The Fall - Claire McGowan

What would you do if the man you love was accused of murder?

Bad things never happen to Charlotte. She's living the life she's always wanted and about to marry wealthy banker, Dan. But Dan's been hiding a secret, and the pressure is pushing him over the edge. After he's arrested for the vicious killing of a nightclub owner, Charlotte's future is shattered.

Then she opens her door to Keisha, an angry and frustrated stranger with a story to tell. Convinced of Dan's innocence, Charlotte must fight for him - even if it means destroying her perfect life. But what Keisha knows threatens everyone she loves, and puts her own life in danger.

DC Matthew Hegarty is riding high on the success of Dan's arrest. But he's finding it difficult to ignore his growing doubts as well as the beautiful and vulnerable Charlotte. Can he really risk it all for what's right?

Three stories. One truth. They all need to brace themselves for the fall.

Hi Claire and welcome to High Heels and Book Deals. Tell me about your journey to publication.

I’ve been quite lucky, in that I wrote and sold The Fall within a year, after being shortlisted in a competition for unpublished novels. So I would always recommend entering any competitions you can find, as they make a huge difference. However, The Fall is in fact my second book, so I did go through several years before this of writing and looking for an agent.

Have you always been a writer? (Any interesting jobs before this? 

I gave up my full-time job this year to write, but before that I worked in the charity sector for six years, mainly on disability causes. Part of my job involved taking kids on holiday, but I went off that after one of them was sick on my feet. I’ve also been a language teacher in both France and China, for a year each. That gave me plenty of good material for writing!

Your characters are down to earth and gritty and I found myself getting under their skin quite quickly. How did you research and find your main characters?

I didn’t do any research – I know some writers plan out their characters very carefully, even adding lots of backstory that may never end up in the book, but I don’t think that would work for me. I have to be able to get a sense of them right from the start. The voices of the three main characters came to me very quickly, so I knew it would work. I can still sometimes hear Keisha’s voice in my head (usually swearing!).

What is your favourite crime novel to date and why?

That’s a tough one as there’s so many brilliant choices. I might have to say A Dark-Adapted Eye, by Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell’s pen name). It’s one of those brilliant books where you never find out exactly what’s happened, because the narrator is just an onlooker on events – much like inThe Great Gatsby. Like many of the books I love, it starts at the end and moves back in time, creating a terrible sense of inescapable doom. I’d recommend any of her books, but this is my favourite.

Do you write full time? 

When I got the publishing deal, I also (on the same day!) was offered a part-time job running the Crime Writers’ Association. This meant I was able to give up my office job and three-hour daily commute (good for writing, not so good for general life). It’s been a big adjustment to working at home. I’ve tried different combinations to make it run smoothly – the best thing seems to be to write first until I run out of energy with that, then do my CWA work (mostly email-based) in the afternoons. I often have meetings in London as well, so it’s nice to get out for the day sometimes.

Are you a plotter or a-seat-of-your-pantster? 

In the past I haven’t plotted much at all, just letting the story roll out and keeping track of it as I go along. But I’ve realised this only works if I never let up with the writing and finish it within a few months. Now my work’s getting more complex I’m going to have to plan a bit, or I risk totally losing track of what’s going on (and writing stupid things, like my heroine’s car gets towed, but the next day she’s driving it again at the other end of the country). Some kind of combination of the two seems to work best.

How many drafts of a novel do you complete?

It very much depends on the book and the story (for example I’m doing more for my second book with Headline as it’s more complicated), but I like to think of editing as having three layers – the big structural changes, then the smoothing and copy-editing, and then the final finishing and proof-reading. If I’ve got the first draft right, the editing shouldn’t be too painful, but – and this is a big ‘but’ – it all depends on the book.

How much research did you have to do to write The Fall? 

I did at times wonder what possessed me to write a book featuring both a police investigation and a trial as well, when I much prefer to write first, ask questions later. I checked the legal and policing facts as best I could with friends and other contacts, though I think this is harder to do when you’re still unpublished. The best thing is if you can get someone to read it and tell you what mistakes jump out at them.

What is your best writing tip?

Get started and don’t stop. The book should start to develop its own momentum that will carry your forward. If you keep going and don’t stop to edit, you’ll be surprised how possible it is to get down 1,000 words a day. Then in three months, you’ll a first draft to work on.

What is your worst writing habit? 

Without doubt it is getting distracted by the internet. I’m a little ashamed of this, as when I wrote during my commute I was so focused I could type away even with people hemmed on either side, talking on phones, listening to music, and discussing their au pairs(I live in a quite well-heeled town). I love Twitter especially, and it’s let me connect with so many great people. But I need to learn to turn it off. And I will. Just after I check my Amazon ratings one more time.

And finally, high heels or flat shoes, what's your poison?

I have to confess I’m not great at wearing heels. When I have to go to party, my parents often ring me up to check I’ve worn high heels and not flip-flops or boots. But as long as the heels are comfortable and not too high, I’ll wear them. My favourite ever shoes were these that I had for my wedding, by a designer called Chie Mihara. Gorgeous and comfortable. Sadly my dog got at them and chewed up one of the heels. Day to day, you’re more likely to find me in boots. Always wear something you can run for a train in, I say. 

Thanks Claire and best of luck with The Fall. You can find out more about Claire here. Many thanks to Headline for my review copy. My review for The Fall, which I enjoyed immensely, will be up next week so do check back.