We chat with author E.A. Jackson about Missing, which sees a detective return to a thirty-year-old case—an infamous disappearance in London—that has haunted her entire career and now may jeopardize her future.
Hi, E.A.! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Good to meet you! I’m an American who moved to England in 2011, and I’ve lived here (there) ever since. I’m fascinated by human psychology and motivations, and I write mysteries because they’re the genre in which those are at their most pressurised and most extreme.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I wouldn’t say it was a matter of discovery. I honestly can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t interested in telling stories, or a time since I learned to write when I wasn’t interested in writing. Both these things just seemed and seem completely natural to me.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf (a book I still adore)
- The one that made you want to become an author: Live Flesh, by Ruth Rendell
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Arcadia, by Tom Stoppard (a play, but I first encountered it in book form)
Your latest novel, Missing, is out March 17th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Baby disappears: what really happened?
What can readers expect?
A book with two timelines, one set in 1990 and one set in 2020. A female Detective Inspector, haunted by a case solved to everyone’s satisfaction except hers, gets another opportunity to find out what really happened – which means readers won’t necessarily get what they’re expecting! In terms of theme, readers can expect an examination of what it means to be a parent, what it’s to not be a parent when you’ve really wanted to be one, how situations shape us, and a big dash of feminism.
Where did the inspiration for Missing come from?
It came from an episode of Law and Order: Criminal Intent! I love Criminal Intent, but this episode I thought didn’t end well. I thought, “Oh, I could do better than that.” And that’s what started the book!
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
One of the things I discovered while writing this book is how very much I loved fleshing out all my characters – I was surprised by the degree to which they were all vivid to me, and how much I wanted to make them vivid to my readers! But I would say the moment I enjoyed writing most is the final three or so pages of the book, where we finally hear the voice of a character who has been silent up until then. She’s the character the whole book revolves around, but it does so because her thoughts and motivations are never clear. I really loved the opportunity to give her a chance to speak at last.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
At a practical level, I had to learn how to balance my day job with my writing job, which was difficult for me as I’m a workaholic. So I had to become a workaholic at two jobs!
In terms of plotting, oh, the problems I faced! I began with a whole different story, and my writing process was one of discovering that that story wouldn’t work so I would have to make up another one. But, as clichéd as this sounds, that process taught me an enormous amount about the process of writing and about myself, so although it was painful at the time I don’t regret it.
What’s next for you?
I’m working on my second book in this series, All Taken Care Of. It’s about a crime that occurred in 1966, but still repercussions in the present day. I’m in the thick of it at the moment, and I’m really enjoying it.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
Clown Town, by Mick Herron, a non-fiction book called Girls Just Play Dead: Acts of Self-Preservation, by Jen Percy, which is relevant to my next book but also looks very interesting in its own right, and a forthcoming book of poetry called Other Edens, by my friend the wonderful poet Ash Bowen.
