Readers Place

Karin Slaughter interview/review

1. When you created the central characters in Blindsighted did you intend to carry them through to your subsequent novels?

I always thought there would be at least two books, because there was so much more that I wanted to say about the characters. At the end of Kisscut, they still had more to say. It seems like every time I finish a book, I’ve found myself thinking, “what if…” and going onto the next one. Hopefully, this will keep happening!

1. While I was reading Kisscut there were a couple of fleeting moments when I suspected Brad was responsible in some way for the tragedy. Was this intentional? Do you ever deliberately try and lead the reader astray?

Yes, that was intentional and you’re the first person who seems to have noticed! I wanted his part in it to be ambiguous at best. I’m not saying he was involved, but there’s more to Brad’s story than what we’ve gotten so far, so keep an eye on him.

1. What research did you do into the psychology of Paedophilia for Kisscut?

I really had to immerse myself in their culture, which was incredibly difficult for obvious reasons. I read a lot of case studies and prowled around the Internet and talked with a friend who works with sex offenders of all kinds. It’s amazing how whether it’s a paedophile or a serial rapist, they all find a way to justify their actions. I also wanted to correct a wrong I was seeing in novels, where it was being stated that paedophiles were all abused as children. That’s simply not the case, thank goodness. If it were, we would be over run with paedophiles.

1. The Guardian was quoted as suggesting your books should come with a psychological health warning, do you ever worry that your books may be too shocking for some people? Do you ever scare yourself?

I’ve never thought my work is particularly shocking, so I was surprised when I got that label. I suppose I have been a bit anaesthetized to it because I read so much crime fiction and true crime. I figure my readers know what they are getting into. It’s not like there is a cat playing poker on the jackets of my books.

As for your last question, I’m in control when I write my books, so it’s not scary for me because I know what is going to happen. It’s things that I have no control over that scare me: when I hear a noise at night like a scythe being dragged across the floor or one of my cats startles and looks behind me like there is a man with a hatchet standing there…

1. What inspired you to write The Grant County Series?

I have always been interested in crime fiction and I wanted to see if I could do it. I also had these characters rolling around in my head and I wanted to get them out and put them in situations where I could see how they reacted. Lena, of course, is always the wild card in the equation, but Sara also surprises me. She has such a clear sense of right and wrong, so it’s interesting when she does something that is not necessarily the best thing.

1. All your books so far are set in a small town, why did you chose Heartsdale as the background for these novels? Do you live in a small town yourself? If so do you draw on your own experience of such a place in your writing?

I grew up in a small town, and like most people, I left as soon as I turned eighteen. I still go back, though, and I like writing about the people who stayed. I do draw on my experiences from growing up, and I would like to think the town has not changed that much since I left, but of course I feel like an outsider now. I think that works for me, because you never appreciate situations you’re in the middle of, so getting some perspective on it gives me more respect. I never want to do a disservice to these people.

1. What is the significance of the title Kisscut? Did you chose this title on completion of the novel?

Kisscut is a printing term. It means to cut through the surface of something without cutting all the way through to the back. This plays out in the story, because you don’t really find out what the crime is until you’re part way through the book. I like playing around with my titles so that they work as part of the story.

1. I think Blindsighted would make a great film or TV thriller – are there any plans to adapt any of your books to the screen? If so, which famous actress would you pick to play Sara Linton?

There are no plans yet, but I’m hoping something happens soon. I have never really thought about “casting” the books. The only character I can see clearly as an actor is Cathy, Sara’s mom. I adore Sissy Spacek and I saw her as Cathy from the beginning.

1. How do you get your ideas when writing? Do you plan how a novel is going to end before you begin?

I don’t like to know how my books are going to end because as I’m writing them, I’m also reading them. To know the ending takes some of the joy out of it. So, while I know who the bad guy is, I don’t necessarily know why he did it. It’s the why that interests me. So, basically what starts a story is me wondering how Sara and the others will react to a given situation, then figuring out how the crime will work in the context of this story. I can’t really tell you where my ideas come from because I don’t know. They just evolve.

1. What are your plans for a fourth novel, will Sara Linton continue to feature?

I have already finished the fourth novel in the series, Indelible, and all the same folks are in it. Most of the story takes place ten years before Blindsighted, so you get to see Sara and Jeffrey when they first got together. They go to Jeffrey’s home town of Sylacauga, so you get to see him in a different light away from Grant County, where everyone thinks he’s a stand-up guy. There is a lot about Jeffrey that the reader doesn’t know at this point, and Indelible answers some of those questions. Lena is also in the story-she gets the present day narration, which takes place over the course of a few hours in one day. It’s very intense, and I can’t wait to see what people think about it!