Q: What makes Darby McCormick different from other fictional forensic detectives?
A: The most obvious thing is that Darby is a woman. And while she’s working in a predominately male atmosphere, what makes her different is that she’s someone who is as physically tough and strong as a man. She can handle herself in any situation. I think of her as a cross between Kay Scarpetta and someone like Jack Reacher or Dirty Harry – brilliant with forensics, but don’t you dare try to push her or cross her.
Q: What are your thoughts on the popularity of the forensic detectives these days?
A: In the old days, you had a detective who would work clues, interview witnesses, etc. Now you have the benefit of all this fantastic cutting-edge forensic equipment. And more often than not, the evidence always leads back to the culprit. There’s a comfort in knowing that the killer will be caught. Take the BTK killer for example. He eluded police for years. How did the find him? Through evidence left on a computer disk – evidence that only a computer expert could detect. With all of this technology, it’s almost impossible to hide.
Q: What made you switch from standalones to a series?
A: The Missing was going to be a standalone book, and given the international reception to the book and Darby, I thought it would be a new challenge. How can I make a series character exciting from book to book? I’m a big fan of series. I love reading the series done by John Connolly, Lee Child, and James Lee Burke.
Q: Has your writing changed much since the first novel?
A: I hope so. My first novel is Deviant Ways. I still love the story, but sometimes when I look at the writing, I cringe. A lot of profanity, a lot of what I call “over-description.” What I’ve learned over the years is to let the reader’s imagination do the work.
Q: Is it hard for you to write about a female protagonist? I personally think you're doing a great job at it.
A: Thanks for the compliment. I wouldn’t say it’s hard, but I’d say it’s different. For example, since Darby is a woman, I’ve got to try and look through the world through her eyes. She’s attracted to men. Being a married man, I’m not, so those sorts of things are somewhat, ah, challenging.
Q: Do you do a lot of research?
A: Yes and no. The problem with writing books that include forensics is that I’m looking for something that hasn’t been done yet – technology that hasn’t made its way into the field. What I’ve learned to do is to write the book first, then add in the forensics information afterwards. Why? Because you can waste a lot of time in the beginning researching something that may not make its way into the book.
Q: What's next for you and Darby?
A: I wrote The Secret Friend, which was published last year, and I just delivered the next Darby book called The Dead Room. That comes out in the UK this August and in Europe next year. There’s a lot of excitement about it – a twist that will blow you away and a new direction for Darby.
Q: Which crime writers do you like?
A: I’m huge fans of Dennis Lehane, John Connolly and Gregg Hurwitz. They keep surprising me.
I really don’t read that much in the genre. I’m a huge fan of Stephen King – he’s the reason I became a writer – and I think guys like Lehane, John Connolly and Gregg Hurwitz are fantastic.
Q: What does the future of forensic science / law enforcement look like in your opinion?
A: Personally – and this is just my opinion – I think the two fields of forensic science and law enforcement will merge into one. I have Darby as both a forensic technician and a detective. It’s an unusual combination.
Q: Meg Gardner came up with the following question: What's the best thing about writing novels?
A: Delivering a book that you can’t put down. I love hearing from readers who say they missed sleep or missed their bus stop because they were engrossed in one of my books. That makes all those days at the computer worth it.
Q: What question should be asked every writer we interview and what would be your answer to it?
A: I’ve always liked this question: What one thing would a reader be surprised to learn about you? My answer is that I’m a huge fan of any movie or TV show having to do with high school. I’m a fan of watching 90210. Yeah, I know, that’s embarrassing – I’m almost 40 – but the reason why I think I enjoy these things so much is that I went to an all-male Catholic high school. I don’t recommend that to anyone.
