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Elizabeth’s Year In Books

Elizabeth’s 2024 Year in Books

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Elizabeth Heider

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

https://elizabethheider.com/

Twitter

liz_heider

Genre

Crime, Mystery, Suspense

Influences

Robert Galbraith John le Carré, Stieg Larsson, Jo Nesbø, Susanna ...more

Member Since

October 2023

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Elizabeth Heider is a PhD physicist whose most recent jobs include work for Microsoft’s AI4Science Research Program and the European Space Agency’s Human Spaceflight Program. Her short fiction has earned recognition from the Santa Fe Writer's Project Literary Awards and the New Century Writer Awards, as well as writing and research for military and government agencies where she worked as a scientist. She lived and worked in Naples Italy for several years, deploying as a civilian analyst aboard U.S. and European naval ships. She's based in The Hague.

Originally from Utah, Elizabeth is the second of six children, all unrepentant bibliophiles. She's written stories for as long as she can remember.

Elizabeth holds a Bachelor's degree in physics Elizabeth Heider is a PhD physicist whose most recent jobs include work for Microsoft’s AI4Science Research Program and the European Space Agency’s Human Spaceflight Program. Her short fiction has earned recognition from the Santa Fe Writer's Project Literary Awards and the New Century Writer Awards, as well as writing and research for military and government agencies where she worked as a scientist. She lived and worked in Naples Italy for several years, deploying as a civilian analyst aboard U.S. and European naval ships. She's based in The Hague.

Originally from Utah, Elizabeth is the second of six children, all unrepentant bibliophiles. She's written stories for as long as she can remember.

Elizabeth holds a Bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Utah and a MS and PhD in physics from Tufts University

Elizabeth worked for eight years as a civilian researcher for the U.S. Navy, where she wrote and ran wargames, assessed at-sea exercises, and deployed for weeks and months at a time aboard naval warships. She lived and worked in Naples Italy, for three years, researching in fifteen African countries, and training troops in Senegal, Gabon, and Cameroon. At the invitation of the Admiral of the Royal Danish Navy and the Admiral of the Royal Netherlands Navy, she conducted assessments and mission support in those countries. In 2014, INTERPOL brought her to their headquarters in Lyon, France, to present a workshop and lecture at their fingerprint conference.

In 2016, Elizabeth moved to the Netherlands and worked as a scientist for the European Space Agency's Human Spaceflight program, supporting research on the International Space Station. In 2023, she became a Technical Program Manager for Microsoft's Artificial Intelligence Science Research Laboratory, AI4Science. She also works as a consultant for the commercial spaceflight industry.

Elizabeth's short fiction has earned recognition in the Santa Fe Writer's Project Literary Awards and the New Century Writer Awards. Her writing credits include a play produced at the University of Utah, numerous research papers (including an article co-written with ESA Astronaut Thomas Pesquet), a chemistry patent, and wargames written for the Navy and other US government agencies. Her original research and writing about Navy programs in Africa were used in US Department of State Congressional testimony. She authored a comic series developed by the European Space Agency, and for the better part of a decade, her science writings were regularly read by astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

Elizabeth currently lives in The Hague, where she bicycles across the dunes, makes wine from the grapes in her garden, and skates on frozen canals.
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How do you deal with writer’s block?

Elizabeth Heider From my first days as a physics student - through my professional career, I've had a bizarrely demanding study and work schedule. As a consequence, I …moreFrom my first days as a physics student - through my professional career, I've had a bizarrely demanding study and work schedule. As a consequence, I haven't ever been able to plan my writing time in a formal way. Instead, I've been a desperate writer, putting writing into the cracks and margins of my life. For me, writing has always been an escape from the things I'm supposed to be doing; a delicious, illicit diversion. The idea of "scheduling" writing sessions never occurred to me until I started learning about the habits of Stephen King, Ursula Le Guin, and Neil Gaiman. Each of these writers (and many more) has/had a very specific way of scheduling their writing day. Such writers report that this structure can be a doorway to freedom and creation. This was something I'd never considered. The advantage of scheduling your writing is that you train your brain to expect to be in a creative mode - so that it's prepared to do this at a certain time every day. I think I miss this opportunity.

On the other hand, I'm a very spontaneous person who (as a general rule) hates routine. I dislike it when any two days look the same. So, I doubt that my character would easily yield to routine scheduling. One advantage of the way that I write (taking any time I can steal) is that I haven't ever experienced writer's block in the way other people describe it. I think this is because writing is my escape and my therapy, so I'm always seeking it out and never trying to avoid it.

Of course, I'm not so foolish to think that my peculiar relationship with writing would persist if my life circumstances changed.

I dream about a time when writing is all that I do: when I can just travel, think, and write. But what happens when writing stops being the thing I'm using to procrastinate other things, and becomes the thing I procrastinate? I shudder to consider it! This is why I'm trying out different writing habits that are more routine and less "whenever you can grab a spare second." I'm considering what it might mean to have an actual writing schedule.(less)

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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Elizabeth Heider May the Wolf Die began with Naples Italy where I lived from 2010 until 2013 as part of my job with the US Navy and I fell madly in love with the city.…moreMay the Wolf Die began with Naples Italy where I lived from 2010 until 2013 as part of my job with the US Navy and I fell madly in love with the city. There’s nothing tame about Naples. It’s chaotic and charismatic. And the beauty is excessive, almost too much to take in. The years I spent there were during an incredibly difficult period, yet the beauty was a sort of antidote, keeping me from tipping completely into anguish. It’s a meaningful place for me, and I always feel at home when I return.

