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When bestselling author Samantha Downing ’91 sat down to write her newest thriller, "Too Old For This," she didn’t expect the book’s cover and excerpt to debut on People.com. But the �鶹�� alumna has built her career on the unexpected.

Downing, who first gained international acclaim for her 2019 breakout novel "My Lovely Wife," returns this August with her fifth book — an edgy, satirical thriller featuring a seventy-five-year-old serial killer who is forced out of retirement. With biting wit and signature twists, "Too Old For This" hits shelves August 12.

“I still can’t believe it,” she said of the People mention. “I just write what I want to read — and somehow it’s resonated.”

Much like her novels, Downing’s own story didn’t follow a straight line.

From Dominican Drama Student to Thriller Author

Downing grew up just north of campus in Novato, and Dominican wasn’t her original plan. She had her sights set on a performing arts college in Southern California until her father encouraged her to consider a more traditional school. Dominican offered her a drama scholarship, and she never looked back.

“I’m so glad I went to Dominican,” she says. “It gave me the freedom to explore different paths.”

She began in theatre but pivoted to business after an internship with the Stars talent agency in San Francisco, which piqued her interest in the behind-the-scenes world. With encouragement from beloved professor Dr. Françoise Lepage, she majored in international studies.

“I wanted something practical, but of course I graduated right into a recession,” she laughs.

At Dominican, Downing lived on campus all four years and was deeply involved: student government, cheer coaching, volleyball in “the Barn,” and working two jobs her senior year. Life was screen-free and analog, full of late-night hangouts in Bertrand Hall, impromptu road trips, and dinners at West Brooklyn Pizza.

“There were no cell phones. We made plans in person. You’d leave your dorm at 8 a.m. and be out until 10 p.m. You just figured it out.”

Though she only took one writing course at Dominican — a Shakespeare class with Sr. Samuel Conlan —Downing always loved to read. As a kid, she devoured Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown, and anything by John Grisham or Clive Cussler. But writing as a career? That came much later.

A "Pantser" with a Penchant for Darkness

In the world of fiction writing, there are two kinds of authors: plotters and pantsers. Plotters meticulously outline every twist and turn. Pantsers, like Downing, write by the seat of their pants.

“Pantsing is totally inefficient,” she admits. “I start writing, throw a lot of it out, and find the story as I go. But that’s just how I’ve always done it. I can’t imagine working any other way.”

Judging by her success, there’s no reason to change. "My Lovely Wife" was a USA Today bestseller and was optioned for film. Her follow-ups — "He Started It," "For Your Own Good," and "A Twisted Love Story" — cemented her reputation for crafting smart, darkly funny thrillers with characters you love to hate.

Her newest novel, "Too Old For This," leans into that same blend of humor and horror.

“It’s about an elderly woman who has a long, dark past, and what happens when she is brought out of retirement,” she says. “It’s also very fun. With murder.”

From Marin to the Mainstream

After graduation, Downing moved to New York and eventually settled in New Orleans, where she worked in admin jobs by day and wrote by night. She joined a local writing group, never expecting to get published.

“I thought you had to have a fancy MFA or know someone in the industry,” she says. “I didn’t have either. I just wrote because I loved it.”

But one reader shared her manuscript with a friend of a friend… who knew a literary agent… who passed it on. Within weeks, "My Lovely Wife" sold to Penguin Random House.

“Honestly, I didn’t believe it was real,” Downing recalls. “I kept waiting for someone to tell me it was a mistake.”

Full Circle

Downing now lives back in Marin to be closer to her family in Novato. Her mother is a proud supporter, and she also offers the most honest feedback.

“She’ll tell me if something’s not working. And I trust her.”

Though she never set out to write for a living, Downing’s work has struck a chord — especially with readers who appreciate her subversive take on the domestic thriller genre.

“As a woman writing dark characters, you get different questions,” she says. “People forgive a lot more in a male antihero. But I don’t write to make people like my characters. I write to make them compelling.”

Dominican Roots, Global Reach

Downing credits Dominican with giving her the foundation to explore, fail, and keep trying.
“The community was small and supportive, but also gave me space to grow,” she says. “It was the perfect place to try things and see where they led.”

Turns out, they led to the bestseller list.

Meet the Author

Downing will appear at Book Passage in Corte Madera, California, on Wednesday, August 20, at 6 p.m. She’ll be in conversation with Luisa Smith to discuss "Too Old For This". The event is open to the public.