New York Times bestselling author, television personality and physician Ian K. Smith is one of America’s favorite and most trusted health and medical experts. He’s also a talented storyteller who has penned two critically acclaimed crime novels—The Ancient Nine and The Blackbird Papers, which was a BCALA (Black Caucus American Library Association) fiction Honor Book Award winner.
His new thriller, THE UNSPOKEN, published by Thomas & Mercer on October 1st 2020, is the launch of a new series featuring Chicago private investigator Ashe Cayne. THE UNSPOKEN seems ripped from the headlines in its depiction of a cop who stands up to his superiors against a police cover-up involving the death of a young black man and finds himself pushed out of the force.
We had the pleasure of chatting with Ian about his latest release, his love for writing, book recommendations, and more.
Hi, Ian! Tell us a bit about yourself!
I love books, golf, sports, classic cars, good times, and my family comes first above all else. I am a firm believer that life is short, and we must squeeze every bit of pleasure out of it while we can. I don’t read my headlines. I work hard to reach my goals and to try to create things that are meaningful and pleasurable and hopefully will be relevant and enjoyable to others long after I have exited stage right.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
Even as a young child, I’ve always been a lover of books and stories. I remember winning the MS readathon when I was in elementary school, a competition for who could read the most books in a defined period of time. I find good stories to be transformative. They rattle all the emotions and challenge your brain. They grab and catch you and even when the story is over, they don’t let you go. As much as I enjoyed reading these types of books, I always had a desire to write my own and engender those feelings in others. When I was in college, I made the decision that I would write fiction with the hopes of one day getting published. I was determined that even as I pursued a career in medicine, I could also write books and become a published author.
The Unspoken releases on October 1st! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Relentless, indefatigable pursuit of justice.
Now tell us a little more! What can readers expect?
Ashe Cayne, my main character, is a former detective with the Chicago Police department who resigns his position after refusing to participate in a departmental coverup. He hangs up his own shingle and becomes a private investigator and takes on select cases around the city. There’s something embedded in his moral fiber that makes him determined to pursue justice at all costs. This case is about a wealthy girl from the North Shore of Chicago who goes missing. Her mother seeks out and hires Ashe Cayne to find her missing daughter. Ashe soon learns that not everything is as it seems and many of the answers lie in what is unspoken.
Where did the inspiration for The Unspoken come from?
I had always wanted to write a character like Ashe Cayne. One night I was watching the news and heard about the “bad shooting” of Laquan McDonald in Chicago. There were just so many elements in that case that were disturbing, including the attempt to suppress the bodycam video that clearly shows a young, unarmed man walking away from several police cruisers and being shot several times even though he posed no threat to anyone. It just made me think, had it not been for that bodycam video, we might never have learned the truth of what happened that night.
Were there any challenges you faced while writing?
I didn’t face any challenges while writing the first couple of drafts of the novel. The challenge arises when my editor gives me notes and I agree to change some things. Because this is suspense, continuity is key, so what is changed on page 300, must also be changed on other pages that precede and follow the change. Mysteries are a long line of standing dominoes and if one domino is out of place, when you knock down the first domino, the chain reaction will stop at the domino that is out of alignment. Going back and making sure the plot and clues and character arcs all make sense after you make even the smallest of changes can be challenging to say the least and sometimes downright frustrating.
What piece of advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Writers write. Every day or at least five days a week, you should write something that advances whatever project you are currently writing. Organized consistency is critical.
With the current state of the world, what are you doing to cope with the changes we’ve had to make with our day-to-day?
I am pouring myself into my family and my work and it has been a spectacularly productive and rewarding experience. I have written more in the last six months than I ever have, and I have spent more continual time with my family than I have for many years, because I have not had to travel for work. I like to try new things, so being sheltered-in-place has given me the time and opportunity to take on new projects, including learning to play the guitar and enhancing my social media presence.
Lastly, what are you currently reading and do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I am writing the third instalment of the Ashe Cayne series, so I’m not currently reading anything right now. I don’t like to read other authors’ books while writing my own as I don’t want to have any subconscious influence. This means I have a lot of books to read since I’ve been writing like crazy the last six months. A few of them are: Blue Moon by Lee Child, The Night Fire by Michael Connelly, and I’m going to re-read a book by Henning Mankell, one of my favorite authors.
