Margot Douaihy's queer mystery debut Scorched Grace to feature on 'My Reading Of It' tomorrow

Having arrived in a blaze of glory on April 6th, Margot Douaihy will feature on a new episode of My Reading Of It tomorrow (April 18th) at 3pm to read a snippet of her debut novel, Scorched Grace.

The trailblazing sleuth series with a queer lens is here to flip our expectations of a thriller on its head. “Within five pages, I was in love with this novel," Gone Girl bestselling author, producer and screenwriter Gillian Flynn raves of Margot Douaihy’s Scorched Grace. The scribe was so impressed by Douaihy’s project that Pushkin Vertigo, Flynn’s Zando Books imprint, selected the queer mystery series as its first published work.

A screen adaptation has also been confirmed, with Stone Village Television - fabulous production team behind the adaption of Station Eleven for HBO Max, recently acquired the rights to the book.

The unforgettable debut is part of a hardboiled-inspired queer mystery series, introducing a haunted, fiery, sardonic yet ultimately caring nun fighting to stay on the righteous path. Early fans include fellow thriller authors Don Winslow, Karin Slaughter and Megan Abbott.

“I drew inspiration from the sensibility of the riot girl, post punk aesthetic. Characters who aren’t afraid to be messy, loud, fulsome and inhabit spaces that are not necessarily meant for them,” Margot tells Hot Press. “Part of this mystery trilogy is about queer fictitious reconciliation.”

“It’s still something that I am trying to metabolise because it is otherworldly and completely insane in the best possible way!” Douaihy shakes her head, referring to Gillian Flynn's support. “I was working in obscurity for 15 years, writing poetry before getting up the courage to do this debut. It’s just a fever dream moment! Gillian is a book icon for me. She creates work that becomes part of the cultural discourse. This is a passion project for her because she believes in pushing the terrain of storytelling.

“This is a great, life-affirming lesson that I can share with other writers," Margot adds, grinning. "Finding your publishing home is just a matter of time. Give yourself compassion. Keep reading and working on your art. You never know where one road will take you. If I were to tell my 15-year-old self that the author of Gone Girl, the global phenomenon, would be publishing my first crime book, I would never in a trillion years comprehend that statement, let alone believe it. Sometimes it may not be the timeline we want, but perhaps there is some divine timing."

Stay tuned tomorrow afternoon for Douaihy's reading of Scorched Grace.

Read a full interview with Margot Douaihy in the new issue of Hot Press.