CENTRE COUNTY — Trey Richards never set out to write a political thriller. At least, not until a series of long-distance runs with his friend through the streets of Berlin sparked a conversation that wouldn’t go away.
“I was running with my really good friend Mike at the time, who I referenced in the acknowledgments,” Richards said. “When they were coming up with the political candidates for the Republican party, we were paying attention to it. Of course, living overseas, you pay attention to what goes on with American politics.”
What started as a passing thought soon spiraled into a bold literary idea: What if a political figure with a spotless public image harbored a dark past, one that included forcing women into abortions to maintain a clean political record? And what if some of those women never followed through, choosing instead to keep their children in secret?
“And then one day I’m like, ‘wouldn’t it be interesting if we wrote a book that was about this political candidate who had forced women to or had his fixers have people have abortions, but the doctor gave them a choice and helped them hide and take the money and keep their kids?’ And he [Mike] said, ‘Oh, that sounds fun!’”
That question became the foundation for “Heirs to the Kingdom,” Richards’ debut novel, which is a dark, intricate suspense thriller that explores legacy, deception and the quiet danger of apathy in modern politics.
Richards, now living in central Pennsylvania, said he always knew he wanted to write a book. But life, as it does, got in the way.
“I had so many and other ideas about writing. I’ve always wanted to write a novel. I’ve always enjoyed writing,” he said. “I always wanted to write massive literature, like John Irving, like Barbara Kingsolver, like Donna Tartt.”
The idea refused to leave him alone. Influenced by literary giants, Richards first set out to write a sweeping, multi-voiced literary epic. What emerged, though, was something far more streamlined and in many ways, more potent.
Originally clocking in at over 220,000 words, Richards’ manuscript sprawled across times of starts and stops. When he finally turned to an editor, the feedback was clear: this wasn’t one novel, it was three.
“Then I had to cut a whole lot of things,” Richards admitted. “Who was it that told everyone to kill their darlings?”
The result is a tense, layered narrative told through distinct voices, each one a child of the book’s shadowy central figure, Marcus Brent, a political powerbroker with skeletons buried deep beneath his campaign slogans.
Brent himself never speaks in the book. Instead, his presence looms like fog.
“What I wanted with them specifically was that Marcus Brent is never really heard from. He’s ominous, he’s in the background and every action of Elizabeth Deavers is basically unrelated, could be not related to him even though it’s him behind it,” Richards explained. “So just kind of, building that dread.”
At the heart of the book is Miles, one of Brent’s hidden heirs, who uncovers the truth and sets out to warn his unknown siblings. But what begins as a quiet quest for truth quickly unravels into something darker, as each character reacts with a different shade of disbelief, denial or cold calculation.
Despite its political undercurrent, Richards said “Heirs to the Kingdom” is first and foremost a thriller.
While “Heirs to the Kingdom” was originally written as a standalone, readers — including his own father — have hinted that there’s room for more.
“My dad is a massive Grisham fan,” Richards said. “He’s like, ‘you have a sequel in here.’ And my wife then said, ‘that’s not wrong.’ Needless to say, I never thought of it until they all said something.”
Richards isn’t sure if he’ll return to Miles and the Brent legacy. His second book, currently in progress, is an entirely different project. It’s a story about a college student discovering that his father was once on “The Real World: Berlin,” and everything that unravels from there.
For now, Richards is just grateful to be on the other side of the process. He hopes readers not only find enjoyment in the book but also think deeper.
“I want them to ask, ‘What can I do? How can I be more involved?’” he said. “I want them to get involved in a conversation instead of just listening. That’s what I want from this book. I want them to enjoy the book, too. But I think that’s the best thing. Sometimes we can put good messages, really serious messages, inside books that are fun to read.”
“Heirs to the Kingdom” is available now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Whether a fan of thrillers, political intrigue or simply appreciates layered, thought-provoking fiction, Richards’ debut is a promising addition to the thriller genre.
