FINALIST personality I want him/her to have, so there’s a bit of back and forth between building the character and constructing the plot.
more interesting, faster paced, if the reader saw Virgil investigate and solve several different crimes in different places and in different ways with the missing-child plot Shelf Unbound: How did you line progressing in parallel in the come up with the story idea for The background. Wrong Side of a Gun? Once I identified those other Grace: I liked the emotional criminal events that Quinn was element of someone who once was going to tackle I began constructing lost and then was found, but I didn’t a story that would tie all of the want to write a bad guy/kidnapped pieces together. child story. I thought that the tension between a somewhat Shelf Unbound: Which authors unbalanced mother and a married- or novels have influenced your to-his-work law-enforcement father work? with the child in the middle used by Grace: In crime novels, Michael one as a pawn against the other was Connelly, Martin Cruz Smith and a more interesting way to explore John Connolly. I think they are this “lost child found” element. all excellent writers. I like all the Against the background of Michael Connelly “Harry Bosch” Virgil’s search for his runaway wife novels. and daughter, I wanted to show Martin Cruz Smith’s novel, Quinn involved in various different December 8 is an amazing book. If criminal investigations. you want an example of what a I didn’t want to write this book great writer can create, read it. with just one long, strung-out crime In the thriller category I very story—find a clue, find another much admire Daniel Silva’s talent. clue, to here, go there, string it I would recommend any of his out until, finally, three hundred Gabriel Allon novels. I think he’s a pages later the hero identifies the terrific writer. criminal. In science fiction and fantasy, I felt that the book would be Jack Vance and Robert Silverberg,
54
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2017