Mary Kubica is a New York Times bestselling author of thrillers including The Good Girl, The Other Mrs., Local Woman Missing and Just the Nicest Couple. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages and have sold over two million copies worldwide. She’s been described as “a helluva storyteller” (Kirkus) and “a writer of vice-like control” (Chicago Tribune), and her novels have been praised as “hypnotic” (People) and “thrilling and illuminating” (L.A. Times). She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and children. Visit her website at www.marykubica.com.
The Gloss Book Club: What can you tell our members about your novel She’s Not Sorry?
Mary Kubica: She’s Not Sorry is the story of an ICU nurse, Meghan Michaels, who is given the task of taking care of a patient who arrived at the hospital unconscious after a suspected suicide attempt—it’s believed she jumped from a bridge. Over the next few days, Meghan finds herself getting unintentionally close to the patient’s family, but as she does, it starts to become evident that this patient may not have jumped from the bridge, but was possibly pushed. Now Meghan wonders if she’s let herself get close to the wrong people and, in doing so, put herself and her teenage daughter in jeopardy.
TGBC: What part of She’s Not Sorry did you have the hardest time writing? And what part was the easiest?
MK: The middle of any book is always the hardest for me to write. The beginning is full of hope and opportunity—literally anything can happen!—and the ending always provides the wonderful rush of everything coming together, of getting to tie up all the loose ends and having that satisfying sense of completion, before diving back into revisions. But the middle has a tendency to lag. It can be hard to keep up the same suspense we see at the beginning and end of the book and not let the pace slow for all those in-between pages.
TGBC: She’s Not Sorry is about an ICU nurse. What kind of research did you have to do for this character to come to life?
MK: There was quite a bit of research for She’s Not Sorry, from major plot points to the small minutiae of everyday life for an ICU nurse. Thankfully I have a number of women in my own life who work as ICU nurses and another who was in nursing school at the time that I was writing this novel. I did quite a bit of research on my own, in addition to borrowing nursing textbooks and relying on nurse friends to answer my never-ending questions (some a little more interesting than others—IYKYK!). Once I had a draft complete, I had these same women read the manuscript to let me know what I got wrong. I was so incredibly grateful for their feedback, their wealth of knowledge and their willingness to help. I knew from the get-go that if my protagonist was going to be an ICU nurse, I had to get it right!
TGBC: Is there a particular character you enjoyed writing about most in She’s Not Sorry?
MK: I enjoyed writing my protagonist, Meghan! All of my books have multiple narrators; She’s Not Sorry is the first book I’ve written with only the one, and so Meghan and I grew very close during the process. She’s a wonderful mother with a good heart—the type of person who will do almost anything for anyone—but she’s also a force to be reckoned with. She’s one of the strongest female characters I’ve written, and I think she will resonate with readers.
TGBC: You’ve written so many incredible thrillers, how do you come up with unique ideas every time?
MK: I listen to the news and true crime podcasts, and am always on the hunt for new ideas. I’m an avid reader in the genre, which means I always have my eye on what other authors are doing and I try hard to come up with something fresh every time. That said, I’m a firm believer that there are a finite number of story plots (how many books are there about missing people, for example?), and so it’s up to me, as the author, to put my own unique spin on everything I write, whether this is in creating unique characters or dreaming up a twist that hasn’t been done before.
TGBC: What appeals to you most about writing thrillers?
MK: I think because my life is thankfully very safe and lacking in suspense, I find it fascinating to cross over to a darker side when I write. I love taking ordinary characters—not so different than myself—and putting them in really extraordinary situations to see what everyday people do when they’re in a bind.
TGBC: What is your favorite genre to read, and why?
MK: I love reading thrillers. I love the suspense and trying to solve a crime right along with the characters. That said, there are times when I’m knee-deep in the writing or revision process and I need to spend my leisure time reading something else! That’s when I turn to my other favorite genre: historical fiction. As a former high school history teacher, I’m drawn to history, and as a writer, I’m completely in awe of authors who can transport their readers to another time.
TGBC: Some of your books have dark themes. Is there something that helps inspire you to create these dark fictions?
MK: I just really have to disengage from my own life and completely immerse myself in the world of my characters while I’m writing. It’s really the only way that I can cross over into the lives of my characters and try to bring that darkness to life.
TGBC: Many of your books are set in Chicago, where you grew up and live currently. Many authors write about what they know, and this makes sense, but what role do you think the city plays in your novels, if any?
MK: I’ve lived almost my entire life in the Chicagoland area and love bringing the city and suburbs into my books, mostly because it’s home to me and I feel like I can accurately convey the mood of the city. I’ve set many novels here, and yet I don’t feel like they’re ever redundant because Chicago is so many things, from many different neighborhoods to extremes in weather. I enjoy reading books set in Chicago myself and know that many readers have said the same thing about my books, because reading them makes them feel at home.
TGBC: What are three things you’re really interested in or excited about right now? Can be anything: a new book, a podcast, a person!
MK: My husband and I just started watching The Tourist on Netflix. We’re three episodes in and I’m hooked! It’s dark and suspenseful, with just a touch of offbeat humor that I love. I’m reading Heather Gudenkauf’s newest release, Everyone Is Watching, and I can’t put it down! I’ve been a fan of Heather’s books since her first, but this one is edgy and has such a unique premise that her fans (like me!) will devour it. And I’m really excited about the second installment of Dune, which I haven’t seen yet, but am eager to! I don’t typically watch or read much sci-fi, but I loved Part One and can’t wait to see Part Two.