Interview with Lisa Gardner, author of NEVER TELL

• Interview

  Vilma: Thank you so much for coming on the blog to answer some questions about NEVER TELL. I’m such a big fan of you and your books and I have to say, this is one of my favorite ones to date. For those who’ve not yet read NEVER TELL, can you share a little bit about the novel? How did the idea of the story come to you?

  Lisa: My books are often inspired by true crime cases.  For NEVER TELL, I’d been researching the first female mass shooter in US history, a college professor who went postal after being denied tenure. The real life twist?  The same woman had “accidentally” shot and killed her brother when they were teenagers. In the wake of the mass carnage everyone had to wonder:  Was her brother’s death an accident or did she get away with murder?  Not enough evidence was saved from the first shooting to make it possible to answer that question, which of course, makes it excellent material for a novel.  In the case of NEVER TELL, we have Evie Carter, a pregnant wife arrested gun-in-hand next to her husband’s lifeless body.  Enter Sergeant D.D. Warren who immediate recognizes Evie from investigating the shooting death of Evie’s father years ago.  At the time, Evie claimed it was an accident, but how many “accidents” can one woman have?  Who is Evie Carter?  A tragic heroine, a cold-blooded murderer?  And what about her husband, Conrad who turns out to have his own fair share of secrets.  D.D. wants to know!

  Vilma: I’m always in awe of how intricate and well thought out your narratives are, while also being easy to follow. Do you have the plot planned out before you begin writing your novels? What is your process like?

  Lisa: I am not a plotter.  I start with a detailed crime, then work with detectives on the proper procedure for investigating such a case. That gives me some key action points. But I’m a psychological suspense author, so much of the writing process is about discovering my characters. What was going on in this marriage?  And when Flora recognizes the dead husband Conrad as an associate of her one-time kidnapper… What will it cost Evie and Flora to learn the truth?

  Vilma: Can we talk about how great D.D. and Flora Dane are together?! We of course met Flora in FIND HER, and read about her harrowing ordeal, then you surprised us by bringing Flora back in LOOK FOR ME. Their relationship—with all its fascinating nuances—just gets better and better, and you really see it in this latest. She’s such a great counterpoint to D.D. Can you talk a little bit about their dynamic?

  Lisa: I love D.D. and Flora. I view them as two sides of the same investigative coin, except D.D. wants justice while Flora is looking for revenge. Two very different women with two very different approaches and yet they have developed mutual respect. They care about their community and they want to make the world a safer place. Bad guys look out!

  Vilma: Speaking of Flora, what happens in NEVER TELL really forces her to re-visit her past in a way she hadn’t intended. We know she’s a survivor, but we also know she struggles to figure out who she is after what happened to her, how to connect with the outside world. What can you tell us about what you have planned for Flora? It seems there’s more to uncover from her time with Jacob, or even before that.

  Lisa: I like to push my characters. In NEVER TELL Flora is forced to confront some hard truths. Her policy of not looking back means the full scope of Jacob’s crimes has never been fully investigated. There may be more victims out there, but without Flora’s insights, the police haven’t been able to proceed. Flora’s in a tough position. Maybe she is the only one who can help bring families of other missing girls some closure.  But at what price for her and her own fragile recovery?

  Vilma: What’s next for you?

  Lisa: Flora and D.D. return!  The skeletal remains of a missing woman have been found in Georgia. Was she one of Jacob’s previous victims or is something more sinister at play?  FBI Agent Kimberly Quincy leads the case, so I have three of my toughest characters ready to kick ass and take names. Trust me, the fun is just beginning!

  Vilma: I know you are both an avid reader and a true-crime junkie. Could you share any books or shows/podcasts you’ve really loved lately?

  Lisa: I just downloaded the Bear Brook podcast, following the investigation into a cold case that happened in NH. I don’t know all the answers yet, but what a fascinating true crime story!  I am learning so much!

• About Never Tell

  

  A man is dead, shot three times in his home office. But his computer has been shot twelve times, and when the cops arrive, his pregnant wife is holding the gun.

  D.D. Warren arrives on the scene and recognizes the woman–Evie Carter–from a case many years back. Evie’s father was killed in a shooting that was ruled an accident. But for D.D., two coincidental murders is too many.

  Flora Dane sees the murder of Conrad Carter on the TV news and immediately knows his face. She remembers a night when she was still a victim–a hostage–and her captor knew this man. Overcome with guilt that she never tracked him down, Flora is now determined to learn the truth of Conrad’s murder.

  But D.D. and Flora are about to discover that in this case the truth is a devilishly elusive thing. As layer by layer they peel away the half-truths and outright lies, they wonder: How many secrets can one family have?

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