Louise Candlish

Louise Candlish is the Sunday Times and internationally bestselling author of 15 novels, translated into over 20 languages. Our House won the Crime & Thriller Book of the Year at the 2019 British Book Awards and was shortlisted for several other prizes. It is now a major ITV drama starring Martin Compston, Tuppence Middleton and Rupert Penry-Jones.

Louise’s other novels, Those People and The Other Passenger, also explore the UK property crisis, which Louise describes as ‘the defining obsession of our generation’.

Louise's latest release is 2021’s The Heights, a twisty revenge thriller whose narrator, Ellen, has a strange fear of heights known as 'high place phenomenon'. It has also been optioned for the screen. You can find all of Louise's books on our catalogue.

Who were your heroes as you were growing up and when did you first start to write?

The first time I felt hero worship for a writer was when I discovered the genius of Agatha Christie at about 12. I wrote (and illustrated) novels when I was about that age, then stopped for 20 years and restarted in my early thirties (minus the illustrations!).

What is your writing routine? Are you a planner or do you let the characters lead you?

I always plan the crime plot – I need to know the mechanics of it in detail before I can start. I also plan the structure. The characters tend to evolve as I go – and continue to do so during the editing stage.

The paperback edition of The Heights was published in June. What was it like to write and are there any plot twists or characters that did not make the final edit?

The Heights was written entirely in lockdown and I realize now that I was determined to impose control over the project because we had so little control over our lives and freedoms. The structure is quite strict! There are quite a few twists, but I don’t remember anything big being abandoned. I did pause repeatedly to reconsider the ending. I wanted it to be a surprise, but also have that sense that this is the only way Ellen’s and Vic’s story could end.

We've just finished watching the ITV adaptation of Our House. As a writer how much control do you have over what finally appears on screen?

Each TV adaptation experience will vary, but generally the author has little control unless also writing the series. On Our House, I was involved as a consultant, which meant answering questions from the screenwriter, Simon Ashdown, on things like character background or inspiration for locations. I learned so much from the process and am thrilled with the finished series. It’s so true to the book and also very beautiful.

What can your Suffolk fans expect from your appearance at Slaughter in Southwold?

As well as giving a taste of The Heights, I hope to offer some insight into the creative process and the general ups and downs of my life as an author. I always try to answer all questions candidly – I have many opinions!

Is there anything you can share with us about your latest project?

My next book is loosely inspired by Barbara Vine’s A Fatal Inversion, and is partly set in the 1990s. I loved writing it.

One book, piece of music or work of art that everyone should experience?

I think everyone should read Somerset Maugham’s Of Human Bondage – it’s a profound study of the human condition wrapped in an epic linear life story.

What is on your 'to read' pile at the moment?

The new Lisa Jewell The Family Remains. I love all her books. And I’ve just finished Girl A by Abigail Dean, an extraordinary debut.

What is the best piece of advice you were ever given?

Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. (Oscar Wilde didn’t tell me this directly, obviously).

Can you tell us one thing about yourself that your readers may not know?

People who don’t know me are often amazed by how messy, even slovenly, I am. They think I’m living in a show home because my books involve beautiful houses, but the reality is quite different, it’s shabby chic at best!