If you’re looking for a debut novel that will keep your attention from beginning to end, See How They Fall by Rachel Paris is a novel worth checking out. For fans of both Lucy Foley and Liane Moriarty, the novel is told from Skye who married into the wealthy Turner family, and Sergeant Mei O’Connor who is investigating what really happened at the weekend retreat that left one dead and Skye’s young daughter fighting for her life.
As Mei investigates the case, we soon learn that the Turner family might not be as squeaky clean as they appear, and that they’ll do anything to make sure they don’t pay for the crimes they’ve committed.
Before diving into your copy of See How They Fall, check out this Q&A with author Rachel Paris.
When were you first inspired with the storyline for your debut novel, See How They Fall?
It was midway through 2022 when I was accepted into an MFA program and needed to come up with a concept for a story to work on during the year. The advice to new writers is to write what you know, and as a mom of three children, I decided to write about motherhood and the power of a mother’s love. That was the initial spark for Skye and Tilly’s story.
What drew you to the thriller genre?
It was quite accidental. Once I decided to write about motherhood, I couldn’t imagine a more compelling or emotional premise for a story than a mother trying to protect her young child. After all, as moms, we are always on edge, alert to danger, fearful of the worst happening, and so Skye is forced to confront the worst fears of any parent. Then I thought, what if the threat to Skye’s child were to come from someone close to her—someone she thought she could trust? It was easy to see how Skye’s sense of reality would disintegrate as she started to doubt her husband and in-laws, and so I found myself writing a thriller.
How has your background in law influenced your writing?
My legal background has influenced my writing in many ways. Still, perhaps not in the direct way people might expect since I was a transactional finance lawyer and not a criminal lawyer (which definitely would have been more helpful!). Both lawyers and writers traffic in abstract concepts, precise language, and conflict analysis and resolution, so there is a definite overlap in how we view the world. I also made the most of the research skills I honed as an attorney, and although the characters are fictitious, some of them were informed by the less savory individuals I encountered during those years practicing law.
Tell me about your writing process, do you plot out the book in advance or see where he characters and story takes you?
For See How They Fall, it was very much a process of discovery, although I did know the very final twist from the outset. That was because I had never written fiction before and so I had to write my way into the stories and the characters to discover my voice. However, going forward, I will definitely do some high-level planning because I think it will be more efficient and hopefully I will spend less time pressing the delete button!
Which of the two women’s stories (Skye and Mei) did you feel the most connected to on a personal level?
At an emotional level, Skye’s story, because of her anxiety and fear around Tilly’s welfare. However, I adored writing Mei and I think that many of her experiences in the book — sexist colleagues, a relationship breakdown, financial struggles, and the stress of having to care for her terminally-ill mother — are ones many modern women can relate to at one time or another, so I feel a real affinity for her too.
What was the most difficult scene to write?
Without a doubt, the hospital scene with Tilly. I felt ill and emotional the entire time. There are other scenes towards the end of the book that were also unpleasant to write but I won’t mention them for fear of spoiling the story!
Without giving anything away, did you already know how things would turn out at the end of the book as far as which character poisoned Nina and Tilly?
Yes, I did know that from the outset — it was about the only thing that I did have worked out in advance.
If the novel were to be turned into a motion picture, who do you imagine in the roles of Skye and Mei?
In the role of Skye, either Margot Robbie or Samara Weaving would b amazing. For Mei, I can imagine Gemma Chan or (although she doesn’t literally meet the brief) Aisha Dee who plays Chanelle in the Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar.
Now that your first novel is out, are you currently working on your next? If so, can we get a sneak peek?
Yes I am! It’s another novel about wealthy people behaving badly where someone gets bumped off in the first chapter. But this time the three main characters are three sisters in their 40s. I really want to dig into female relationships, the unique sisterhood bond, as well as the experience of being a woman in midlife and the pressures that we face. I’m having so much fun writing it. The working title is ‘Triumph & Disaster’.
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