The other next book I want to talk about is the sixth Poke Rafferty, which will come out (probably) in January of 2014 because I’ve taken so long to write it. Same questions, different book.
What is the working title of your next book?
For the Dead: A Poke Rafferty Thriller
Where did the idea come from?
I wanted to write a book about Miaow, which this may or may not turn out to be. I was interested in what happens to someone, especially someone in the immensely vulnerable early teens, who–out of insecurity–creates a false personality and then has it stripped away.
What genre does your book fall under?
If it’s not a thriller, I’m in trouble.
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Mmmm. I beg off that. Almost all the characters in this book are Thai, and while I could suggest a few actors, I don’t think they’d mean much to most non-Thais. And if I were to try to come up with non-Thai equivalents, most of them would be obscure to modern Western audiences. For instance, to play Thanom, Arthit’s immensely corrupt superior in the police, who has a big role in the book, I’d cast Takashi Shimura, immortal for his role in Kurosawa’s “Ikiru.”
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
When Miaow and her boyfriend, Andrew, buy a stolen iPhone to replace the one he lost, they find on it a series of photographs that lead to a decades-old, but still lethal, scandal that ultimately brings Poke and Arthit up against some of Bangkok’s most powerful individuals.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It’ll be published by Soho Crime under the auspices of my super-agent, Bob Mecoy.
How long did it take you to write the first draft?
If only I knew. It feels like most of my adult life, and it’s not done yet.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I think it’s a cross between Therese Raquin and Dr. Dolittle. I have no idea how to answer that question. I suppose it’ll be quite a lot like the other Poke Rafferty books, only–you know–different. It’s a thriller about a family.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I’ve wanted to write a book that was mainly about Miaow since I began the series. And I really like writing Andrew, Miaow’s Vietnamese boyfriend.
What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
Many people might be interested in seeing just how much of a writer’s blood can be soaked into roughly 300 pages. Once again, I don’t actually know how to answer this question. I don’t have much faith in my ability to tell even a short joke without losing my audience, and I have no idea why anyone would read me for hours and hours. Okay–I really like the characters. I can say that.