Points: 0
'I'm an accidental author - I never intended for my work to be published'
Where did the inspiration for The Stranger at the Wedding come from?
Without wishing to give too much away, many years ago I stumbled across a thoroughly harrowing Guardian Long Read about a true crime case that had haunted Germany. The image of the victim's traumatic demise stayed with me, and inspired the finale of The Stranger... Once I had that initial brainwave, I worked backwards, then forwards again, until I had some semblance of a novel. Weddings are events of such heightened tension - harried brides, nervous groomsmen and emotional guests - that it struck me as the perfect setting for a thriller.
Revisiting? Don't forget to sign in!
'Writers write about what obsesses them. You draw those cards. I lost my mother when I was 14. My daughter died at the age of 6. I lost my faith as a Catholic. When I'm writing, the darkness is always there. I go where the pain is.'