Tarryn Fisher, a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, is a resident of Seattle, which is also the setting of The Wrong Family. She says of her writing, “I try to write stories that pull on people’s emotions. I believe that sadness is the most powerful emotion, and swirled with regret the two become a dominating force” (“Tarryn Fisher.” Goodreads, 2023). This approach is evident in The Wrong Family, as the protagonist, Winnie Crouch, struggles with a past event that causes both sadness and regret and drives the motion of the plot.

Fisher has written 12 novels, primarily in the thriller/suspense genre and often tending to focus on villains, a fascination that Fisher admits she has. The Wrong Family does not portray any character as wholly admirable, and the two point-of-view characters have both committed crimes. Juno’s status as someone elderly, sick, and unhoused invites sympathy, but her imprisonment for professional misconduct and ongoing voyeurism are meant to raise red flags. Winnie’s selfishness and obsession with perfection similarly emerge as problematic, particularly as her past actions become clear.