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Your next favorite book
is waiting.
Cate Quinn discussed her US debut, the thriller Black Widows.
What was your starting point for Black Widows? What did you draw on as you developed the story?
The idea just came to me, and with it, all three characters appeared as if by magic. Once it was there, I just couldn't stop writing. It was like a book that couldn't wait to be written. I wrote a lot from Rachel's perspective but always bookmarked by what the other wives might think or feel about the same given moment. There's probably a whole other book edited out; I wrote so much.
Those women felt so real that it felt very natural to draw them out. I also did a lot of research on the LDS faith and in particular more fundamental branches.
How does Black Widows compare to your other books? Did you have to change your writing process at all?
It's a very different book. The structure is entirely new. Other books I've written have been thrillers with a very linear plot, so this one, which bounced around characters, represented a completely new process for me.
Rachel, Emily, and Tina are all very distinct. Did you have a favorite while you were writing? Which was the most challenging?
I love them all, and I think they're probably subconsciously all parts of my character. I'd probably like to identify with Tina the most, but in real life, I'm more like Rachel. They always felt like archetypes to me though. The homey wife, the adolescent, and the good-time girl. Emily was probably the most challenging in terms of dialect, in that she would fall a little less rural Utah than Rachel but still have her own unique turns of phrase that are quite provincial.
The story surrounding Blake's death gets more and more complicated as it unravels. How did you keep all the details, motivations, and secrets straight?
Is it complicated? It doesn't feel that way to me! I actually took a couple of strands out to make it clearer. There's so much in that world that's fascinating, it's hard not to use all of it.
The areas around Salt Lake City are well characterized—the differences between the ranch and Waynard's Creek come to mind. What kind of work did you do to familiarize yourself with Utah?
I read a lot of books and watched a lot of YouTube. In particular, I love watching the kind of online clips people make that no one else ever sees. Trips to the grocery store, things like that. It gives you real insight into what people are doing in their daily lives.
How did you research radical religious movements to get Homestead right? Was there any interesting information that didn't make it into the final book?
Luckily for me, those kinds of radical religious movements are quite tirelessly reported, so there's plenty of news material and ex-member accounts to draw from. I come from a background of writing historical thrillers, so it felt like a real breeze to be able to access real-life statements and videos at the click of a mouse.
For all its darkness, Black Widows ends on a hopeful note. Do you believe in happy endings in real life?
I absolutely do. I think you do your best, be a good person, treat people well, and though the path might be winding and unpredictable, good things will come.
What advice do you have for prospective thriller writers?
I'm excited to see what you're going to write!
Unless otherwise stated, this interview was conducted at the time the book was first published, and is reproduced with permission of the publisher. This interview may not be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the copyright holder.
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