Lish McBride: Every Book Teaches You Something
In this interview, author Lish McBride discusses how her son inspired the premise for her new thriller novel, Most Likely to Murder.
Lish McBride is the author of funny and creepy young adult books such as Hold Me Closer, Necromancer; Necromancing the Stone; Firebug; Pyromantic; Curses; and Red in Tooth and Claw. She has published short stories on Tor.com, and in the anthologies Cornered, What to Read in the Rain, and Kisses & Curses. Her first book, Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults title, a Morris Award finalist, and the winner of the Scandiuzzi Children's Book Award. Lish is a former indie bookseller, has a MFA from the University of New Orleans, and prefers pie to cake. While she has no long-term goals for world domination, she would like her own castle. Follow her on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky.
In this interview, Lish discusses how her son inspired the premise for her new thriller novel, Most Likely to Murder, her hope for readers, and more.
Name: Lish McBride
Literary agent: Cheyenne Faircloth
Book title: Most Likely to Murder
Publisher: Putnam
Release date: March 24, 2026
Genre/category: Thriller/Horror
Previous titles: Red in Tooth and Claw, Curses, Pyromantic, Firebug, Necromancing the Stone, Hold Me Closer Necromancer, The Suitcase Swap, A Little Too Familiar, Rough Around the Hedges
Elevator pitch: The school yearbook arrives and all of the “most likely tos” have been changed into forecasts of student and faculty deaths. Everyone thinks it’s a joke until the first body shows up, just as the yearbook said it would.
What prompted you to write this book?
My oldest son actually pitched the basic idea to me! I changed it a little, but the original premise is his. I also wanted it to be a sort of love letter to all of the wonderfully pulpy teen horror/thriller books I loved as a kid, like Fear Street and Christopher Pike. I read so many of those books.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
Three years, maybe? Mostly because when I got the idea, I was already under contract to finish Red in Tooth and Claw, my last YA book. Traditional publishing takes a lot of time, mostly to give the publishing team the time to edit, copy edit, package, and then market the book. The general idea didn’t really change during that time, though.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
For the publishing end of things, not really. This isn’t my first rodeo. More like my 10th rodeo.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
Every book teaches you something—this was my first straight-up thriller/horror story with no speculative elements. It was really fun trying to nail the particulars of that genre. Horror and thriller are genres that I’ve always enjoyed, especially when I was a teen reader. So basically, I just had as much fun as I could with it.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
Honestly, I hope they have a really good time. There’s been a lot going on in the world, and if I can give a reader a little time away from their problems, I’m happy.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Read as much as you can, write as much as you can, and be stubborn. While it’s great to listen and learn from critique, don’t let anyone stop you from creating the story you want to tell.
