After an extended break following the release of Book Four in her acclaimed Glacier Mystery series, author Christine Carbo is back with a stand-alone thriller that begs the question: โWhat would I have done?โ Again, using the backdrop of Montana, where Carbo resides, The Confession Artist takes readers on a harrowing road traveled by ex-cop Crosbie Mitchell as she is faced with likely being the latest target of a serial killer who spares victims only if they publicly confess to unnamed transgressions.
Judith Erwin: I understand that this is the first book youโve released in about eight years. Tell me how that gap came about.
Christine Carbo: Well, my Glacier Mystery series wrapped up, and I ended up taking a little time off before thinking about what to do next. I started something, and it didn’t feel quite right to me, so, I put that aside. And then COVID happened, and a whole bunch of things just kind of derailed me personally, not just with COVID. So, I thought, I’ll let my other books brew for a while, while I take some time and think about what I’m doing. One year turned into two, turned into three, turned into four. I started a few ideas, and they just weren’t working for me. And then, I came upon the idea that I wanted to try and write something that was a little bit more high concept in nature.
JE: What inspired the plot of The Confession Artist?
CC: My son and I were walking the dogs one day and stumbled across the idea. We were talking about composite sketches and how interesting it would be if they were in the reverse. Instead of a composite sketch being used to find the killer, what would it be like if a killer put a composite sketch out of the person they wanted to target–the victim?
JE: How long did it take to write it?
CC: It took me a couple years to write this one. I mean, it took me about a year to really write it, but then going back, making changes, ripping some stuff up, and putting in some new stuff probably took another year’s worth of revision.
JE: With such a unique and interesting concept, what do you expect people to take away from reading it?
CC: The question, what would I have done?
JE: Did you ever wonder when writing the book what you would have done if you were Crosbie?
CC: A lot of writers put themselves in the shoes of their characters, which makes them really good writers. Itโs almost like an actor being really in the head of the character. But I honestly don’t think I ever figured out for myself what I would have done in that situation. I certainly had deep feelings about it, empathy, and all sorts of interesting reactions about it, but I don’t think I personally ever thought, what exactly I would have done.
JE: Does writing, a deeply flawed protagonist cause any problems in making certain that the reader has empathy for that character?
CC: I struggled with that. I have a bit of a polarizing character. She carries around quite a bit of anger, and she’s done something that is not admirable. So, how is that all going to work out and come across? So, I did think about it quite a bit, and I did my best to tone her down in certain spots.
JE: What was the most difficult aspect of creating this book?
CC: Trying to write a high-concept thriller that met word limits, while incorporating something that I felt was necessary to the book, which was those vignettes that took words, time, and space. I didn’t want to draw the reader’s attention too far away from the main storyline. I felt like it was a little bit of a dance that way, and I was nervous about whether that was going to confuse people. But I was confident that it would all come together for the reader in the end.
JE: Do you have a favorite scene in the book, or a favorite line?
CC: I think my favorite scene is the one where Crosbie had to make a split-moment decision when she was on the force.
JE: I read that you studied in Norway, that you’ve been an airline hostess, a college English instructor, and you own a Pilates studio. Which do you like the best?
CC: Well, I really like teaching, and so I would say that between teaching English, linguistics, and literature at the community college for over a decade, and the Pilates, teaching is what I have enjoyed the most.
JE: Do you enjoy the process of writing?
CC: I really do enjoy the process. I’m not gonna say it’s not painful, because it is painful at certain times when I feel stuck or feel like the ideas just aren’t coming. I guess I’m not one of those writers who’s an idea bin, especially when starting a new novel. It takes me a long time to figure out what my next idea is gonna be and what I am willing to spend a year or two of my life with? But once I’ve decided, I dig in.
JE: Are you a plotter or a pantser?
CC: Because I’m not super great at a ton of ideas, it is hard for me to plot everything out ahead of time. I’m not really a complete plotter. I’m more of a pantser. Iโm like the Doctorow quote about the headlights. You can ride as far as the headlights and still get to your destination. But I like to know my destination. If I’m driving through the fog, I want to know where I’m going.
JE: Is there a possibility of a sequel or a series coming out of The Confession Artist?
CC: I have thought about Crosbie, or somebody in the book, but I’m not doing that right now. I’m actually writing in a different, standalone suspense category that I’m pretty excited about. It’s not quite as high concept, but I think it’s intriguing, different, and it will hopefully be just as suspenseful. It should come out sometime next year. But I’m not opposed to continuing on with Crosbie.
Judith Erwin is a retired attorney, journalist, and award-winning author of romantic suspense and crime fiction, including the series Shepherd & Associates. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Florida Writers Association, and the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association.
