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The Scorpion Thief: A Cold War Heist, Egyptian Myth, & Family Secrets with Janyre Tromp (E209)
Description
Today I’m thrilled to welcome back Janyre Tromp. If her name sounds familiar, that’s because she previously joined us on Episode 106, where we talked about her novel Darkness Calls the Tiger. Janyre is an award-winning, bestselling historical suspense novelist known for weaving together rich history, myth, and stories that search for beauty—even when it isn’t pretty. Her newest book, The Scorpion Thief, takes readers into a Cold War political game involving a cursed Egyptian artifact, two estranged sisters on opposite sides of a dangerous heist, and a mystery that stretches from the streets of Cairo to Washington D.C. and even New Orleans.
Episode Highlights:
- The fascinating real-life history behind the Cold War setting—and why it almost feels too wild to be fiction.
- How Janyre balances being a self-proclaimed “history nerd” with writing fast-paced, gripping suspense.
- The inspiration behind The Scorpion Thief and weaving Egyptian myth into a political thriller.
- Her creative process, including sketching her book covers before they’re ever designed.
- What it looks like to make space for writing in a full and busy life.
- Why she describes herself as an eclectic reader and how that shapes her recommendations.
- Her three-word description of the book: noir, mystery, and Egyptian.
Connect with Janyre:
Books and authors mentioned in the episode:
- Brene Brown books
- The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
- Death Was Not on the Guest List by Jenni Walsh (publication date 06/16/26)
- Burning the Raven Tree by Janyre Tromp (coming 09/08/26)
- The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
- Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
Book Flight
- The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick
- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
- Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
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