“Nobody but, Laure Van Rensburg” A Shots Magazine Feature

 

We enjoy discovering intriguing debut novels, so after penning our thoughts about ‘Nobody But Us’ by Laurie Van Rensburg, we had a few questions.

“Prescient and jarring, this unexpected and unheralded debut novel takes the current #MeToo and male-female dynamic and refracts them through a dark prism making the reader question what is real and what is artifice.

One has to atone for past sins, or does one? That is the question for the reader, as is the adage ‘does retribution amount to atonement’?

The reader must consider that when other eyes are viewing the proceedings of our lives; are our friends, our lovers, and our acquaintances really that friendly?

I have to leave a warning.

This novel is disturbing, nay, distressing – but well worth the journey”

Read the full Shots Magazine Review HERE

We tracked the author down vis her publishers PenguinRandomHouse to learn a little more about this startling debut novel for our readers -

Ali: Welcome Laure Van Rensburg to Shots Magazine, so firstly tell us a little about yourself.

Laure: Even though I have a very Dutch sounding surname I’m actually French. I moved to the UK after I finished university in Paris and never went back. I now live outside London with my rescue cat, Phoebe.

Nobody But Us is my debut novel however I have been writing on and off since I was a child. I stopped writing for a while after I moved to the UK because my French wasn’t strong enough anymore to write in French but my English wasn’t good enough to write in English, so I spent a few years in some kind of writer’s limbo.

I’m a big film buff so when I’m not writing you can usually find me at the cinema, or watching classics on Prime (I love old films from the 40s and 50s such as The Big Sleep, Notorious or All About Eve…)

Ali: And so, what were the early books that made an impression?

Laure: I still remember the first book I read as a kid that didn’t have pictures: Les Malheurs De Sophie (Sophie’s Misfortunes) by La Comtesse de Ségur. Another big turn in my reading childhood was The Hound of The Baskervilles, I read it under the cover after lights out because I just had to know what happened next, although my mother wasn’t thrilled to hear that I was falling asleep in class as a result. That book was my first taste of darker fiction.

The biggest impression happened when I was about 13 and borrowed this book from the local library called Les Hauts-De-Hurle-Vent, which the French title for Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. It was a revelation for me, it shows me how dark stories and relationships could be and how far people could go to hurt and destroy each other. It ignited my love for dark fiction and unlikeable characters. A lot of people call Wuthering Heights a tragic love story, but for me it’s all about toxic relationships and their devastating consequences.

Ali: And of contemporary work, what would consider the work that engages you currently?

Laure: I am a big fan of Chris Whitaker’s writing. He knows how to create a moving crime story, populate with unforgettable characters, and all wrapped up in a beautiful prose. We Begin At The End is one of the most devastating and heart breaking novels I’ve read in a long time. I’ve read all of his books, and the next one cannot come soon enough!

Another contemporary writer who I immensely enjoy is Catriona Ward. I am attracted to how she blends beautiful prose with horror stories which are still deeply human. I have her debut, Rawblood on my reading pile; I’m saving it for a special occasion as I’ve already read all her other books.

Finally, I can’t talk about contemporary work without mentioning Gillian Flynn. Her work has been a big influence on my writing in general and Nobody But Us in particular. I enjoy her portrayal of deeply flawed female characters and how she is not afraid to make them the heroine of their own stories.

Ali: And you path to publication with the Michael Joseph imprint at Penguin Random House?

Laure: I have a first novel in a drawer which I submitted to agents without success, although I did get lots of complimentary comments about my writing. The rejections stung, but after a short time wallowing, I picked myself off the floor and got on with my second novel which would become Nobody But Us. After eighteen months of writing and editing, I started submitting to agents. That was back in December 2019. By March 2019 I was lucky to have three offers of representation, including my dream agent who is now my agent, Juliet Mushens.

I did a couple of rounds of editing with Juliet, before Nobody But Us went out on submission to publishers (the title at that time was The Downfall). The whole process was an absolute rollercoaster and I am so grateful I had Juliet there to keep me sane and talk me through everything. We got quite a bit of interest within 24 hours from UK and foreign publishers, and ended up going to auction in the UK and the US. When I spoke with Clio Cornish, at Michael Joseph it felt right. Clio was so passionate about the story and the characters and I really like the vision she had for the book.

Ali: And were conscious of the backdrop of NOBODY BUT US, with the ‘#Metoo movement?

Laure: That was a very deliberate choice. The #MeToo movement has open the door for women to share and discuss their experiences. I was on Twitter that day and it was a humbling moment realising that we weren’t alone and we all shared the same lived experiences. I believe that those subjects can be explored in different ways and media, including novels, or films, such as Promising Young Woman. I wanted to talk about situations I believe most women have experienced in one shape or another and the anger of feeling powerless against those, but put it in a format I know how to write — that is psychological suspense.

