Home » The Inspiration Behind THE ROARING RIDLEYS by K.M. Colley

The Inspiration Behind THE ROARING RIDLEYS by K.M. Colley

May 6, 2026 | By Women Writers Women Books | Reply More

“The Gilded Age” and “Gossip Girl” meet Alyssa Cole’s When No One is Watching and Sara DiVello’s Broadway Butterfly in THE ROARING RIDLEYS by debut author K.M. Colley (Thomas & Mercer; May 1, 2026). Set in 1920s New York, the story follows the adopted heirs of the city’s most elite family as they find themselves embroiled in a shocking murder when the body of a notorious gossip columnist is found during their family’s legendary soirée—thrusting the siblings into a twisted game of betrayal and revenge, even as the killer lurkers closer than they think.

While this is Colley’s debut as a novelist, she is also an established actress. Known to many as Keturah Maree, she has appeared in The Other Black Girl, Atlanta and Queen Sugar, and her acting background has inspired her cinematic approach to writing. Colley explains, “I’ve always loved the behind-the-scenes of making a show or a movie. As an actress, I don’t just read the lines; I explore why certain choices are made by a character. When I began writing, it came naturally to put myself in the mind of my characters in the same way I would prepare for a role.”

There is nothing I love more than writing about two things that usually don’t go together, which is why I began writing The Roaring Ridleys. The idea felt more like a fever dream, but it was real, or was it? I remember sitting in my dorm at Duke University during a summer program with my roommates from Paris and Hong Kong, wondering what it would be like to write a book in the Roaring Twenties era with BIPOC in the forefront. Growing up I never saw this highlighted. This idea really sparked during the reboot of The Great Gatsby, with Leonardo DiCaprio. I was a young teen at the time.

While watching it, I never wanted something so badly to be done. That was to see people like me lead in a movie like this, not just simple background dancers who did a few swings, or musicians who quite literally made the movie for me. It was a magic that I wanted to see come true. I began to think about many questions while watching it. One in particular was why was there no mention of the Harlem Renaissance? All the fantastic people who came from it. It actually brought me some distress.

Then I remembered The Great Gatsby was created during this era. These influential figures from the Harlem Renaissance and their stories were never meant to be highlighted in that way. I felt a calling on my life to make this story come true, somehow making it approachable for everyone, not just one type of person. I had such great joy researching and choosing which real people and places to include in my story, such as A’Lelia Walker, Josephine Baker, Ann Lowe, Duke Ellington, and more.

Of course, life has a funny way of sneaking up on you. I became married at the young age of twenty and moved to Oregon, becoming a military spouse. I dropped out of college, thinking, well, I can’t write a book now. I didn’t even get my degree! Seeds of doubt flooded my mind throughout the years. Every time I picked up a pen to start, I put it down again. Instead, I journalled my thoughts and dreams.

It wasn’t enough. I craved to make worlds larger than me. I wanted the world to see what I was capable of. Seeing works like Bridgerton come to life and using platforms to showcase so many races as leads instead of just supporting characters really put my foot on the gas pedal.

I had stories to write, but of course, that imposter syndrome got me thinking I needed the latest editing software. The curse of AI flooding every molecule of the writer’s space and people trying to normalize it for an easy way out was disheartening, to say the least. I thought at one point, is this really the way? The only way to make it? Then I shut out those fears and started from scratch with the absolute most God-awful first draft ever. My former literary agent had faith in me, though. She saw the potential of what was there. She let me take my time on rewriting the story to what it is now.

Back to the basics is the most important thing I keep reminding myself of. I am a science fiction reader at heart, from Murderbot Diaries, the Red Rising series, and more. I took the time to really dive deep into thrillers, especially historical thrillers.

The Roaring Ridleys was more of a passion project. I never thought I would, but then I came up with five more thriller ideas. I gotta thank Clue for my love of a good murder mystery. The first book I ever started to write was science fiction. So, really getting into thrillers helped me mold my debut into what it is today. It actually started more as a historical romance with a sprinkling of murder mystery. So, seeing it today, as this jaw-dropping ending to a thriller, shocked me into realizing what the world of the Ridleys could be.

I grew up watching shows and movies like Gossip Girl, Skins, The Clique, and 90210. So the lifestyles of the rich and famous always intrigued me. Getting to write in their worlds has been a journey, because in The Roaring Ridleys, it humanizes the rich. Many people see the wealthy differently from the average person. They have the same problems in different formats. There was always this thought, growing up and even as an adult: why do we love watching reality TV featuring extremely wealthy people who always have a sprinkle of drama? It was like some sort of addiction for most adults.

Even now, I see myself watching shows like Elite or Hierarchy. They all have the same baseline of what the rich would do to stay rich and out of harm’s way. In The Roaring Ridleys, I do a deep dive on each of the siblings. Readers will really understand each character’s thought process, which was my goal for a potential continuation of the series. As time has gone by, I know, and I am sure the reader knows, the story of the Ridleys is far from done. There’s so much to this world I have yet to surface, and I can’t wait for everyone to explore this wild ride of a journey on the Ridley family.

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THE ROARING RIDLEYS

In Jazz Age New York, a shocking murder shatters the privileged life of the city’s most elite family in a propulsive mystery-thriller debut from author K.M. Colley that spans from Harlem to Long Island’s Gold Coast and high society’s glittering world of deadly secrets.

In the glittering world of 1920s New York, the seven Ridley heirs seem to have it all: wealth, status, and protection as the city’s most powerful family. But when notorious gossip columnist Dale Caimen is found dead during their family’s renowned summer soiree, their carefully constructed world begins to crack.

Behind the champagne and jazz, each adopted Ridley sibling harbors secrets that could destroy them. There’s Amelia, the responsible eldest trying to hold it all together; Adesua, whose artistic ambitions in the Harlem Renaissance threaten her family’s expectations; and wild child Kavita, whose dangerous nights in speakeasies may have finally caught up with her.

As the murder investigation intensifies, long-buried tensions surface and family loyalties unravel. Someone knows the truth about the Ridleys—and they’re willing to kill to expose it. In a world where appearance is everything and power comes at a deadly price, the siblings must decide what matters more: protecting the family name or each other.

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K.M. Colley writes thrillers, contemporary mysteries, and cinematic stories that explore legacy and ambition. Her work often centers around powerful families, glamorous settings, and complex characters. Born in Mobile, Alabama, she’s currently based in Tampa and Philadelphia. When not writing or reading, K.M. enjoys traveling, learning new languages, and building a creative legacy. She’s also passionate about raising her autistic daughter, who dreams of creating her own comic book one day.