Hello, and welcome to this week's #ukteenchat, where YA Thriller author, Helen Price tells us all about her writing and debut, KILL ME NOW.
1. Could you
tell us a little bit about your new YA Thriller, Kill Me Now, please?
School golden boy Riley North had
it all: talent, charm, and a stellar future. Now he’s dead.
Guy 'Reaper' Mortimer, the funeral
director’s son, stands accused of his murder.
Keen to clear his name, Reaper
teams up with cute new girl, Samira; sweet but naïve Betty; and Riley’s two
best mates, Bunsen and Snake. Together, they unravel the twisted layers of
school, where secrets hide and deception is rife. But what starts as a search
for answers soon becomes a fight for survival.
Because the killer knows the truth
and is determined to expose it – one deadly sin at a time.
Pitched
as Riverdale x One of is Lying, Kill Me Now is about the
deeply personal reasons we all have for keeping secrets. It subverts
expectations, exploring death honestly and faith in ways readers won’t see
coming. It’s a story about secrets, lies, and the seductive promise that
dragging the truth into the light will set you free.
But what if it doesn’t?
What if, in the end, the truth isn’t salvation at all . . . but a weapon?
2. Was there
anything in particular that inspired Kill Me Now?
Yes. Contradiction.
A stranger I met told me she’d found faith
but had been rejected by her local church. That stayed with me. Around the same
time, I watched a news feature on young people being radicalised, and it struck
me how faith, something designed to guide and protect, can be manipulated in
the wrong hands.
That’s when the idea began to form. Not as a
story about religion, but about control. About who gets to shape young people’s
narratives today and what happens when that belief is weaponised.
From there, I
layered in the everyday pressures of teenage life: hierarchies, power dynamics,
loyalties, betrayal, first loves, first heartbreaks, identity, reputations, and
secrets. The story quickly became about truth: who’s hiding it, who wants it,
and what they’re willing to do to keep or expose it.
3. What three
or four words would best describe Kill Me Now?
They’re on the back of the book!
Secrets, Lies & Murder. All my favourite things! Not forgetting
consequences, of course.
4. Did you
know from the beginning who the murderer(s) would be, or did the identity shift
as you wrote?
Yes. I always know the who and the
why before I start writing. I can’t construct a mystery unless I understand its
spine. For me, knowing the ending is like knowing the final destination on a road
trip. I might detour en route, but I do need to know where I’m headed.
That said, the editorial process sharpened
everything. My editor challenged me to “invest in the evil,” which I absolutely
loved. The killer’s identity didn’t change, but the depth of their motivations
did. They became more layered and more unsettling. The result is a twist that I
hope feels both inevitable and shocking.
5. Without
being too spoilery, is there a scene or moment, or character in Kill Me Now
that you particularly enjoyed writing?
There’s a pivotal moment at the midpoint
where the stakes really rise for Guy Mortimer, KMN’s unlikely hero. Poor thing.
I really put him through it!
Up until that moment, the danger feels
slightly distant. But in the chapters leading up to and just past the midpoint,
it suddenly becomes all too immediate, personal, and inescapable for Guy.
He’s forced to face something that up until
this point he’s only feared. So, both the emotional and physical stakes
collide, and I absolutely loved writing these scenes.
And in the middle of all that tension,
there’s a surprising exchange between Guy and Samira, which was especially fun
to write, and I know made him very happy. A cute, quiet moment in the eye of
the storm. That kind of contrast in a YA thriller is so important, both for
your characters and your readers. It gives them a moment to breathe before
jumping straight back in.
6. How
important is the setting in your stories?
Massively!
In Kill Me Now, Langbury, its fictional town,
isn’t just a backdrop; it’s an active character in its own right. I wanted a place
that felt beautiful and historic on the surface but hugely claustrophobic
underneath. A town steeped in ritual and reputation, where everyone knows
everyone. But someone is always watching.
Creating a fictional pilgrimage town allowed
me to amplify that sense of scrutiny and expectation. It’s insular, morally
conscious, and quietly suffocating. And that atmosphere naturally shapes the
characters’ choices – both good and bad.
YA thrillers often centre around schools. But
I wanted the tension to bleed way beyond the school gates. And so, in Langbury,
there is no escape. The pressure to conform is everywhere.
7. Are you a
plotter or pantser?
Haha!
When I was starting out, I was definitely a pantser, all the way. But after
studying the craft, I now plot more. Though not so extensively, I can’t still
be surprised by my characters. I love it when they say or do things I’m not
expecting.
Working with an agent and a publisher now means I have to produce pitches and full story synopses for new story proposals. Up until now, that’s been something I’ve usually done after I’ve finished a story, never before. So it’s definitely encouraged me to plot more. But I still think it’s important to leave space for discovery, so these days, I think I’d probably say I now wear my pants half-mast.
8. Do you
have any writing rituals or a favourite place to write?
Ha! I wish I could say I light a candle at
dawn and write for long, uninterrupted hours . . . but the truth is far less glamorous.
I write when I can and fret when I can’t. Unfortunately,
there’s no pause button on life (I wish), even with a deadline.
That said, I do like silence. No music or
background distractions. In summer, I like to write outside in a quiet corner
beneath a cluster of apple trees that form the perfect shady canopy. It’s
peaceful, private, and feels almost secret. There is a downside, though. Come autumn,
dodging the falling apples becomes a dangerous game of survival.
9. Can you
tell us anything about what you’re currently working on?
Right now, I’m preparing for school visits
and workshops, which is incredibly exciting. Taking Kill Me Now on the
road, and directly to readers, feels nothing short of surreal.
On the writing side, I have three projects in
progress: a new standalone thriller, a sequel, and a spin-off. So there are
definitely more secrets, lies, and morally complex characters to come. I can’t
say too much yet – sorry – but I can promise
a body count is always on the cards.
10. Do you
have any writing advice or tips you’d like to share?
Advice: Failure is not the end. Sadly, in this business, rejection is part of the
process. The only real failure is deciding to stop. So, please, no matter how
hard it gets . . . keep going.
Tips: Pacing is more than just sentence length. Thrillers aren’t about
breakneck speed. Yes, they rely on constant suspense, tension, and escalating
stakes, but those only work if there’s contrast. Allow your reader to catch
their breath between the action, twists, and shocks.
Drip-feed the clues. And play fair. Give readers
at least one twist they can guess but several more that make them gasp.
And, above
all, invest in your antagonist. Give them layers and motives that make sense.
The more they believe they’re right, the more terrifying they become.
You can read an extract on the Chicken House website: Chicken House Books - Kill Me Now
Now available to buy: Kill Me
Now: Helen Price: 9781917171144: hive.co.uk
