Guest post written by To Catch A Spy author Mark ONeill
Mark ONeill’s debut novel is To Catch a Spy, is the official sequel to To Catch a Thief. Before turning to writing, Mark was a toy designer, a newspaper columnist, a marketing executive, and, most recently, a private investigator. You can follow Mark’s writing journey on Instagram and X at @JohnRobieIsBack and visit his website, www.tocatchathief.com. He lives with his wife in Bluffton, South Carolina, where he is having fun writing his next To Catch a Thief novel.
Reading a bad sequel is like putting on bowling shoes; familiar but not all that pleasant. Something is off (probably the hundreds of feet that have been in them before yours?), and it distracts you from enjoying the moment.
Reading a good sequel, however, is like a visit from friends you haven’t seen in a while. You’re excited they’re back; you don’t know what’s coming, but you know it will be great.
When I was a young man, I fell in love with To Catch a Thief . Cat burglar John Robie, played by Cary Grant in the Hitchcock film, was charming and intriguing, and not without his flaws. I fancied myself just like him, minus the charm and intrigue; I could relate…
Then there was effervescent and alluring socialite Francie Stevens, portrayed by Grace Kelly. She had an appetite for adventure that was tempered by short moments of self-doubt, all of which made her more endearing. As a young man, I was dazzled by her charm, glamour, strength, and social ease. She was perfect.
Together, their chemistry was intensified by the rising tide of suspense surrounding them.
Then there was the location; it took place at the French Riviera, one of the most amazing locations in the world. The hotels and villas were perfect for cat burglars who could climb with their bare hands, then silently break in to steal dazzling jewels. You also had beaches, glamour at every turn, decadent food, sophisticated drinks, and memorable music John and Francie could dance to.
It all captivated me, but there was one problem — what happened to them? There was no continuation of their story. I’d become so invested in their world, I had to know what came next. Was John Robie even worthy of Francie? He was a thief, after all. Could he grow beyond that label? And what about Francie? She was capable of so much more; did she ever realize that potential?
A couple of years ago, I decided to write the sequel. But I had to learn how to write sequels, which I quickly discovered was full of contradictions. For example, your plot must be consistent with the original but also be fresh and new.
Huh?
Also, characters must be familiar, but they must grow in new ways. How am I gonna do that?
And the theme has to correlate with the first story while being fresh, new, and logical.
Seriously?
As noted author Brian Freeman stated, “Readers want sequels that are completely different but absolutely the same.” He should know; he writes the current Jason Bourne books.
So, yes, sequel writing presents unique challenges. But it also comes with advantages — readers know the original story, so there’s a readymade audience.
A couple of additional factors complicated my undertaking. David Dodge wrote the original story in the early 1950s, and I decided to write my book about seventy-five years later but keep to the same time period. So much for that ready-made audience. And to make it even more challenging, millions more people (and I mean millions) saw the fabulous Hitchcock film than read the book, both of which differed.
So, how did I tackle this challenge? The answer is one step at a time.
I like to start any story by identifying issues the protagonist has, and that meant analyzing John Robie. As I said earlier, he had some shortcomings; not a lot, but a couple. Finding the right one took time. As I re-read the original book, it became clear — John was a bit self-centered, like any thief might be. I remember thinking, okay, that would make for compelling growth.
Next up was the plot. Events had to enable John to confront his misguided beliefs. The plot also had to account for John’s distinctive cat burglar and Resistance fighter skills, as well as the times (the 1950s).
Where did I land? On espionage, of course, which you can tell from my title. The skills that made John a great thief would also make him a great spy. With the Cold War as a backdrop, it all made sense.
I then considered which characters from To Catch a Thief should appear in my story. John and Francie were a given, and although some other characters had minor roles, they offered a lot of potential for the direction I was going. So I brought them along.
New characters were next in line. I’ve always loved stories with ensemble casts, so that’s what I set out to create. Think about films like Ocean’s 11 or Casino Royale, or book series like the Marlowe Murder Club or Harry Potter. Each character is unique, adding to the texture. If you cobble them together, you strengthen your novel and lay the groundwork for a compelling series.
David Dodge was known for his tight plots, efficient, tense, and often humorous dialog, and great locations (he was also a travel writer).
Since this is my first novel, I am known for none of these things. You’ll have to take the word of those bound to me by love (my friends and family) and business (my publisher), that To Catch a Spy is a thrilling reimagination of iconic characters that doesn’t miss a punch when it comes to charm, glamour, action, and witty repartee.
For me, To Catch a Spy answers what To Catch a Thief left suspended for the last 75 years– who is John Robie if not a thief? What happens if Francie Stevens moves beyond her self-doubt? What the heck is keeping these two icons apart? With a disastrous reunion of exes, the introduction of an ominous villain circling Francie, and a loveable ensemble of characters imbued with charm, loyalty, and of course, one-liners, the answers came punching out of me.
If my word and that of my friends, family, and publisher is not enough, maybe you’ll accept Harlan Coben’s: “A worthy sequel to the classic— which is a heck of a recommendation. No doubt David Dodge and Alfred Hitchcock were proudly standing over Mark ONeill’s shoulder when he was writing To Catch a Spy .”
