Forbes to call her “a star in the graphic novel world.” She is the coauthor of All Is Found: A Frozen Anthology and Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith, in which she penned the Darth Vader story. A graduate of Harvard University, Brody is also a film/TV producer and writer and a creative writing instructor. She began her career in Hollywood working for A—list directors and movie studios on many films, including the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Golden Compass. Brody lives and writes in Joshua Tree, California.
Her new novel is Namaste and Slay: A Dark Romantic Thriller.
At CrimeReads Brody tagged six top cult thrillers that "aren’t just escapist reads; they’re cautionary tales about the perils of seeking salvation in the wrong places." One title on the list:
Read about the other entries on the list at CrimeReads.Janelle Brown, I’ll Be You
Janelle Brown’s I’ll Be You (2023) explores sibling bonds through the lens of a California wellness cult. Identical twins Sam and Elli, former child stars, have drifted apart: Sam’s battling addiction, while Elli’s embraced motherhood and self-help. When Elli vanishes after joining a secretive group called GenFem—promising empowerment through seminars and “enlightenment”—Sam impersonates her to infiltrate it. What unfolds is a twisty tale of identity theft, manipulation, and buried family secrets. Brown’s pacing is relentless, highlighting how cults prey on vulnerabilities, layering luxury (think Ojai spas and guru-led retreats) with coercion. The seductive vibe comes from GenFem’s promise of reinvention, much like the transformative allure in Namaste and Slay. It’s a gripping study of twins as mirrors, reflecting how cults distort self-perception.
--Marshal Zeringue
Posts
