Internationally bestselling thriller novelist Shari Lapena talks to us about her latest book 'What Have You Done?' and shares how her journey into writing thrillers began.
Shari Lapena is the #1 internationally bestselling author of seven suspense novels including The Couple Next Door, A Stranger in the House, An Unwanted Guest, Someone We Know, The End of Her, Not a Happy Family, and Everyone Here is Lying. A former lawyer and English teacher, Shari now writes full time from a farm in Ontario, where she lives with her husband.
Her first thriller, The Couple Next Door, was a runaway global bestseller, selling 4 million copies worldwide. It was WHSmith’s “Book of the Year” in 2016 and the #1 Adult Fiction Title in the UK for 2017. All of Shari’s novels have been New York Times, Sunday Times, and Globe and Mail bestsellers. Three of her books have been Richard & Judy Book Club Picks. Her books have sold into forty territories around the world and have been optioned for film and TV. Shari's latest title What Have You Done? was published in July 2024. You can find Shari's books on the Suffolk Libraries catalogue.
I was an avid reader, which is probably no surprise. I remember my very first Nancy Drew mystery—The Clue of the Velvet Mask. I guess my literary heroes or heroines were characters like Nancy Drew. I started a Nancy Drew club with my friends to solve mysteries and the only one we ever heard about was somebody’s missing lawnmower and we made no progress. I remember visiting the garage though. We also liked to pass secret notes at the piano teacher’s house. We’d put little notes in these tiny plastic containers that held ladies’ rain bonnets. Gosh that takes me back. I also read a lot of Agatha Christie, so she is a heroine of mine. And Patricia Highsmith, although she came later.
Yes and no. Easy in the sense that I’d always wanted to write a thriller, but difficult in that I had no idea how to do it. When I started writing, I started out writing literary comedies. I chose that route because I don’t seem to be able to plan a novel. I thought literary fiction would suit me because I didn’t have to be quite so concerned about plot. I wrote a couple of those, without a clue as to where they were going, and they had good plots by the end, so I thought, maybe I’ll just try to write a thriller using the same approach. I have since learned that there are other mystery/thriller writers who don’t plan, but back then I didn’t know any. I was so sure I wouldn’t be able to do it that I wrote my first one in secret. I didn’t even tell my husband until it was finished. That book was The Couple Next Door, and it was a big success. No one was more surprised than me.
That’s a good question. I think writing is a craft that you can learn to be better at. But talent, or creativity, is something else. However, I think people who want to write badly enough to put the time in to learn the craft, generally have the creativity and talent required.
When my agent called me from New York. She’d taken a few chapters with her to NYC to show to publishers there and she called me and said there was a lot of excitement about the book. I was astonished at how fast everything happened after that. I was blown away. I signed with Viking, US. And it just got better from there. The book sold everywhere, and then just kept selling.
It’s set in a small town in rural Vermont. A popular high school girl is found murdered in a farmer’s field. Of course, there are lots of secrets, and suspects. This one is slightly unusual, in that the murdered girl appears to the reader as a ghost.
I love writing from multiple points of view; it allows me to get really deep into my various characters’ thoughts and emotions. I enjoy writing all my characters, because I find if I don’t, if the character isn’t resonating with me, I drop that character. Characters are what drive my plot forward, so they have to speak to me. It’s hard to pick a favourite. But I have to say I really enjoyed writing the ghost in this one! It’s such an interesting perspective, with so many powerful emotions, and we don’t often get to hear from the victim in a murder case.
I don’t think there are any tropes that can’t be subverted. I think everything is up for grabs now, if you do it well, and play fair with the reader.
I’m just finishing the edits on the book that’s coming out after What Have You Done? It doesn’t have a title yet, but I’m very excited about it. It’s got some amazing characters and a great story.
I can’t think of anything particularly funny or strange, but one schoolgirl sent me her book report she was doing on one of my books, with all the questions, and wanted me to answer them for her. I declined.
Hmmm…I once worked as a chambermaid at a famous, historic Toronto hotel, The Royal York. I loved Nita Prose’s book, The Maid. And I’m always nice to housekeeping staff.
