JANUARY GILCHRIST is a Brisbane-based mystery author, single mum, and former performing arts professional. Good Reading caught up with her to talk about past jobs and her latest book, The Final Chapter.

ABOUT THE BOOK

An opportunity a writer would die for …

Desley Barron is ready to prove her doubters, and herself, wrong about her flagging writing career. She’s won a spot at an exclusive writing retreat in the Blue Mountains. Only instead of feeling creative, Desley finds her insecurity increases while the ghost stories about the house have her jumping at shadows.

This secluded house is the last place anyone will think to look for high-profile author Colette Halifax, which is perfect as she hides from a looming scandal. Unfortunately, someone here is threatening to ruin the one part of her life that isn’t already a shambles.

Meanwhile, Maia McKenzie has plans that don’t involve writing at all. She’s schemed to ensure the one person she wants to see is here – the man who almost killed her mother.

All have a secret. All will do anything to keep it hidden. And they’re not alone. The retreat is perched on the edge of a forest steeped in the horrors of Australia’s worst serial killer – and no one knows just who is watching.

When a storm unleashes its fury and they’re trapped, a body is left in the snow … and any one of them could be next.

**********

Meet January Gilchrist

Where did you grow up and what was it like?
I grew up in New Zealand, which means I spent a lot of time barefoot, in the rain, insisting I wasn’t cold. As the only girl in a family of lots of boys, I spent a lot of time hiding from the chaos and creating stories. There’s probably a box somewhere full of my early novel attempts.

What did you do for work prior to being a writer?
I still own and run a boutique Pilates studio in Brisbane, which I adore. We specialise in small-group classes, mostly women, and we laugh A LOT. No reformer cult energy, just strong glutes and gossip.

How has that work contributed to your writing?
Like a hairdresser, I’m a safe space for women’s stories. I’ve spent hours listening to how women speak when they’re comfortable, vulnerable, furious, or done with everyone’s nonsense. That emotional texture absolutely makes its way into my characters.

Can you tell us a bit about your latest book?
The Final Chapter is a locked-room mystery about five writers at an exclusive writers retreat in the Blue Mountains. Everyone’s got secrets, an agenda, and a motive – and when they get snowed it, none of them can leave. Unless they die.

There’s ambition, revenge, scandals, and ghost stories. Think: Benjamin Stevenson meets Nine Perfect Strangers, with a Shirley Jackson vibe.

Was there an inspiration for the story, particularly the setting of a secluded house?
Yes – I stayed at Varuna Writers House in the Blue Mountains, which other writers will definitely recognise in The Final Chapter. The setting is scenic, isolated and remote – perfect for a writers retreat. While there, talk of snow (which arrived the afternoon I left!) got my creative juices tingling…

I love stories that play with isolation – emotionally and physically. There’s something delicious about a group of strangers forced together, all pretending to be fine while quietly falling apart.

Did you do research for the book? Stay in an isolated creepy house by chance?
There was a lot of talk at Varuna of the house being haunted. While I didn’t have any ‘experiences’ while I was there, I have stayed places where there had been strange going ons that was either someone messing with us, or a ghostly presence.

Your previous book was a historical gothic suspense novel. You obviously like to keep your readers on edge. What do you most like about writing in this genre?
I love the slow-burn dread. I love characters who are flawed and complicated.

Also, I’m fascinated by secrets. What we hide. Why we hide it. And what happens when someone threatens to expose it.

Oh, and writing murder is weirdly therapeutic. Highly recommend.

Do you have another book simmering?
Simmering, boiling over, causing chaos. My current manuscript is about a group of z-grade influencers who think they’ve been cast in a Love Island style show but end up stranded on a deserted island. One by one the contestants start disappearing and dying. It’s got reality TV fakery, hidden alliances, and a survival twist. Think: Love Island meets Squid Game, but with less lip filler and fewer morals.

Who are your five favourite authors you always read?
Lisa Jewell – for her dark, compulsive characters.
Lucy Foley – no one builds tension like she does.
Tana French – elegant, layered, psychological brilliance.
Benjamin Stevenson – like rom-com but for crime. So much fun.
Taylor Jenkins Reid – always bingeable.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

January Gilchrist is a Brisbane-based mystery author, single mum, and former performing arts professional.

She holds a Bachelor of Creative Arts, majoring in Literature and Performing Arts, was longlisted for the 2019 Richell Prize, and her debut thriller, The Final Chapter, is inspired by her time at the Varuna Writers’ House.

Balancing her time between writing, running a Pilates studio, and raising two sons, January draws on her varied life experiences to create authentic, nuanced characters.

Fascinated by puzzles, especially the mysteries of human behaviour, January explores the stories we tell, the secrets we keep, and the truths we hide – even from ourselves.

Follow January Gilchrist on Instagram