The Research Behind ‘Gilt Edge’

They say being a writer makes you an accidental expert at a thousand different things. But with my latest Kenzie Gilmore thriller, Gilt Edge, I think I may have finally pushed that definition to its limit.

Writing a contemporary crime novel in 2026 means navigating a world that moves at the speed of a fiber-optic cable. My protagonist, Kenzie Gilmore, has evolved from a traditional New York Times journalist to a true-crime podcaster—a shift that required me to dive headfirst into the digital underground. But Gilt Edge isn’t a “tech thriller.” It’s a story where the internet meets true crime, and how online sleuths are helping to solve mysteries the police can’t.

The Digital Underground: Discord and “Doxxing”

To pull Kenzie into a modern investigation, I had to understand how today’s amateur sleuths actually operate. This meant exploring Discord servers and private online chat rooms.

If you aren’t familiar, Discord is a world unto itself. Originally built for gamers, it is now the breeding ground for “citizen detectives.” Researching this meant learning a new language: the nuances of “short codes,” the ethics of digital “doxxing,” and the way a community of thousands can track a person’s location through a single reflection in a window or a specific type of paving stone.

In Gilt Edge, Kenzie goes undercover in one of these sleuthing clubs. Writing those scenes required more than just a passing knowledge of technology; it required an understanding of the frenzy that happens when a group of anonymous people think they’ve found a killer. It’s a powerful tool, but as Kenzie discovers, it’s also a dangerous one.

The Weight of History: Samurai Lore and Antiquities

While Kenzie was busy navigating the web, the “villain” of the piece led me down a much older, darker path. The murders in Gilt Edge are brutal, precise, and deeply symbolic, involving authentic samurai swords and a killer obsessed with “ancient justice.”

This part of the research was a whirlwind. I found myself surrounded by books on Japanese artifacts and antiquities. I learned about the katana—not just as a weapon, but as a vessel for the maker’s soul. I researched the intricacies of international smuggling: how a centuries-old blade is moved across borders, hidden in plain sight from customs, and sold to elite collectors in Miami who have more money than morality.

Embracing the Code: Bushido and Ikigai

As a writer, you can’t look into the abyss of your research without it looking back at you.

As I delved into the philosophy of the “radical group” in the book—those seeking to reclaim what was stolen centuries ago—I found myself captivated by the Bushido code. This “Way of the Warrior” is built on seven virtues: Self-discipline, Courage, Compassion, Politeness, Honesty, Honor, and Loyalty.

For me, that intersection has always been in storytelling. But Gilt Edge challenged me to make that story about more than just “who-dun-it.” It became a study of how we reconcile the fast-changing digital future with our present existance, how we value the human touch, and how we remain present in our own reality and stay true to the values we hold dear.

From the Manuscript to the Page

The final version of the manuscript, which I’ve just seen through to publication, is a reflection of this whirlwind learning experience. Whether it was verifying the specific “short codes” used in clandestine texting or ensuring the terminology for a 17th-century Japanese hilt was accurate, every detail was a labor of love.

Writing Gilt Edge taught me that the “gilt” on the edge of life is often thin. Beneath the surface of our modern gadgets and luxury collections lie ancient debts and honor-bound traditions that refuse to stay buried.

I hope that when you read about Kenzie’s journey from the podcast mic to the shadows of international smuggling, you feel that same rush of discovery that I felt while writing it.

Gilt Edge is out now on Amazon. I can’t wait to hear if it helps you find a bit of your own Ikigai (minus the murder, of course!).