Claire Swinarski is an Edgar Award-nominated author who has penned books for both children and adults. Swinarski was drawn to writing from a young age. Inspired by books like From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Holes, and the Harry Potter books, Swinarski dreamed of becoming an author even as a child. This love for books and storytelling and her affinity for podcasts are some of the biographical elements that she incorporates into What Happened to Rachel Riley? (“About.” Claire Swinarski).

Just like Swinarski, the protagonist of the book, Anna Hunt, is an avid reader and podcast listener. However, Swinarski further weaves these loves of hers together into the fabric of the narrative, using it to unravel the mystery at the heart of the book. Personally enamored by books that aren’t narrated in “straight prose,” Swinarski uses multiple forms of media—emails, text messages, notes, and podcast recordings, among others—to present the pieces of the puzzle in her book (“Q & A With Claire Swinarski.