Who Is Edgar Fannigan? His Winter Baby’s Serial Killer & Burning Questions, Explained

The following contains major spoilers for His Winter Baby: A Romantic Thriller

Edgar Fannigan’s Ritualistic Killing Has A Secret Link To A Survival Thriller

In the show Yellowjacket, the girls’ soccer team stayed in an abandoned cabin after the plane crash, and I remember there was a rumored episode about the cabin daddy — the show never released it, but I guess that’s where the idea of Edgar Fannigan kinda took root in my head. When I wrote the book, I never consciously channeled that imagery, but when I was rewatching the show, I had a holy shit moment - the antler mask, the whole ritualistic vibe, and a deeply isolated and semi-psychedelic feeling… yeah, I don’t think it popped up out of nowhere. In retrospect, I may have been picturing the cabin’s interior when I wrote those scenes.

The Various-Sized Dresses & Who They Really Belonged To

The dresses belong to Ed’s past victims, of course. He’s been doing this for decades.

Did The Town People Know?

I think they know something is off, but I don’t think they know the details. I also think that when people have known each other forever and have spent their entire lives in the same town, they tend to normalize and overlook certain red flags. After I finished the book, I thought a lot about that exchange Casey had with the guy working at the gas station. It could’ve been a warning.

Why Did Ed Spare Casey?

I debated with myself a lot about this because Ed and Casey have a very particular dynamic. He’s both her savior and the man who abducted her. Casey, on the other hand, simply didn’t play into his script. For Ed, I think he found a kindred spirit in her and felt protective toward her. That’s why he warned her about who he is and tried to make her leave.

What Would Happen After The Book’s Ending?

I don’t think Ed would harm the baby, but I do think the relationship he and Casey will face challenges.

Why Casey Chose To Stay

This is my favorite question. In the beginning, Casey was depicted as an independent young woman living in San Diego. The original draft had a line about her not taking the plane ticket fully paid by her dad, which was how she ended up doing the road trip. I think it’s obvious that she has daddy issues, but that only played a small part in her decisions.

Casey isn’t a typical FMC.

Meeting Ed is her getting to know herself honestly for the first time.

I know some read Casey as naive and clueless — but I think she knows exactly what she’s doing, and that’s what makes her terrifying. In the story, Ed kept trying to tell her he was someone dangerous, and Casey’s reaction was like “dah” every step of the way. She didn’t behave like a victim. She behaved like someone who’d just discovered her own prey. And for Ed, that took away his power and at the same time made him feel seen in a way he’d never experienced with others.

In my mind, Casey was going through a quiet identity crisis prior to meeting Ed — and what she realized after meeting Ed was that she never belonged in the outside world. She belonged with him in the mountains.”