'I See You,' A Conversation with Clare Mackintosh | The Huffington Post

In a novel, I think it's important to present ordinary characters. Even though some thrillers feature people with special skills or those living in glamorous places, I prefer to read about ordinary people being thrust into extraordinary situations. That's when the real aspects of a protagonist's character come to the fore.

I want to create characters with whom readers can identify. Most people know exactly what it's like for this woman to be struggling to make ends meet; who's working in a job she doesn't enjoy; and who's worrying about her grown-up kids. I like to put the reader in the protagonist's shoes.