Take 5’s Mitchell Jordan talks to the best-selling crime writer about her latest work:
Q Your latest book, Exiles, sees the return of Aaron Falk, who first appeared in your debut novel, The Dry. What can we expect from Falk in his third adventure?
A I wrote Exiles knowing it would be Falk’s final book, so in many ways this novel is my goodbye letter to him.
The story is an Australian mystery sparked by the disappearance of a new mother in the beautiful South Australian wine country.
It takes Falk and readers on a few twists and turns, with some blossoming and also challenging relationships along the way.
Q By now, Falk has such a huge fanbase – did you feel any sort of pressure in bringing him back?
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A I’m so touched by the way readers have embraced Falk, and the only pressure I really felt was from myself, knowing that I wanted to create this final story that was exactly right for him.
I love writing about Falk, so it’s very bittersweet to bring his journey to a close, but ending a story well is as important as starting it well and I wanted to give him the ending he deserved.
Q Falk was brought to life by Eric Bana in the film version of The Dry and the actor is returning for the film adaptation of Force of Nature. What do you think of Bana’s portrayal?
A Eric’s just perfect.
He has really understood the heart of Falk’s character and I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing the role.
Q Like your previous four novels, Exiles is set in a small community. This time, you chose South Australia. What was it about SA that compelled you to set the story here?
A The setting is always such an important part of the novel because it helps drive the action and shapes the characters in so many ways.
Exiles has a dark thread running through it, but there’s also a lot of light in this story and I wanted a place that reflected that.
The lush wine regions of South Australia appealed immediately, with the weather and lifestyle and gorgeous scenery.
It was absolutely lovely to have a chance to capture that on the page – and the research trips were a lot of fun as well!
Q Australia is a country of extreme landscapes where people can disappear completely. Is that part of your attraction to setting crimes in remote locations?
A The diversity of the Australian landscape is definitely a gift for an author because there are so many places that have a compelling mix of beauty and brutality.
That is one factor that draws me to write about small towns and more isolated communities, but I also enjoy the way that a sense of remoteness can bring characters together.
For better or worse, small towns and communities demand a certain closeness between those who live there, whether they like it or not.
Q Aside from the crimes you’ve created, each of your novels has evoked different parts of the country so vividly. Do you have a favourite part of Australia? If so, where?
A I do love Melbourne.
I’ve lived here now for more than 10 years and I still enjoy the city and everything it has to offer.
I would like to write a book set here one day, so I’m always mulling over ideas that might work well in an urban location.
Q You’ve spoken before about how you plan out each chapter of your novels before you start writing. Do you always know who the killer – or what the big twist – is when you start, or does that emerge over time?
A I always know and, in fact, the end of the story is one of the first things I think about when planning a new novel.
I focus on that big reveal moment in the final pages when the reader will finally see what’s really happened.
What does that look like, and what could have brought characters to an extreme moment in their lives?
From there, I work backwards, building the world and the characters I need to best tell the story.
Q Who are some of your favourite crime writers?
A I loved Benjamin Stevenson’s recent release, Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone.
It was such a fresh and clever take on classic crime novels.
Longer term, I’ve always been a fan of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series, and one of my favourite crime novels is Scott Smith’s A Simple Plan.
Q What do you think makes a great and enduring crime novel?
A I truly believe you need two things equally: a good mystery and compelling characters.
The mystery and its resolution are the most important things at the start and the end of the book, but you absolutely have to have the kind of characters who will keep the reader turning those pages in the middle.
