Thank you for having me! Our House is a thriller about property fraud inspired by the growing number of news reports about conveyancing crime. That was the starting point, then I created a bespoke crime, one that hinges on the fact that a married couple is in the process of separating. My couple, Bram and Fi Lawson, set out with the best intentions for conscious uncoupling, but end up in the most horrific danger.
Q2.) What can fans of your previous books expect from Our House?
They can expect the same irrepressible social commentary! There was a lot to sink my teeth into with this one. Anyone who enjoyed The Sudden Departure of the Frasers will recognise Our House as a development of the cautionary note I tried to strike there about our dangerous love of property. Fi has a line where she says if she had her time again she would concentrate less on her house and more on the people in it. That’s the message in a nutshell.
Q3.) What’s been your best moment as an author so far?
It’s hard to beat the moments when you see your book in a chart alongside one of your literary heroes. If feels like it must be some sort of fantastic accident. From a technical point of view, the best moments are when your plot is all tangled up and you know it needs something very clever to release it and then you finally have that moment of solution. You feel like a genius. (It doesn’t last.)
Q4.) What does your typical writing day look like?
I’ll work for about five hours during the day, then, if I have a deadline, I’ll do a few more hours in the evening and at weekends too. For the last seven years, I’ve structured my day around dog walks. I’m simplifying this: in reality, I’m easily distracted and work time is fractured.
Q5.) Do you have any advice for aspiring thriller writers?
I’ve been very instinctive in my thriller plotting, so I might not be the best model to follow. I’m anti-formulaic and quite rogue, which is probably not what they teach you on courses. I would say that mood and voice are as important as the technical plotting. The key is the central idea, so read widely to expose yourself to all the stranger-than-fiction stuff going on in the world. Almost anything can be reconfigured as fiction.
Q6.) What books would you recommend to fans looking for stories similar to your own?
I’m not sure who is similar but I can tell you which current British suspense writers I really like: Clare Mackintosh, Fiona Barton and Harriet Lane. With each, you’ll get a combination of mystery and psychological dissection. On my TBR rock and calling like sirens are Gillian McAllister, Erin Kelly, Mark Edwards, CL Taylor, Amanda Jennings, Louise Jensen, Liz Nugent and BA Paris. I’m always behind with my reading and genuinely ashamed about it as other authors are incredibly generous and supportive.
Q7.) Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?
I’m just finishing the first draft of a novel about a group of neighbours obsessed with a newcomer to the street, who has destroyed the perfect suburban lifestyle they’ve created for themselves. When tragedy strikes, the police try to discover if they’ve plotted to kill him.
Q8.) And lastly, what three words best describe Our House?
Homeowner’s worst nightmare.
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