Jeffrey Deaver is one of the masters when it comes to writing good psychological thrillers. Even if, for some reason, you don't recognize his name, you probably have heard of one of his books that was made into a movie: The Bone Collector.
His most well known series features Lincoln Rhyme, a quadriplegic detective, but he has also started a series featuring Kathryn Dance, a kinesics expert. Sleeping Doll is one of the latter. He has written more than 20 novels and two short story collections.
He was nice enough, after months of pleading via email, to agree to an email interview.
Scott Butki: What did you seek to do with this book and do you think you met that goal?
Jeffrey Deaver: My goal, as always, is to give my readers a compelling, highly enjoyable roller coaster of a ride - with the addition in the Kathryn Dance books of added character development and conflict, what I call affectionately the "soap opera stuff." I think, from reader response, that I was successful.
Did you do any kind of research for this book? Who did you talk to?
This research was mostly into mind control and kinesics (body language). I did talk to some interrogators for law enforcement and security agencies but mostly I did what I always do - research online and through books.
What question do you wish interviewers would ask but they never do?
Actually, I'm very impressed with the quality of most interviewers and their questions. My one wish is that they read at least a portion of the book, if not the whole thing, before the interview.
I read that you were alternating between this series and Lincoln Rhyme each year. Is that still the plan?
Yes, now that Kathryn has proved so popular around the world, I will be writing those books every other year, interspersed with a Lincoln Book.
Article comments
1 - Scott Butki
The book is also available on audio, which is how I "read it." And if you want to
disagree about whether listening counts as reading I suggest you join this debate here on that very topic