Perfect for fans of Celeste Ng and Megan Abbott, Lynne Reeves’ The Dangers of an Ordinary Night is an exploration of the explosive family secrets that are often hidden in plain sight.
We chat with author Lynne Reeves about her debut novel, The Dangers of an Ordinary Night, along with writing, inspiration, and more!
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I remember getting a C in reading comprehension when I was in third grade, because the teacher said I was reading too fast, to be finished. My father gave me a stack of Nancy Drew books and told me to read one and then come tell him everything I could remember about the story before starting the next one. Being able to talk about story with my father, about the lives of fictional characters, changed the way I saw what books could do.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
The first book I remember loving was Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, with its gorgeous end papers and photo plates. I still keep my copy close to my writing desk. The book I will never stop thinking about is the brilliant Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. Evocative setting, complex mystery, a romance featuring unforgettable characters—it has it all.
Describe your novel in five words.
Theater, family, blindspots, addiction, betrayal.
What can readers expect when they read THE DANGERS OF AN ORDINARY NIGHT?
While the novel is characterized as domestic suspense, and there is definitely a twist ending, read-ers can also expect a deep dive on relationships. As a family counselor, I find the darker side of emotional life endlessly fascinating.
Where did the inspiration for THE DANGERS OF AN ORDINARY NIGHT come from?
Writers often get inspiration from a variety of sources that in the end were meant to fit together. In high school and college, I acted in plays, and the world of the theater continues to mean a lot to me. And every family, mine included, has been impacted by the mental health challenges of those they love. It seemed natural then, that my storytelling would one day explore the masks we wear in our most precious relationships.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
In all of my novels, I’ve taken seriously the portrayal of people with mental illness, as well as how I depict the nuanced challenges related to parenting and marriage. It’s my intention that readers see themselves and the people they care about inside my stories, and that the choices characters make prompt conversations about tough subjects.
What was your writing and process like? What about the research of the book?
Novel ideas often come to me when a particular issue keeps resurfacing in my life and in my work. I love the phase that involves reading everything I can about my proposed novel themes, and talking to families who’ve contended with the issue at the source of the story conflict. Yet once I’ve done the research, I put it all aside, in hopes that all I’ve learned has been internalized and will find its way into the narrative organically. I never want my novels to read like nonfiction in disguise, rather as real life portrayed through the experiences of fictional characters.
Were there any favorite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I had lots of fun writing from the point of view of the Irish detective. Fitz Jameson is a talented pianist, and so is my adult son. Crafting him gave Stephen and I the chance to talk often about music. That said, any errors in depicting the particulars of playing jazz piano are entirely my own.
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
The best advice I’ve taken to heart came from an article I read when I first started writing fiction. Novelist Anne Bernays advised writers to, “write from where it hurts.” Readers know—and connect with—fiction that comes from a deeply emotional and authentic place.
The worst advice I get always centers, not around craft, but focuses heavily on the market-place. Whenever I’m told to write toward a trend or away from a difficult subject matter or theme, I dismiss it. [See the best advice I’ve received.]
