It's All in the Epigraphs

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: How much attention do you pay to the epigraphs and dedications in the books you read? Some authors, including me, take a lot of time with those, and work very hard to make them relevant and thematic and, frankly, irresistible. 

Often they mean more if you read them again after you’ve read the book, don’t they?

Here’s the quote at the beginning of the glam and atmospheric SEE HOW THEY FALL by debut author Rachel Paris.


Oooh. Don’t you just instantly know the kind of book you’re about to read?
And then, here’s the author's note.

Again, doesn't that tell you so much about the book? And make you eager to read it?

Of course, we adore debuts here at Jungle Red–standing ovation! And I could not wait to chat with Rachel herself–and keep reading to see how you can win a copy for your very own!

HANK: What book (besides SEE HOW THEY FALL) changed your life?

RACHEL PARIS: Katherine Mansfield’s collected short stories. Katherine was a modernist writer whose stories inspired me to write my own. She was part of the Bloomsbury set in London 125 years ago, but her work still reads as fresh and contemporary in style. My high-school teacher introduced me to her work, and I learned so much from her, especially the importance of clear and vivid language, the power of foreshadowing to create suspense and how to create complex inner lives for characters.

HANK: You’re a debut author! Hurray. Was this book the first manuscript you ever wrote? Tell us a little about your writing journey.

RACHEL: Thank you. It’s a dream come true. For nearly 20 years, I worked as a finance lawyer and secretly wrote little bits and pieces on the side as a hobby. Then, a couple of years ago, I decided it was time to give writing a proper shot, so I went back to university to learn the craft of creative writing. During that MFA course, I wrote the first draft of SEE HOW THEY FALL.

HANK: So tell us about it!

RACHEL: SEE HOW THEY FALL is a twisty thriller that centres on the billionaire Turner dynasty. The Turners own extravagant homes on every continent, globetrot by private jet and super yacht, snap up MoMA-quality art and mingle with fellow celebs and super-models. When the Turner patriarch, Sir Campbell Turner, passes away, his three sons and their families gather to discuss his estate but there are power struggles and, by the end of the weekend, one family member is dead and another is fighting for their life. The question is, who did it, and why? And that’s where the story really kicks off. It turns out there is more to the Turner family than meets the eye, and they will stop at nothing to prevent the unravelling of their empire.

The story is told in turns by two women — Skye Turner who has married into the family, and homicide detective Mei O’Connor who is charged with investigating the. While the novel goes to some dark places, it is ultimately a story about female courage and solidarity.

HANK: Fill in the blanks: If you love _____ and ____, you’ll love SEE HOW THEY FALL.

RACHEL: If you love SUCCESSION and BIG LITTLE LIES, you’ll love SEE HOW THEY FALL.

HANK: Well, that is definitely all of us! So your book is about money and power and family and identity. Can you talk a bit about those conflicts, and how they drive this book?

RACHEL: It’s undeniable that tremendous wealth buys power and, as the saying goes, power corrupts. The collision of those forces — money, power and corruption — is juicy territory for a high-stakes drama. However, as in most wealthy families, the money and power in the Turner family is not distributed equally, and the consequent imbalance is a source of conflict among Sir Campbell Turner’s heirs.

However, when I was writing SEE HOW THEY FALL, I was most interested in the imbalance within Skye and Duncan Turner’s relationship. Although they have been married for 10 years, Skye has no financial resources of her own; she depends on her husband for everything, and so her own identity has become dependent on his too. 

Skye has also become estranged from her old friends by the immense privilege she enjoys as Duncan Turner’s wife. When a shocking tragedy occurs at the start of the book, she’s no longer sure whether she can trust her husband, but at the same time there is no one she can turn to for support who is outside her powerful husband’s reach. Skye is effectively trapped in her gilded cage. It’s a terrifying situation for her to be in, and absolutely perfect for a psychological thriller!

HANK: Did you know the story’s ending before you started?

