HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: What
we’re writing? I have NO IDEA. NO IDEA! I am 33,102 words into my new book, and
I’m still thinkin’—well, soon I’ll know what this is about. Never a dull moment
in this writing life.
But
one thing that keeps me going—I do remember when I felt nervous like this about
THE MURDER LIST, and hurray, that’s now finished, the final final copy edits, finally, are all done. (Why are there always
more typos?) So it proves it can happen, even though I worry every time. And so
far, so good!
And
THE MURDER LIST is getting fabulous blurbs—wait til you see!!—and the first reviews
from the early readers are coming in (My first review on Insta began like this:
ALL THE STARS! So that was reassuring.)
THE
MURDER LIST, a standalone, is a cat and mouse and cat tale. This time, a twisty
triple triangle. You’ll see what I
mean when you read it. Someone said it’s B.A. Paris meets John Grisham, and hmm…that
sounds about perfect.
Here
are the main characters: Rachel North, a law student who always reliably tells
you what she knows to be true. She’s smart, successful, and always does the
right thing.
She’s happily married to the faithful and devoted Jack Kirkland, a
hotshot defense attorney.
And her summer internship with the zealous prosecutor
Martha Gardiner is sure to put Rachel on the fast track to a brilliant career.
Problem
is: Rachel is wrong.
Rachel, Jack, and Martha.
Meet
the triangle—maybe.
Rachel
North
We never fight. Not in the past six years, as long as
we’ve been married. Not even in the months before that. It isn’t that Jack is
always right or I’m always right. Usually our disagreements are about things
that don’t matter, so it’s easier and quicker for me to acquiesce. Jack’s a
lawyer, so he likes to win. It makes him happy. And that’s good. But now on a Saturday morning in May, sitting
face-to-face across our breakfast table in sweats and ratty slippers, we’re
definitely on the verge of a real fight. This time, the fight matters. This
time I have to win.
“I forbid it,” Jack
says.
I burst out laughing—all
I can think to do—because “forbid” is such an odd word.
“Forbid?” I say the
word, repeating it, diluting it, undermining it. “What’re you gonna do, honey, lock
me in the castle tower? You’re not that much older than I am. Come on, sweetheart. Get real.
Have some more coffee. Read your Globe.”
He doesn’t look up from
the Metro section. “It’s absurd, Rachel,” he says into the paper. “That woman
is evil. Plus, I can’t understand why you’d want to fill your brain with that
kind of . . .” He shakes his head as he snaps a page into place, the newsprint
crackling with his impatience. “Absurd. An exceedingly unwise decision on
Gardiner’s part. And yours, too, Rach.”
I take a sip of dark
roast to defuse my annoyance and to clear the looming emotional thunderstorm. I
know his problem isn’t my summer internship in the Middlesex County District Attorney’s
Office. Jack’s impatience with me is fueled by the headlines he’s reading, news
stories that feature his name. Jack hates to lose. Especially in court. And
especially to Assistant District Attorney Martha Gardiner. My new boss.
And LATER in the book….
Jack Kirkland
“The jurors will think what I want them to think.”
Jack clicked open the two brass snaps on his briefcase, extracted two manila
folders, placed them on the holding-room conference table between them. “Look.
Here’s your criminal record.” He opened one folder, spun it so Deacon could read
the printed-out black-and-white pages. Pointed with one forefinger. “Attempted
robbery. Larceny under. Breaking and entering.”
“But—” Deacon Davis, hollow-cheeked and swimming in a
long-sleeved shirt that had fit him three weeks ago, had the look Jack had seen
on so many defendants. Confused. Defeated. The perplexed demeanor of someone
watching the last train pull away from the station. A train that left them in a
courthouse, seated in a folding metal chair at a pitted conference table at
nine on a bleak Wednesday morning. Destination possibly life in prison.
“But nothing,” Jack interrupted. “You say these were screwups.
Unfair. Mistakes. Miscarriages of justice. Whatever you want to call them. But
there they are, buddy. And the jury will think, oh, he was a bad guy before, so it’s more likely he’s a bad guy now.
Even when it’s not true.”
