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Be Aware, Be Ready
To Slaughter a Camel follows a nurse practitioner whose loyalty is tested when she is suddenly pulled into the shadow world of US Intelligence. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I’ll try to give you the short version.
Erika, my protagonist, was featured in my first novel, Topeka ma’shuge, a dark coming of age story. She survived her journey to adulthood, the novel concludes open-ended, but by that time I think I was a little in love with her; she hung around in the back of my mind, always asking me, “What about the rest of my life?”
I’ve known many military personnel in my life, and a handful from the clandestine services. I was aware of the role of being a medical provider embedded with clandestine operators, and the risks they faced, lacking the necessary warrior training to deal with the casualties when a mission goes terribly wrong.
Erika is isolated and looking for a sense of family; her decision to join the CIA is impulsive after the death of her best friend, but she already has unwittingly qualified for the position. It was only natural at that point, as in may thrillers and mysteries, to plop her in a catastrophe she wasn’t prepared for.
What were some challenges you felt were important to defining your characters in this story?
Wellesley is a bit of a cliché, the paternal supervisor with best intentions for his staff. Or is he? He is a bit insular, with a past we suspect. Why is he single? Who is the young woman in the frame by his desk? He understands the real horrors that can occur in his trade, but he tries to protect his young recruit. Was this the best decision? He isn’t sure and asks himself this as she walks away. Adding depth, ambivalence, vices and virtues to a character make them far more credible, but it does require work to do so.
Defining Erika was far easier, her character developing in the first novel. I knew her like a sister. Even when a crisis appeared that I’d only just created, I already knew how she would react. Until she was raped. As a former ER doc I understood a little bit of this, but some extensive research into the psychology of being a survivor of such an event was required. And her ability to kill, instinctively, prudently, slowly grows as the story progresses. Pacing that progress was a challenge. Pacing her evolution from a transparent medical provider devoted to the truth, to understanding how essential lies and deception are to survival in the clandestine theatre, was also a challenge.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
“There are people in the world who will kill you for a pack of cigarettes,” Wellesley tells Erika; the warning intended for the reader as well. Don’t be paranoid, but be aware, be ready.
Perseverance in the face of adversity.
The value of patience, occasionally compassion, when one’s instincts tell you to act boldly.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
A love story set in the first few months after 9-11. Jack Welsley, GS-13 at Langley, is 42, recently divorced, depressed, facing alcoholism, when he falls in love with the 23 year-old daughter of his best friend. She is a medic, has finished a year of Linguistics, and is slated to deploy in Afghanistan as a first Lieutenant. I hope to have a rough draft by the end of 2026, but the research is going to be exhausting, to review every day in the first year of that war, and get all of the technicalities and logistics believably correct.
Erika will reappear in the next work after that, another espionage thriller.
Author Links: GoodReads
To Slaughter a Camel masterfully charts the journey of Erika Harder from a routine existence in Oregon to a perilous life filled with uncertainty and trepidation in Madrid. Bereaved and lonely, Erika finds solace in her work as a multi-lingual nurse practitioner. Her normalcy is shattered when her proficiency in Farsi piques the interest of the State Department’s Jack Wellesley, who persuades her to serve as a civilian contractor for the CIA.
Erika’s initial excitement at the prospect of a new chapter in her life quickly morphs into a nightmare when a mission in Madrid goes awry, resulting in the death of seven of her colleagues. The explosion at the CIA station leaves her stranded with Guneet Jodal, a hapless translator whose loyalties are suspect. Erika is caught in a maelstrom of danger, with no way out and no one to trust.
Hutson’s narrative is a riveting exploration of the human spirit’s ability to endure and overcome even the most devastating tragedies. Erika, the novel’s protagonist, is a compelling character. Despite her raw wounds, both emotional and physical, she demonstrates an impressive strength and resourcefulness that will inspire readers.
To Slaughter a Camel is a unique blend of suspense and emotional depth. Hutson skillfully intertwines Erika’s personal journey with the broader narrative of international intrigue, creating a story that is as thought-provoking as it is action-packed. With a plot that keeps readers on the edge of their seats and a heroine whose resilience is nothing short of inspiring, this novel is a must-read for those seeking a thrilling, yet emotionally resonant tale.
To Slaughter a Camel
The book follows Erika Harder, a nurse practitioner in Portland whose already-fractured life is blown open by violence, loss, and an unexpected pull into the shadow world of U.S. intelligence. What begins as a grounded portrait of hospital life and grief slowly widens into a story about recruitment, moral compromise, and what it costs to belong to something larger than yourself. The plot moves from commuter trains and emergency rooms into secret offices, covert stations, and overseas assignments, tracking Erika as she’s tested not just for skill, but for resilience and loyalty.
What struck me first was how tactile the writing feels. The author lingers on details that matter. The rhythm of a train over a bridge. The chaos of a trauma bay. The weight of a shoulder bag that carries memories. These moments give the book a lived-in quality that many thrillers skip over in favor of speed. Here, the pacing is deliberate at the start, and I appreciated that patience. It lets the emotional stakes settle before the story turns sharper and more dangerous. Erika’s grief isn’t rushed or dramatized. It just sits there, heavy and unresolved.
I also found the author’s choices around power and authority compelling, if sometimes unsettling. The intelligence apparatus is not romanticized. Recruiters are intrusive. Procedures are dehumanizing. Even the promise of purpose feels conditional. There’s an ongoing tension between being chosen and being consumed, and the book doesn’t pretend those are different things. The dialogue leans into cynicism, but it fits the world being built. This is an espionage novel that understands control as something exercised quietly, through access to records, language, and fear rather than heroics.
This isn’t a slick, globe-trotting spy fantasy. It’s slower, heavier, and more reflective than that. Readers who enjoy espionage thrillers with strong character work, especially those interested in the psychological cost of service and secrecy, will appreciate this book most. If you like your thrillers grounded in realism, morally gray, and shaped by interior struggle as much as external threat, To Slaughter a Camel is worth your time.
Pages: 360 | ASIN : B0DPLJ73MN
