
I’d written domestic suspense before. Saving Grace: A Psychological Thriller, was inspired by two domestic suspense films, Gaslighting and Suspicion. My new book is about a leading Realtor who hires an assistant without checking references. When she suspects that the woman is a con artist who’s slowly insinuating herself into her business, charity work, and family, she takes matters into her own hands. Early reviewers, God bless them, have compared Deadly When Disturbed to All About Eve, The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, and Single White Female. One reviewer described it as “Liane Moriarty meets Gillian Flynn by way of John Lutz.” I am not unhappy with that comparison!
I enjoy writing about the horrors that arise from everyday relationships and situations. It’s terrifying when you realize you can’t trust your spouse, children, co-workers—and even your parents. These dilemmas are especially frightening because they involve relationships in which nearly every person on Earth finds themselves–there’s no escape!
TM: You have tremendous experience as an editor, having edited multiple anthologies. Do you feel like your work as an editor improves your skills as a writer?
Absolutely. Working with my critique group does as well. Whenever you encounter mistakes made by other authors and you recognize why they’re mistakes, it strengthens your own abilities as an author. Learning to communicate how to fix those mistakes gently. and empathetically is another skill that takes time to master. What amazes me is how many people will pay money to an editor, and then never incorporate the suggested changes. My first editor told me that most writers can’t deal with the fact that their submitted draft needs work, and just quit the project instead of learning what to do differently. It’s a shame because I believe that working directly with an editor–whether it’s me through SuggestedDevelopment.com or one of the other talented ones out there—is a far better learning experience than taking a class and merely learning the theory of the craft.
TM: Another one of your upcoming works is a multi-volume true crime series titled Vacations Can Be Murder: A True Crime Lover’s Travel Guide to New England. Many authors find true crime difficult to craft. Can you share some of the research work you had to do for this project?
I have to admit that I didn’t have to craft the true crime; I had to summarize what had already been written. I’ve broken my books down by region, and each edition includes summaries of the major crimes in that region (most heinous and also most interesting; they are sometimes not the same); suggestions for further reading; crime-and-punishment-related or haunted hotels, restaurants, tours, museums, and attractions; jails where the perpetrators are serving or have served time; locations of the criminals’ and victims’ burial sites; easy-to-follow itineraries that bring all those locations together; and finally, victim resources. So, as you can imagine, this required months of research from multiple sources, including phone calls, databases, maps, websites, old newspapers, and talking with wonderfully helpful historical societies and librarians. I believe my bibliography contains close to 500 entries.
TM: What value do you believe your upcoming works bring to the thriller genre?
I always try to bring social issues to light in my books. In Expired Listings, I described the dangerous nature of the real estate industry. In Murder Worth the Weight, I tackled fat shaming. Saving Grace is an allegory for how women of a certain age become invisible and have to fight to be heard, but I also included a side plot involving the LGBTQ community and the horrors of conversion camps. In The Queen of Second Chances, it was elder abuse. And the upcoming Deadly When Disturbed, the main character has a child with autism and creates great programs for children with invisible disabilities. To write it, I borrowed what I’d learned while researching my first nonfiction book, Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible, and the Neurodiverse. By the way, that was the first book I published under my own name (Dawn M. Barclay) as opposed to D.M. Barr. Now I write all my nonfiction under my real name, including Vacations Can Be Murder, but Deadly When Disturbed will have D.M. Barr on the cover.
TM: VACATIONS CAN BE MURDER is the start of a series with each installment being set in a new region. Have you started working on the next installment of the series? If so, can you share where it will be set?
The Mid-Atlantic edition (NY/NJ/PA) is complete and will come out in August. The Capital Region edition (DC, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware) should come out a few months after that. It’s a long-term project because I hope to cover the entire USA and then tackle other countries.
TM: What advice do you have for new authors breaking into the industry?
Don’t believe agents, publishers, and other authors who tell you something can’t be done just because it hasn’t been done yet. If you believe in a project, go for it, but know you may have to query extensively or self-publish. And don’t be afraid to learn about the industry because handling the publishing aspects yourself can be much cheaper than using the self-publishing companies out there, and it isn’t as difficult as you think (I republish my books under my imprint, Punctuated Publishing, after rights come back to me from traditional publishers.) Just remember to hire a great editor and cover designer; those are critical investments for success.