“But—”
“If the jury ever finds out about these convictions,” Jack
talked over his client, had to, “you’re toast. However. If you do not give Martha
Gardiner the opportunity to open the door to your criminal history, the jury
will never hear about it.”
Jack, assessed his client’s stubborn expression, then held
up both palms in pretend retreat. “You wanna do it, Deke? Testify? Your call. Gardiner’s
been properly notified that you might take the stand. But look . . .” Jack softened
his voice, a wise coach counseling his newest player. “Don’t turn that victory
into a defeat because you think you can convince this jury. Let me do that.”
“Ten minutes, sir.” The conference room door had
opened so quickly, the sound of the sharp knock on the wood had not quite faded.
Jack turned his attention back to his client, lowered
his voice. “Juror Five likes you, the furniture-store woman. The knitting
grandmother likes you. All you need is one of them
to hold out.”
And LATER in the book!
Martha Gardiner
Martha stepped back from the demilune table in
her hallway, tilting her head, assessing her newest arrangement. The pale-blue
hyacinths and white tulips and spiny green ferns, fresh from her tiny garden,
were duplicated in the ceiling-high mirror behind them, a mirror that had
graced the entryway to her Beacon Hill apartment since her grandparents had
owned it in the days when the Esplanade’s now-iconic Hatch Shell was brand new.
Back then, though Grandpa Leggett had signed up to fight Nazis, his father’s
influence kept him desk-safe in Washington at the War Department.
Through her lattice of lavender-tinged windows,
originals, Martha could see the early evening sun streaming though the elm
trees on the green expanse of Boston Common, couples and puppies and children
winding the same paths where Abigail Adams strolled, and then Lucy Stone and
Margaret Fuller. Those women had made a difference, and she would, too.
She plucked a tulip from behind a stubborn green hyacinth
leaf and replaced the flower front and center. The flowers were from the square of green courtyard behind her
building, hardly a garden, more of a patch, the one place she felt
responsibility only to nature. Sometimes, when the wind was right, she could
smell the brine of the harbor, or see an optimistically wayward gull headed for
the Atlantic.
The tulip shifted, and now a fern blocked it. Using
her thumb and forefinger, Martha pinched off an offending leaf. Perfect.
Gardiner the gardener, her father used to joke. When he could still joke.
The graceful bay windows, her inherited Persian rugs,
the polished mantle over the fireplace. The lines of silver-framed family
photos. She’d lived here since she was a girl—after her college dorm years in
Cambridge, of course, but after it had seemed more sensible to stay here, while
her mother was sick and then her father, and then, alone, she kept the place to
herself. Familiar and orderly and set in its ways. She refused to think of it
as her personal metaphor.
She used one of her family wineglasses for this evening’s
cabernet—who else would she use them for?—and wondered, yet again, about her
choices. No pets, no friends, no hobbies except for her patch of green. Only .
. . She took a deep breath and looked into her remaining wine. Only justice.
The file lay open on the supple saddle-leather couch,
tempting her, yet again, to read the documents. What did she think she would
find after all these years? Most people kept scrapbooks of their wins, their
glory days, to reassure themselves when they failed.
Martha kept files of her losses. To remind
her of her failures. To prod her to prevent them.
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: So excited about this! Tell me what you think…and
you’ll be entered to win a review copy of THE MURDER LIST! (Coming August 20 from Forge.)
So much character revelation in these small excerpts. You have my attention!! Congratulations on yet another amazing read.
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you! It is so terrifying to send a new book out into the world…
DeleteOh, my . . . I really enjoy cat-and-mouse stories filled with suspense and now that we’ve “met” the main characters, I can hardly wait to read the book to find out what lies ahead for Rachel, Jack, and Martha . . . .
ReplyDeleteThank you! I never have an outline, so it is always a surprise to be me, too!
DeleteThis is very intriguing. I can't wait to read it! (And I don't have an ARC yet....)
ReplyDeleteWonderful—so glad you are intrigued! Yaaay! Xxx
DeleteOh how I wanted the excerpts to continue! I can't wait to see where this triangle of characters is going. I feel like I've already learned some insightful information about them. Hank, you always give readers great characters and a thrilling reading.
ReplyDeleteSo great to hear! Yes, I hope you love it... each one of those character traits matters! Xxxxxxxthank you!
