She began writing about 13 years ago, soon after moving to New Zealand.<\/p>\n
Rankin lived in rural Taup\u014d and has been based in Rotorua for about 10 years. Much of her award-winning novel was written at local cafes such as Ciabatta Cafe and Bakery.<\/p>\n
Rankin said the year had felt like two magical dreams \u201cintertwining in parallel\u201d. <\/p>\n
It was \u201cmind-blowing\u201d to hear she was shortlisted for three \u201chuge\u201d international crime writing awards. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is happening here?\u201d Rankin thought. \u201cThis is wild.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rankin was a finalist for The Barry Award – one of the \u201cbiggest crime-writing awards\u201d in the United States, and for the Crime Writers\u2019 Association First Novel Dagger and the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n
The novel received positive reviews following its international release, with the New York Times and Washington Post both naming it among their top thrillers of 2025.<\/p>\n
She was cooking dinner at home when her publisher told her she had made the shortlist for both the US and Scottish awards.<\/p>\n
Rankin\u2019s father later sent her a photo of The Herald, a Scottish news outlet, where her name was on the front page. <\/p>\n
Zoe Rankin reads an extract from her debut novel during her launch event at McLeod’s Booksellers. Photo \/ Megan Wilson<\/p>\n
It was the first time the shortlist was entirely made up of women. <\/p>\n
Rankin said all the women \u201cinstantly\u201d created a WhatsApp group as they were all \u201cstoked\u201d. <\/p>\n
They had been talking almost every day and appeared on a podcast together last week.<\/p>\n
She said the presenter trying to keep up with a group of Scottish women was \u201chilarious\u201d.<\/p>\n
Rankin will attend the Scottish awards in Stirling on September 18. <\/p>\n
Rankin said she had no \u201csnobbery\u201d around genre but believed \u201cpeople have always and will always\u201d read crime, driven by a fascination with human behaviour and \u201cwhat makes them tick\u201d.<\/p>\n
She said reading had \u201creally bolstered\u201d in popularity in the last year, proving wrong predictions that the internet would be the death of books. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor so many years, there was this fear that books would become obsolete,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s actually just created this massive, online book-loving community,\u201d Rankin said. <\/p>\n
TikTok was \u201chuge\u201d for bringing in new young readers. Online communities were making reading a more communal activity.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s benefiting writers a lot,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Rankin also believed some readers were turning to books over film and television, which she said had become more \u201cin your face\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, I\u2019ve been struggling a bit because on the screen things are getting so extreme. <\/p>\n
\u201cViolence is more extreme. Sex is more extreme … Everything is having to push the boundaries more, and it\u2019s quite a lot to watch sometimes,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
Reading was a \u201cmore gentle\u201d form of entertainment and \u201cnot so confronting\u201d.<\/p>\n
She described the New Zealand writing community as \u201cso friendly\u201d and said she enjoyed connecting with readers and answering questions at the Auckland Writers Festival in May.<\/p>\n
She had completed the first draft of her second novel, due for release in September 2027.<\/p>\n
It was another nature-centred thriller, this time set around Lake Tarawera.<\/p>\n