7. What do you think of Kate/Kaitlyn’s choice to run away from her family?
8. How much regret do you think Kaitlyn has about her actions in life? Do you believe she does love her children? How differently do you think you’d feel about it if the character were a man?
9. Kaitlyn risked exposure by returning to Chicago to save her family from Franny, but then she chose to leave again. Why? Do you think she made the right choice the second time?
10. Why do you think that Franny acts the way she does? What does that reveal about her? What is she hoping to accomplish?
11. Why are people so suspicious of Franny and her motives? What might she have done differently to alleviate those fears?
12. Why do you think Kaitlyn refuses to acknowledge Franny? How much of a role does that play in Franny’s actions, and in Kaitlyn’s own?
13. Has there ever been a time in your life when you were tempted to run away from everything?
CATHERINE McKENZIE
THE GOOD LIAR INTERVIEW
This is your eighth novel. What was the inspiration for this one?
I have had the idea for part of this novel kicking around in my brain for years: What would happen if someone used a national tragedy to run away from her life? I wasn’t sure there was enough of a story there, so I parked it. Then I heard various stories about people faking their way into tragedies, which I also thought was fascinating. And then, finally, I heard a story about a 9/11 widow whose divorce was about to be finalized right before the towers fell. The three ideas fused together and became The Good Liar.
What interests you most—characters or plot?
I always start with plot—the big question or premise the book will be about. In this case, it was an image of a woman running away from a tragedy, a woman running toward the same tragedy, and one stuck in the middle of it. Once I have the premise, I think more about the plot. What’s the beginning, middle, and end? Where does this premise go? When I have that, I wait for the voice of the main character to show up. I do this by thinking about that person: who are they, how are they trapped in this situation, et cetera. When I hear that voice, I start writing.
This story is about lies on so many levels: Tom’s affair, Kaitlyn’s dishonesty throughout her marriage, Franny’s deception surrounding her background, Cecily’s lies to herself and others about her feelings for Teo. What is it about deception that you find so fascinating?
I think there is a lot of withholding in life, and even more so in books. When you are writing suspense, there are—in my view—two ways to go about it. You can create tension and fear through external forces (What was that noise in the basement?) or you can do it through having your characters be unreliable (which is another word for liars). I’ve never been a fan of external fears (I hate horror movies—I don’t enjoy being visually scared or the gore involved), so I tend to gravitate toward character-driven suspense.
When you’re writing, do you always know how a story is going to end?
Generally. Sometimes the fine details change, or, as in this case, I added an epilogue that I hadn’t envisioned specifically, but for which I subconsciously left bread crumbs throughout the book that I picked up in that chapter.
Do your characters, and how they grow and develop as you’re writing a story, ever make you veer off course as far as plot goes?
I’m sure this happens, though maybe more on a subconscious level than an overt one. I don’t recall specific instances of me having to change a significant plot point because of the way a character is “acting.” I’m more likely to adapt the way a character is acting to the plot.
What character in this book did you most identify with and why?
That’s a tough one! To write believable characters you have to get into their skin to a certain extent, and understand their point of view. I would say I understand part of each of their characters: Cecily’s need to please; Franny’s wish to be loved; and Kate’s desire to run.
You practice law in Montreal. How do you manage to find the time to fit in writing, and how do you think your work as a litigator complements your work as a writer?
As a lawyer you need to be organized and efficient, and both of these characteristics help my writing and give me the time to do it. I mostly write on the weekends and vacations these days. The first third of this book (rough draft) was mostly written in a week while I was skiing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The last third in two weeks while I was on Christmas vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The middle took all the time in between.
What is the greatest influence on your writing?
Reading and watching great books and television shows. Being surrounded by great writing is key. For instance, shows like Gilmore Girls, Felicity, The West Wing, and of course The Wire are great places to learn characterization and dialogue. Early favorite books of mine include the Anne of Green Gables books, the Little House on the Prairie series, and the works of Frances Hodgson Burnett. I spent my teen years reading Stephen King and murder mysteries like Agatha Christie and Rex Stout. I found Jane Austen in my early twenties. And now I have individual love affairs with books like The Fault in Our Stars, The Night Circus, and The Time Traveler’s Wife.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
© JASON MOTT
CATHERINE McKENZIE’s novels—Fractured, Smoke, Hidden, Forgotten, Arranged, and Spin—are all bestsellers and have been translated into numerous languages. Catherine practices law in Montreal, where she was born and raised. Visit her online at www.catherinemckenzie.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/catherinemckenzieauthor, and on Twitter or Instagram at
