I did not set out to write in a particular genre, but rather to create the types of stories I wanted to read. When I wrote my first novel, The Darlings, I was reading a lot of excellent non-fiction about the financial crisis. I knew that if there was a novel about that time in New York City, I would want to read it. I think that’s the most one can do as a writer: write the stories that you would like to see on the shelf.

I actually find missing people more interesting as characters than murdered ones. There are more questions surrounding a missing person. If a character goes missing – or is murdered – it’s a tangible way to show how high the stakes are. 

One thing that is fun about writing fiction is you get to push your own boundaries a little bit. When I went to law school I thought I would work in the District Attorney’s office where I did an internship. But that wasn’t the path I ended up taking. Writing Girls Like Us let me explore the world of criminal law again. I interviewed medical examiners, police officers and district attorneys. My books all explore privilege, wealth inequality, class. This story provided a slightly different angle from which to approach those issues. It is that intersection of wealth and power that I find fascinating. And this story provided a slightly different angle to approach those issues.

When you are raised in New York, it is impossible not to be drawn and inspired by what makes the city dynamic and unique: living elbow-to-elbow on a small island with people of all different walks of life. That has always captured my interest from a young age and it plays into my work. When I wrote The Darlings, it was a time when Wall Street was in free fall, and the high and grand were being brought low. The Darling family was a metaphor for the city itself.

In 12 years of being asked, “Is this character based on me or is that character based on so-and-so?” I don’t think anyone has ever been right! My characters are often loosely inspired by real people at the beginning of the first draft. By the final draft, they've become their own fully formed characters. They are really crafted to convey ideas that I want to explore in the book. I’m not trying to mimic a real person, but rather, to examine situations and relationships. In The Darlings, I was really trying to explore the bond between a daughter and her father. I put a lot of myself and my relationship with my father into that book, far more than anyone else.

I exhaust myself with research. I spend a huge amount of time researching before I even write. I’ve realized it takes a lot for me to feel comfortable putting pen to paper, so it is part of my process. I find out very specific things to make sure a scene feels accurate. This week, I have been researching sailing terminology. I am not the kind of person that likes to throw out a quick first draft and edit. I wish I was, but every time I’ve tried, it’s been a disaster. When I start writing, I need to feel like I have the ground under me.

There is a real divide between what people see as classic thrillers, which typically feature male protagonists, and the female protagonists we see so often in domestic suspense. There are so many unreliable and damaged women at the center of thrillers these days. I try to very consciously write strong female protagonists. They can be highly flawed as long as they are also masters of their own universe, so to speak. I don’t want to read or write about women who are running away from something. I prefer writing about a woman who is running towards a problem and trying to solve it on her own terms.