The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club with Author Gloria Chao

Fans of the Finlay Donovan series are going to want to check out The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club, the first of the ‘Hu Done It Mysteries’. Centering around Kathryn Hu, this hu-done-it, it’s a book you’ll want to add to your summer reading list. The perfect beach or poolside read, despite being a mystery (like the aforementioned Finlay Donovan series), this book involves a murder but manages to keep it lighthearted.

When Kathryn sees a note on the door to her boyfriend Tucker’s apartment, she opens it to see rose petals leading to the bedroom, believing a proposal might be coming, she goes to the master bathroom to clean up, only to hear what she thinks is her boyfriend rehearsing his proposal. Imagine her surprise when she pops out to say yes, and finds he is proposing to someone else.

After she leaves the apartment, Olivia reaches out and they decide to go on the weekend vacation that Kathryn was planning to take Tucker on… only to find out he has yet another girlfriend. Together, the three women plot revenge, only to find out that someone has beaten them to the punch… and taken it one step further. Tucker Jones is DEAD.

Where did you first get the inspiration to write your latest novel, The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club?

I was brainstorming a book idea where three women dating the same man get revenge on him, and when I was trying to raise the stakes, I asked, What if he dies? And everything clicked. I realized that, with motive and a crime scene covered in their DNA, these women would become the number one suspects. And so of course, they would then have to solve the case before they go down for it. Once this idea formed, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and I knew I had to write it. And this book ended up being the most fun I’ve ever had while writing!

You’ve previously written for a YA audience. What led you to debut your first novel for an adult demographic?

I came up with the idea first, then realized that it made the most sense as an adult book with characters in their mid to late twenties. I wanted the women to have serious relationships with the same man, with thoughts of proposals and a long-term future to raise the stakes. And I wanted the people in the man’s life to have a reason to want him dead, and a lot of those reasons were related to financial and business decisions.

My books have straddled the line between YA and adult from the beginning, with my debut novel, American Panda, having a protagonist in college, and my third book, Rent a Boyfriend, having main characters who are 19 and 21. I always hoped to write an adult book one day, and The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club was the perfect idea to pursue as my adult debut.

Tell me about the research process for the book.

Because Kat likes to know the origins of sayings, I had to look up a lot of those, which was so fun because I also have an interest in them. I love chemistry and with Kat being a chemist, I had to do some research related to her job. I consulted with lawyers about the interrogation process, and I also recruited a team of beta readers to give me feedback during the drafting stages. My least favorite part was doing research to figure out the details of the murder, but it’s a necessary part of writing murder mysteries.

In what ways do you see yourself in the characters of Kathryn, Olivia and Elle?

Kat embodies my awkwardness, social hesitations, and love of chemistry, puns, and the origins of sayings. Olivia has a need for control and an almost detrimental desire to help her loved ones, which I relate to. And Elle is a writer, but that’s where my similarities with her end. Elle was the most fun to write but she is also the furthest from who I am.

Whose storyline was your favorite to write?

All three characters were so fun in their own way—Kat is awkward and has hilarious situations happen to her because of it, Olivia is a badass, and Elle says all the things you wish you could but can’t—but the most fun was writing the scenes with all three women interacting. I wrote them with opposing personalities to create banter and humor and also so they could help each other grow.

What scene from the book did you enjoy writing the most?

There were so many scenes in this book I loved writing because the premise set itself up for so many shenanigans! At every point, I asked myself, What’s the worst, most fun way this next thing can happen? Which, as an example, was how I came up with the ways in which the women find out about each other. In the first chapter, Kat has just arrived at her boyfriend Tucker’s house for a surprise visit, and she sees a sign that says, “Come in, my love!” and the hallway is lined with roses and lit candles. And so I set up a situation where Kat walks in, half-naked, on Tucker proposing to another woman, Olivia. And then I asked, How can I make this even more fun? So after Olivia runs out, Tucker turns around and proposes to Kat with the same ring. And this ended up being one of my favorite scenes from the book. 

Did you know who the real murderer was all along?

I knew who the murderer was fairly early on, and I wrote toward that ending. I’m hoping after the reader reaches the end, they’ll want to go back and read certain sections a second time with new knowledge! 

If the novel were turned into a feature film, who do you imagine in the roles of Kathryn, Olivia, and Elle?

I have a long list and am very open to many actors, but if I had to choose one for each role, they would be: Kathryn: Leenda Dong, Olivia: Camila Mendes, Elle: Jennifer Lawrence, Bonus… Tucker: Glen Powell

Are you working on a sequel for The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club, and if so, can we get a sneak peek?

I’m so thrilled that The Mortal Enemy Murder Club, the sequel to The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club and book #2 in the Hu Done It mystery series (named after protagonist Kathryn Hu) will be out July 2026! In it, the women are back on a new case and must work with their worst enemy from the first book.