Unfortunately, the transcendent beauty of the city has a bleak shadow: rampant poverty and the Commora mafia infesting all aspects of society. I wanted to explore this perilous landscape, and to also share the unique perspective from my years working with the US military.

The main protagonists are inspired by two remarkable people who work in the Italian security forces. I first caught sight of Nikki and Valerio in September 2021 when I went sailing with my friend Sara and the friend with whom she co-owns a boat. As I watched them interact, I exclaimed, “How are you not already characters in a novel?”

By the time we returned to the harbor, the book was already taking shape. When I described my project to Sara, she was incredibly supportive. Both she and her friend graciously gave their time and insight and expertise to ensure that the book was as accurate as I, a non-native, could make it. I’m tremendously grateful for this generosity.

As I began plotting this mystery, I realized I needed to really understand what would make someone plan and follow-through with murder. One dark evening in January, as I walked along the beach near my house and thought about this, I asked: what would it take for me to be willing to kill?

At once I saw all of the foundational pieces and the logic of the book. I have the voice notes from that night describing the entire plot.
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Elizabeth Heider’s books

Average rating: 3.81 · 1,468 ratings · 202 reviews · 2 distinct works • Similar authors

	May the Wolf Die 3.80 avg rating — 1,459 ratings — published 2024	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Children of the Savage City 4.33 avg rating — 9 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

2 posts
Elizabeth Heider's Blog

Some of My Favorite Crime Writers

Someone recently asked me who my favorite crime novelists were. This is a tricky one! Where do I begin? There are so many! I feel guilty having to narrow it down - yet, I'll try.

I’m a huge fan of Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling). Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott are simply wonderful – and the research and plotting of each book is masterful. I gobble up every new release in the series, and I’ve r Read more of this blog post »

2 likes · Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on March 09, 2024 13:28 • Tags: favorite-authors

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Elizabeth is Currently Reading

Elizabeth Heider is currently reading

Memory's Last Breath: Field Notes on My Dementia

by Gerda Saunders (Goodreads Author)

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Sep 03, 2024 12:44PM

Elizabeth Heider is currently reading

The Brothers Karamazov

by Fyodor Dostoevsky

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Apr 05, 2024 03:34PM

Elizabeth Heider is currently reading

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent

by Judi Dench

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Apr 05, 2024 03:32PM

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Elizabeth’s Recent Updates

Elizabeth Heider is now following Read By Kyle , Anne, and Sheri
Oct 31, 2025 05:53PM
Elizabeth Heider and 1 other person liked Ris's review of Children of the Savage City: " *“To kill the beast, you need to understand it completely.”* Can I just say: WOW! This book surprised me in the best way possible. It’s not something I would normally pick up, but I was in a reading slump and figured it wouldn’t hurt to give it a tr" Read more of this review »
Oct 26, 2025 11:19PM · see review
Elizabeth Heider joined the group Read Women
Sep 20, 2025 10:18AM · like
Elizabeth Heider rated a book it was amazing The Peacock and the Sparrow by I.S. Berry (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 19, 2025 10:32AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Peacock and the Sparrow by I.S. Berry. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Peacock and the Sparrow by I.S. Berry <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Elizabeth Heider made a comment on Denise’s review of May the Wolf Die " I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Denise! Thanks for leaving a nice review. I'm happy to say that it IS a series! The next book, Children of the Savage City ...more "
Sep 18, 2025 09:50AM · see review
Elizabeth Heider liked Denise's review of May the Wolf Die: "Thank you to netgalley.com for this ARC in exchange for a review. I really enjoyed this mystery. I liked the setting (Naples, Italy) and the main character for her spunk and determination. There were lots of twists and turns which made it a page turn" Read more of this review »
Sep 18, 2025 09:49AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of May the Wolf Die by Elizabeth Heider. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — May the Wolf Die by Elizabeth Heider <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Elizabeth Heider rated a book it was amazing The Hallmarked Man (Cormoran Strike, #8) by Robert Galbraith	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
J.K. Rowling is a truly brilliant writer. We are all so lucky to live contemporaneously — and I wish her a long and prolific life so that I can eagerly consume everything she writes forever and ever. Amen. From a purely technical perspective, I can th ...more
Sep 15, 2025 10:11PM · like · see review
Elizabeth Heider and 1054 other people liked Shannon's review of The Hallmarked Man (Cormoran Strike, #8): "I’m really torn on this. I want to start this whole thing by making it clear that I have been a huge fan of the Strike/Robin series and I am reviewing this from that perspective. I’m a fan. I like it better than Harry Potter, and I’ve been waiting fo" Read more of this review »
Sep 15, 2025 10:00PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">