Another big motivator to write this book was to explore how women’s rage and anger is often dismissed and brushed aside as being overly emotional. I wanted to create a story where I could legitimise those feelings, and pose the question — how far would you go if this happened to you or someone close? I’m not trying to provide an answer though, but a opportunity for discussions.

Ali: I know much is made of NOBODY BUT US being an audacious debut novel however I enjoyed your previous short fiction, currently available on your website > https://www.laurevanrensburg.com/short-stories-online so tell us a little about the context to your short fiction, and why you decided to write a novel?

Laure: Thank you! Funny enough I never really set out to write short stories in the first place. My mind was set on novel writing from the start. I have a first novel in a drawer that didn’t find an agent, and around the time I was editing it I had an idea for a story but not enough for a full novel so I ended up writing my first short story as an exercise to practise my editing skills as you have to make sure that every word counts. The ideas kept coming so I wrote more stories. I wasn’t sure what to do with them. I thought why not try to get them published. Submitting short stories and flash fiction was a really good lesson as well about learning to handle rejections.

Unfortunately, between the full-time day job and the full-time novel writing I haven’t had the chance to write more short stories. I do miss it and I hope I can get back to it when things settle.

Ali: And would like to give our readers a little peek into what’s next in store for us?

Laure: I’m currently editing my next book which is another psychological suspense, again with feminist themes and undertones, set in South Carolina, this time during a blistering summer. The story centres around a religious cult who lives in a disused hotel/plantation house by the swamp. It opens with the aftermath of a fire which has claimed the lives of the leader and his wife. The story flicks back and forth, pre and post fire.

Ali: Thank you for your time.

Laure: Thank you for having me!

Shots Magazine would like to thank Jen Harlow of PenguinRandomHouse, London for organising this interview.

More information on the work of Laure Van Rensburg is available from >

https://www.laurevanrensburg.com

https://twitter.com/Laure0901

https://www.instagram.com/laurevanrensburg

http://www.shotsmag.co.uk/book_reviews_view.aspx?BOOK_REVIEW_ID=2672

 

Books To Look Forward To From Penguin Michael Joseph

 January 2022

When her husband Harry walks out after just six months, a girls' weekend away with two friends seems like just what Sam needs. But they aren't even halfway to their destination when things start to go wrong: car trouble that just happens to leave them stranded in the town where Harry lives. And that's only the beginning. Because there are three things Sam doesn't yet know: One of her friends is lying about what happened. One is lying about who she is. And one of them will never make it home . . . The Perfect Escape is by Leah Konen

February 2022

Dark Horse is by Gregg Hurwitz. The hero - Evan Smoak: former off-the-books assassin - code name Orphan X. His world is divided into those who deserve his help and those who've brought his singular brand of justice upon themselves. The victim - A desperate father reaches out. His teenage daughter Anjelina has been kidnapped by a brutal criminal cartel and spirited over the border into Mexico. And while money is no object, Evan soon realises that his prospective client's past is as clouded and compromised as his own. The mission - If Evan is going to put his life on the line to rescue Anjelina, he must first decide whether he can act on behalf of a bad man. And even then, up against the men who are holding his daughter, there will be no guarantee of success...

When struggling journalist Cecily Wong is invited to join an expedition to climb one of the world's tallest mountains, it seems like the chance of a lifetime. She doesn't realise how deadly the climb will be. As their small team starts to climb, things start to go wrong. There's a theft. Then an accident. Then a mysterious note, pinned to her tent: there's a murderer on the mountain. The higher they get, the more dangerous the climb becomes, and the more they need to trust one another. Breathless is by Amy McCulloch. 

March 2022

This Might Hurt is by Stephanie Wrobel. Natalie Collins always has a plan. Her troubled younger sister Kit rarely does. Until Kit finds Wisewood, a secretive self-help retreat on a secluded Maine island. It promises you'll leave a better, braver version of yourself. But why does it forbid contact with the outside world? Why are there no testimonies from previous guests? Natalie fears it is some kind of cult. Then, after six months of silence, she receives an email from Wisewood: Would you like to come tell your sister what you did - or should we? Who is digging into the sisters' past? How did they discover Natalie's secret? A secret that will destroy Kit. She has no choice but to go to Wisewood, to find out if this place of healing has more sinister motives. But as she's about to discover, Wisewood is far easier to enter than to leave.

April 2022

Four friends. One night. Not everyone will come out alive. In the swirling snow of a deadly Icelandic storm, four friends seek shelter in a small abandoned hunting lodge. Miles from help, and knowing they will die outside in the cold, they break open the lock and make their way inside, hoping to wait out the storm until morning. But nothing can prepare them for what they find behind the door . . . Inside the cabin lurks a dangerous presence that chills them to their core. Outside, certain death from exposure awaits. So with no other option, they find themselves forced to spend a long, terrifying night in the cabin, watching as intently and silently as they are being watched themselves. But as the evening darkens, old secrets are beginning to find their way to the light. And as the tension escalates between the four friends, it soon becomes clear that the danger they discovered lurking in the cabin is far from the only mystery that will be uncovered tonight. Nor the only thing to be afraid of . . . Outside is by Ragnar Jónasson

Nobody But Us is by Laure Van Rensburg. Steven Harding is a handsome, well-respected professor. Ellie Masterson is a wide-eyed young college student. Together, they are driving south from New York, for their first holiday: three days in an isolated cabin, far from the city. Ahead of them, the promise of long, dark nights - and the chance to explore one another's bodies, away from prying eyes. It should be a perfect, romantic trip for two. Except that he's nt who he says he is. But then again, neither is she...

