Dinesh Thiru is a writer and stay-at-home dad currently living in Barcelona. He grew up in North Carolina, married his college sweetheart from the University of Pennsylvania, and spent over a decade in San Francisco. Dinesh is half-Indian, half-white. He loves the ocean. He used to have other interests, but he swapped them for kids. Those kids are ten, eight, and a dog.
My Killer Family Reunion has been described as Knives Out meets Never Have I Ever, blending mystery with comedy and family chaos. What inspired you to combine a murder mystery with such a vibrant and chaotic family reunion setting?
The vibrant, chaotic family part was easy—that’s what my family reunions are like! The night out for hibachi dinner—we used to do that every year. The ridiculous scene where Hernando (our love interest) arrives at the family reunion—taken directly from when my wife first met my family. The older cousins who are throwing basement parties, and how Jayshree, a middle cousin, wants desperately to be invited—I was a middle cousin too. That aunt who’s super fit and forcing everyone to work out—I’ve got one of those!
As for the murder mystery, that also came from my family, but it’s more of a legend. My great grandfather was an industrialist, something like a billionaire in India, in the early 1900s. He died young (a heart attack), and he changed his will at the last minute, giving everything to charity. I think it’s amazing, but obviously his wife and 12 kids had a fit. All to say, there’s some long-lost inheritance drama in my family. So the idea that someone might be trying to knock off Grand Mom to gain access to her inheritance—that felt totally natural!
Jayshree “Jay” Devi’s grandmother’s suspicious “accident” sends her down a path of uncovering decades of family secrets. How did you balance the twisty mystery elements with the humor and emotional stakes of Jay trying to find her place in her extended family?
Ooo, great question, and this wasn’t easy! The humor was always going to be there because I know how ridiculous my own family is. That said, I had to be thoughtful about making sure scenes did triple work. Each scene needed to: 1) unravel the mystery, 2) help you fall for the beautifully chaotic Devi family, and 3) help Jayshree find her voice and place.
One of my big breakthroughs happened when I realized that the closer Jayshree gets to solving the mystery (and finally fitting in)… the more she realizes that by solving the mystery, she may end up destroying the family. Thus her goals are in direct conflict. Maybe this sounds bad, but in my writer’s mind, I was like: YES! Because now her goals are tied together. The situation feels impossible, and the emotional stakes are at their highest.
Family reunions often come with awkward relatives, meddling aunts, and forgotten cousins — but yours throws in a mystery and hidden motives. Were there real-life family experiences or cultural influences that helped shape the absurdity and warmth of this extended family in your story?
So many! I mentioned a few above, but I can easily go on. The desire to hook-up in a coat closet—directly inspired by my cousin and her boyfriend (now husband) who hooked-up in a closet at one of our family reunions! The family photo shoot in full wedding attire—we did those too! The rasam (spiced tomato broth) that’s a family treasure—it’s my aunt’s rasam. The matriarchal grandmother who’s “unkillable”—my Indian grandmother was barking orders until the day she died at 103; she was the last of those 12 siblings!
The novel features a mystery tangled in decades of secrets and fortunes at stake. What was your creative process like when plotting the clues and ensuring the mystery stayed tight, surprising, and satisfying for readers — without losing the comedic tone?
The initial draft of this book was written in 6-8 weeks. It came out fast because it was inspired so directly by my family. However, I did a ton of revision, especially to keep the mystery tight and balance the comedy. Darlings were cut, suspects shifted, the opening trimmed to tighten pacing. My editor had brilliant insights here!
Romantic tension also plays a role, as Jay navigates clues with an “annoyingly hot” friend. How do you approach weaving romance into a mystery-comedy, and what do you think romance adds to Jay’s journey of self-discovery?
My cousins would often invite their friends to family reunions. Maybe a friend from college. Sometimes a local friend. Often they were good looking. One even married into the family!
So, for me, having a rando hot friend at the reunion—that’s totally normal. As for Jay, she’s finding her voice and that means being more confident. That shows up in how she’s driving the investigation. But it also shows up in her romantic interests—being more assertive about what she wants. Not being afraid to go for it with a guy that she’s into. Though of course, this is a mystery, and everyone’s a suspect. So why is he at the reunion exactly…
You’re also the author of Into the Sunken City and currently living in Barcelona as a writer and stay-at-home dad — how have your life experiences and background influenced the humor, pacing, and cultural voice in My Killer Family Reunion?
I’m half-Indian, half-white, like Jayshree, so her who-am-I thoughts on racial identity, those are my own. Barcelona is a recent move, but I lived in New Jersey for years, so thank you Jersey for providing your frigid, wintry setting. I have two kids, and I started writing while I was home with our 2nd baby. During this time (and with much guidance from my wife!), I started to see unconscious biases in the way my family works. You’ll find these in the book. Things like: Women are asked about their homes or kids, but rarely about their jobs. Girls are encouraged to be positive and fun, but not argumentative. Boy cousins get away with murder (not actual!), while girl cousins help with cooking and chores. I love my family to death, but we’ve got things to work on, and I thought I’d showcase these as well in MY KILLER FAMILY REUNION.
More about My Killer Family Reunion HERE
INTERVIEW: YA SH3LF