RACHEL: Yes, I knew the very final reveal from the outset. However, I had no clue how I was going to fill in the 79,000 words in-between.

HANK: Ha! Yes, the dreaded middle. But it’s a question of persistence and a little bit of bravery, right?

RACHEL: Yes. Writing SEE HOW THEY FALL was very much a process of discovery. I wish I were a plotter who could map things out in advance, but unfortunately (and I say unfortunately because I spend so much time hitting the delete button) I have to write my way into my characters before the story takes shape. With my second book, I know the ending and have a loose plot outline in my head, but the more I write, the more that outline changes.

HANK: Cannot wait to read it! But so many rave reviews of SEE HOW THEY FALL mention that it has the vibe of THE WHITE LOTUS – can you talk about your setting?

RACHEL: Like THE WHITE LOTUS, my book SEE HOW THEY FALL is a whodunnit with plenty of super wealthy, toxic characters in beautiful settings. The story opens with Skye and Duncan Turner, and their young daughter, Tilly, arriving at an exclusive beachfront estate owned by Duncan’s late father, Sir Campbell Turner. The place is basically paradise — a luxurious residence set in a beautiful private bay — and yet it is also the place that the family is blown apart.

For me, the glamorous settings in the book operate almost as a character in that they speak to the disconnect between the perfect façade the Turner family presents to the public and the ugly truths about them which are revealed over the course of the book.

HANK: When you’re having a difficult writing day, what do you tell yourself to get through it?

RACHEL: I tell myself that any words on the page are a win, no matter how crummy they are, because I can always go back and edit. For every difficult day, there is a wonderful day when words flow, and that wonderful day will only come if I stick at it. I also tell myself there is some delicious Lindt chocolate waiting for me when I finish my daily word count.

HANK: Always a good incentive! But back to real life. There’s that realization that you worked and worked and did your best, and then...someone is going to read it. And comment. Do you read your reviews?

RACHEL: I read reviews that I am tagged in on social media and those published in the traditional media and trades. If someone has spent the time writing a review, I feel that I owe it to the reviewer to take on board any constructive suggestions to improve my work going forward. However, on advice from more experienced authors, I don’t read Goodreads reviews! Not only is it first and foremost a platform for readers, rather than authors, but it would take up way too much time better spent on writing. When it comes to reviews, you have to remind yourself that no book is loved by everyone. Inevitably some people will not connect with your work, and that is okay.

HANK: And that is such a powerful thing to remember. It’s such a learning curve! What did you learn about book world from this experience?

RACHEL: I have learned so much. One pleasant surprise has been discovering the importance of bookstagrammers (book influencers on Instagram) in the reading ecosystem. The bookstagram community is incredibly generous with their time and, if a bookstagrammer loves your book, they will promote it to their followers and this organic publicity is so valuable. It also is a wonderful way of connecting directly with readers. So even if, like me, you find it uncomfortable to promote yourself and your book on social media, it is worth persevering to connect with this incredibly supportive community.

HANK: And we all want to know: What’s your favorite book on writing? And what book are you reading right now?

RACHEL: The two craft books I’ve found super helpful are Ursula K. Le Guin’s book, STEERING THE CRAFT, and Francine Prose’s book, READING LIKE A WRITER..

And my current read is THE BOOK OF GUILT by the brilliant Catherine Chidgey. It’s so imaginative and creepy and a real page-turner.

HANK: Oh, that’s a new one for me! Hurray, thank you!

So Reds and readers, let us know! Do you notice the epigrams and dedications at the beginning of novels? If you are a writer, how carefully do you choose them?

Just leave a question or a comment for Rachel, or even just congratulations on being a debut! And one lucky commenter will win a copy of SEE HOW THEY FALL!

Rachel Paris worked as a commercial lawyer in London and Auckland before writing her debut novel, See How They Fall. She holds a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School and a Master of Creative Writing from the University of Auckland. Rachel currently lives with her family in Auckland.



Social media links: @rachelparisauthor on everything!