It is a pleasure to welcome Nicola Moriarty to my blog, Mrs B’s Book Reviews for A Tea Break with Mrs B, a author interview series. To help celebrate the release of You Need to Know we sat down for a chat. Thanks Nicola!
What is your drink of choice as we sit down for a chat about your new book?
I think I might take an iced latte today, even though the weather’s starting to cool, the sun is still about!
Can you give us an overview of your writing career to date?
I’ve now published six novels (Free-Falling, Paper Chains, The Fifth Letter, Those Other Women, The Ex and You Need to Know). I’ve been published in Australia, the US, the UK and had novels translated into Dutch, German and Hungarian as well as selling film rights for The Fifth Letter and The Ex!
How different was the experience of writing You Need to Know, compared to your previous releases?
I think each new book is simultaneously harder and easier to write as I go along! On the one hand, I feel like I know the process now and I know I can do it because I’ve done it before. But then on the other hand, that means I also know the challenges that are going to hit along the way, which can sometimes make me nervous and apprehensive. At times, the writing of You Need to Know flowed easily for me, but often I was stuck and terrified I would never reach the end.
Can you tell us what inspired the creation of your new book, You Need to Know?
I’m not entirely sure where it came from, but I had this vision in my head of a person happening upon a terrible car wreck and stopping to help, only to discover that they know the people involved. The idea grew from there and throughout the writing process I kept thinking about a book I read to my kids when they were little: Who Sank the Boat? By Pamela Allen. I had no idea who was going to be the cause of this major car accident at the centre of the story, so I kept muttering to myself, ‘who sank the boat, who caused the accident?’
What issues do you explore in You Need to Know?
I explore the issues of blinding motherly love, loss of innocence, broken trust, obsession, addiction and the different types of regret and guilt that come along with decisions surrounding motherhood.
Did you have an affinity with a particular character in You Need to Know and why?
Probably Mimi because I guess I poured a lot of myself into her characterisation – and I wanted her to be okay!
If You Need to Know made it to the screen, who would you like to cast?
I’d love a cast with Rosario Dawson, Margot Robbie, Daisy Ridley, Toni Collete, Sonequa Martin-Green, Letitia Wright… okay at this point, I might just be naming actors I love and I’m aware of the fact that I’m only naming women… but I can’t help it! Okay, how about Ryan Reynolds as Darren?
What is one thing that you really hope readers will take away from the experience of reading You Need to Know?
I hope this book will encourage people to question pre-conceived ideals of motherhood and that it will leave them asking themselves how far they would go in a similar situation to any of the three main women in the book. I hope it raises lots of moral and ethical dilemmas and most of all, I hope they enjoy the ride.
What ingredients are essential for a successful contemporary thriller?
I guess the vital element is that all-important twist! And then an interesting cast of characters to pull you into the story and for me – I always love a satisfying ending!
What does your writing space look like?
It varies because sometimes I write at home (which could mean writing anywhere is the house from the bed to the couch to my desk to sitting outside in the garden), but a lot of the time I like to go out and sit at different cafes to write so I can feel like I’m part of the world!
When you are not writing, what do you enjoy doing?
I love hanging out with my husband and my kids, playing soccer, binging a good TV series or of course, reading!
What book is next on your reading pile?
Next up is The Serpent’s Skin by Erina Reddan and The Silent Listener by Lyn Yeowart. We’re doing a sisters-in-crime panel together soon!
What are you working on writing wise at present?
My next book is only just underway, I’m only one chapter in. But at this stage it opens with a woman lying on the floor, thinking to herself that being dead isn’t going to be ideal. She then makes the decision that she will use her last few minutes to figure out who killed her. My plan is to take the reader back and forth, exploring her life and her family and friends and all the potential suspects!
Thank you for the lovely tea break and chat Nicola. Congratulations on the release of your new book, You Need to Know.
Thank you so much for having me!
From the bestselling author of The Ex and Those Other Women comes a thrilling family drama about the secrets we keep, the lies we tell and the truths that won’t stay hidden.
Everybody’s hiding something …
Jill, her three sons, their wives and children are driving in convoy on Christmas Eve. But something sinister is simmering behind their happy smiles.
Mimi is struggling with her new twins, but at least a glass of wine smooths out life’s jagged edges. Andrea’s starting to wonder if her marriage is as happy as she’d thought. Darren is reeling from a surprise request and teenager Callie has become increasingly withdrawn.
On the way to their holiday house, a terrifying car accident devastates them all. But someone unexpected was in one of the cars. No one is searching for them. And their time is running out.
You Need to Know is a dark domestic drama about family secrets and lies, fractured relationships, tragic mistakes and the ultimate betrayal.
You Need to Know by Nicola Moriarty was published on 7th April 2021 by HarperCollins – AU. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.
Connect with Nicola here:
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