DeleteFabulous, Hank! Can't wait for the book to come out. One of these days I will tackle multiple POVs, a challenge I haven't met yet.
ReplyDeleteThank you! But I think it is equally difficult to write for a single point of view— A lot of information to impart, and it only can come through one set of eyes. so every technique is a challenge, right?
DeleteOh Hank! If only I could go and grab me a copy right now! But I have to wait how many months?
ReplyDeleteOh, how wonderful of you! It will be out August 20. Very exciting! Xxx
DeleteI suspect you spent many hours over dinner "interviewing" your husband to get the legal stuff just right. Looks like you did! I want to know more about Martha.
ReplyDeleteI am lucky to have him, that’s for sure! But I don’t think I interviewed him at all, come to think of it. I do ask him very specific legal questions, though, to get the procedure right. I am so fascinated by the whole legal process! And Martha is such a surprising character… Her persona and goals changed dramatically during the writing. More I cannot say! Xxxxx
DeleteThat must have been fun (and probably nerve-wracking at times) to follow the threads of each character throughout this story, Hank! I think this book is going to be a great ride for your readers AND a huge success for you!
ReplyDeleteIt was a surprisingly difficult book to write, actually. It’s always difficult, but this book changed so much in the process. It took a lot of shuffling to get the twists and turns and motivations to fit. It’s always difficult, but this book changed so much in the process. It took a lot of shuffling to get the twists and turns and motivations to fit. I wasn’t sure what the final picture would look like, and I gasped in surprise when I discovered it.
DeleteWell, that was weird! The dictation software inserted in the same sentence twice. Weird!
DeleteWhat an ominous final line... taken with the title of the book... Oh my! Dying(!) to read this.
ReplyDeleteWell let me think… Is there a book that I would like to read in exchange???
DeleteThat made me laugh!
DeleteWow, three POVs! I can't even imagine writing that. I'm looking forward to reading it, Hank!
ReplyDeleteThat is so interesting, Kathy! It is the most fun thing for me… And more natural than writing a book in just one. What do you all think about that? Do you like to read multiple points of view?
DeleteI do like reading multiple POVs. As a writer, do you plan the overall plot first or do plan each POV then combine them? How do you decide who narrates each chapter?
DeleteI always know that YOU, Hank, will pull everything together. Meanwhile, as I read your books, I need numerous cups of chamomile tea as the suspense builds! I’m stocking up on more of it as I await The Murder List!
ReplyDeleteDebRo
SO great to hear that! Crossing fingers...
DeleteI Have an ARC!!! and I can tell everyone the surprize (someone grabs me puts their hand over my mouth and drags me away..) okay back.. I can tell everyone it is marvelous. I will be posting my review later today on Goodreads -- unless the cat throws up again. Hank look for another extended book tour this one is great.
ReplyDeleteOh, so fabulous. Thank you thank you! Yes, zipped lips! (And for the cat, too.....)
DeleteOh. wow, Hank. Just from these few paragraphs we already know SO much about these three characters, especially Martha. Privileged, rigidly critical of herself, with exquisite taste and artistic sensibility. But deeply lonely. Whoa. Well done.
ReplyDeleteYou are so perfect. Aw. Thank you! xoo
DeleteHank, coincidentally, Catriona McPherson is on Criminal Minds today, and she says she didn't know what one of her books was about until page 280. So you're in good company with your WIP!
ReplyDeleteSO interesting! Yes, it's aways a big relief when the story reveals itself. I'm never quite certain it will.
DeleteOoo, fabulous. I can't wait!
ReplyDeleteThank you, dearest Liz! See you soon!
DeleteWOW ! You already got me with Rachel. Two more were like " du bonbon " . Looking forward to the Murder List.
ReplyDeleteOh, what a wonderful expression! Love that! And aw, thank you. I love Rachel, too. And someday we'll chat here about her name. xoo
DeleteThree lawyers? Or two and a law student? Who could possibly be lying?
ReplyDeleteKudos, Hank.
I seem to have ordered this before Christmas.
DeleteI just burst out laughing! Never thought about it that way. :-) And thank you! Whoo. A preorder--HURRAY!!
DeleteLove it! Can't wait to read it!
