I'll Kill Yours If You Kill Mine

My fourth novel, “The Pact”, is now out in the publishing wild and I’m thrilled with how well it has been received so far. It tells the story of Maddie, separated from her husband and desperate for a family of her own, and Jade, a single mother who lives upstairs. The two woman are polar opposites in personality. One is loud, spiky and abrasive; the other quiet, unassuming and living under the weight of her past. And yet, despite their differences, they strike up an unlikely friendship. So when Jade suggests one drunken evening that she will kill Maddie’s ex if Maddie kills hers, Maddie shrugs it off as a joke.

Because it was a joke, wasn’t it?

In all of my books I have delved into the minutiae of relationships, what makes people tick, manipulation and the different masks we wear – and this novel is no different. It is chock-full of toxic relationships, hidden truths and exploitation. Everyone has an agenda – and some are not as innocent as they seem. Furthermore, I wanted to explore the idea of whether it is manipulation if you know it is happening and if it suits your own goals. How much are you prepared to take in order to grasp onto that trophy at the end? And how far is too far?

The inspiration for the novel came from a news article I read one day about a character very similar to Jade. I wanted to understand the motivation behind her actions and the dangerous single-mindedness that had brought her to this point in her life, all in stark contrast to the desperation Maddie was feeling. We find ourselves at many crossroads in our lives and the decision we make on which path to choose says a lot about us. Sometimes, before we know it, we have travelled so far down a dangerous road that we have run out of room to turn around.

And then there’s the idea of the perfect murder and how to get away with it….

I hope “The Pact” makes the reader feel a range of emotions - shouting at the page in frustration; shaking your head in anger; even shedding a few tears of compassion. You may not like all of the characters, but I hope they stay with you long after you finish the book.

And be careful what you agree to after a few glasses of wine….