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
“It’s Yellowjacket. In the show, 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
“This one is obvious. 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 before she drove up into the mountains. It could’ve been a warning with deeper meanings, but who knows?”
Why Did Ed Spare Casey?
“I debated with myself a lot about this because Ed is obsessed with a very particular dynamic, and in my opinion, Casey doesn’t fit into his fantasy. She’s more like a kindred spirit to him — Ed does feel seen with Casey. That’s why he wanted to let her go. In the original draft, Casey not only chose to stay with him, but she was also willing to help Ed in his annual hunting game. I wasn’t thinking in thriller terms but rather dark romance when I edited the ending, so I did a cut that’s more in line with romance’s HEA. I think even then, many felt the unease underneath.”
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 end up having will look very twisted in others’ eyes — which is why I ended the book that way and why I don’t intend to write a sequel.
Just for the fun of it, if I have to imagine a sequel, it’d probably be something like 28 Years Later meets American Horror Story wearing a domestic thriller jacket.”
Why Casey Chose To Stay
“Okay. This is my favorite question. In the beginning, Casey was depicted as a typical 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. To me, her daddy issues are where relatability ended.
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 “yes” 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.”