ReplyDeleteOh, this is such a nerve-racking time, you know? Anything could happen…
DeleteWow, Hank! I had only read the tiny intro before where Jack doesn't want Rachel to take the job. Now with this larger peek - wow! But not surprised, just don't want to wait until August! Thanks for sharing. Sally
ReplyDeleteSo excited to hear that! Yes, this is kind of how the book evolved in my brain, too :-)
DeleteThis is SUCH a great thriller that's getting a many-thumbs-up-blurb from ME as soon as I, um, write it. I love the characters, the twisty mystery, and the even twistier relationships that keep you constantly wondering who's lying to who - and why.
ReplyDeleteActually, Hank, I think if I polish this comment up a bit, it could be my blurb!
I am FAINTING with happiness!!!! Thank you! Ahhhhhhhh. Crossing fingers...
DeleteSO intriguing, Hank!! I can't wait to read it! And I am continually amazed by the fact that you can write these wonderful twisty books when you don't know where they are going!
ReplyDeleteThank you..! And um, yeah, you know? "amazed" is a word I often used. Or more--baffled. Astonished. Bewildered. xoxxooox
DeleteI really liked the synopsis of the book. Sounds like a lot going on, looking forward to reading.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's so great to hear! It was a crazy joy to write, I have to say. :-)
DeleteWow! I don’t think this is like anything I’ve ever read before. I am adding it to MY list! 😉
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredibly wonderful thing to hear! Wow. Thank you !
DeleteThe title alone grabbed my attention right away, then, after reading the basic premise of the book and the excerpts, I am totally hooked! Thanks so much for the chance to win an review/ARC.
ReplyDeleteOh, I will admit :-) I love the title too. Thank you! And, of course, as I hope you will find out, it means several different things…
DeleteThis is fantastic! Each character has a unique and compelling voice - I am completely invested. Bravo, Hank!
ReplyDeleteOh, high praise! Thank you! So wonderful of you to say… Awwwww...
DeleteThis book sounds amazing definitely going on my TBR list Can’t wait
ReplyDeleteWell, I am crossing fingers. They say to write the kind of book you love to read, and this is that. So… We shall see! Thank you! Xxxx
DeleteSounds great!! Thanks for these excerpts !
ReplyDeleteOh so wonderful to hear—thank you! Choosing excerpts is a true science!
DeleteAfter reading your comments, Hank, I am totally in suspense and would very much appreciate winning an ARC of The Murder List. Sounds like a cliffhanger. Thank you as always for sharing your talented creative writing with the world. With Warm Aloha, Rickie
ReplyDeleteRickie! So nice to “see” you! Xxxxxx
DeleteSounds intriguing and interesting! Looking forward to reading this!!
ReplyDeleteOh thank you—-crossing fingers!
DeleteSo much info here. Very intriguing. Can't wait to read the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteThank you—and pssssst... even a few clues!
DeleteI loved these excerpts and am especially looking forward to discovering more about Martha Gardner!
ReplyDeleteThis is SO interesting to hear! I am so intrigued by all of the choices...and all of your comments. Fascinating, truly..
DeleteAnd the winner is Michelle L! (US only, please...) . email me at h ryan at whdh dot com! HURRAY!!
ReplyDeleteLOVE you all madly, and crossing fingers. I am so grateful for your wonderfully kind words and support.
And Tami Norman is the winner of Lucy's new paperback, DEATH ON THE MENU! Email her with your info! YAY! xpp
ReplyDeleteToo late to enter, but not too late to tell you that the excerpts left me wanting more, and thinking that Rachel sounds like she'd be a wonderful friend, but the kind I'd need to shake a few times, and give a big sister talk to. I want to read this book!
ReplyDeleteBeth, thank you! That is so perfect! Xxxx
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read the rest of this! I barely know your Rachel yet, but I'm already rooting for her! She seems like the type who has always been easily walked all over, but is starting to develop her back bone. Already hoping she's not too easily duped by her new boss! If she really is the type to be easily duped... Waiting (impatiently) for more! Great work!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read it. I hope that I will win a copy.
ReplyDeleteSo looking forward to this book.
ReplyDeleteWow what a Great Information about World Day its very nice informative post. thanks for the post. health cat
ReplyDelete