Two sisters went missing. Only one of them came back... Detective Jonah Sheens is enjoying a moment of peace and quiet, when a teenage girl wanders out of the wood. She's striking, with flame-red hair and a pale complexion. She's also covered in blood. She insists she's fine. It's her sister he needs to worry about. Jonah quickly discovers that Keely and her sister, Nina, disappeared from a children's home a week ago. Now, Keely is here - but Nina's still missing. Keely likes to play games. She knows where her sister is - but before she tells, she wants Jonah's full attention. Is she killer, witness, or victim? And will Jonah find out what Keely's hiding, in time to save Nina? Little Sister is by Gytha Lodge.

May 2022

It's every parent's nightmare. Your happy, funny, innocent son commits a terrible crime: murdering a complete stranger. You don't know who. You don't know why. You only know your teenage boy is in custody and his future lost. That night you fall asleep in despair. Until you wake . . . . . . and it is yesterday. Every morning you wake up a day earlier, another day before the murder. Another chance to stop it. Somewhere in the past lie the answers, and you don't have a choice but to find them . . . Wrong Place Wrong Time is by Gillian McAllister.

A Kiss After Dying is by Ashok Banker. This is a story about Hannah. She seems shy. Some would even say spiky. People don't pay much attention to Hannah. Which is exactly how she's planned it. It's also a story about Ricky. Ricky is anything but shy. Rich, charming, good-looking, Ricky has never had a problem getting what he wants. And now he wants Hannah. There's a spark between them from the moment they meet. Even Hannah can't resist a man like Ricky for long. But this is not a love story. In fact, it's a little like Hannah. First you'll be intrigued. Then you'll realise there are hidden depths. And then, when you least expect it, you'll be hit by a twist you never saw coming...

The Inheritance is by Howard Linskey. You will inherit everything. The house. The money. There's just one condition. You have to catch a killer first... Sarah always had a soft spot for her Aunt Evelyn, a famous writer, but she'd always assumed the elderly woman was penniless. But when Evelyn dies, Sarah gets a shock. Evelyn has a significant fortune, including a foreboding mansion, Cragsmoor, on the outskirts of a small Northumberland town. She wants to leave it to Sarah. But that's not all she wants. For most of her life, she'd been haunted by a cold case. Many years ago, her childhood friend Lucy went missing. She was last seen in the house Evie has now left to Sarah. Evie spent years searching for the truth, desperate to find out what really happened the day Lucy disappeared. Now, her final wish is for Sarah to go back to the house where it all began, and uncover the truth. If she does, she will inherit everything. But if there is a secret at Cragsmoor, someone has benefitted from it remaining hidden. Someone who has already killed once before...

June 2022

David Raker is back with another heart-pounding and tense missing persons case. Ten seconds before the crash, Cate and Aiden Gascoigne are recorded on CCTV. The couple are laughing - happy, untroubled. Then their car plunges into a ninety-foot ravine. The impact should kill them. And if that doesn't, the fire will. Within seconds, the vehicle is an inferno - with the Gascoignes trapped inside. But when fire crews arrive at the scene, they find something impossible. The vehicle is empty. Cate and Aiden have vanished. Now only missing persons investigator David Raker can solve the mystery... The Blackbird is by Tim Weaver.

When fifteen-year-old Anabelle King was raped, she reported it immediately. But corrupted evidence meant the jury let her attacker go. Eighteen years later, Anabelle is Ava, a barrister who always follows the rules. But that changes when she reads a familiar name in a case file: Michael Osborne. This time, Michael is the alleged victim, and in the dock is a young girl; Lily Hawthorne, who pleads guilty to GBH without hesitation. Ava is sure that Lily's plea is false. She knows this man is not innocent. But how much will she have to risk to uncover the truth. Your Word is Mine is by Lia Middleton.

William Wisting is in a race against time. When a severed head is found on a stake in the quiet town of Larvik, Police Inspector William Wisting is called in to investigate. The only clue? The killer is trying to send a message. All roads lead back to the Night Man. As the media closes in on the biggest story of the year, Wisting's journalist daughter Line receives a tip. Soon, it becomes clear that there is more to this case than anyone thought. A criminal network has lodged itself deep into the roots of the city, and it's up to Wisting to take down the elusive and dangerous Night Man. This is just the beginning. But hunting down The Night Man will take everything Wisting has, and it's all too easy for the hunter to become the prey. The Night Man is by Jørn Lier Horst.