We were enthused by an upcoming thriller, one that is a slippery
narrative, a lucid dream of a novel - the latest from Gilly Macmillan
and entitled THE NANNY, recently reviewed at Shots
It’s the characters and locations that make
this dark novel so slippery and claustrophobic that the reader is compelled to
read beyond the melodrama and enter into a nightmare world. This novel is set
in a world of privilege and one of loss, where the dangers lurk in
recollection, and hidden motives.
The intriguing premise belays a darker world
from the one that little Jocelyn first experienced as a child - her first
experience of loss. She was seven when Hannah Burgess, her nanny vanished from
Lake Hall, the estate of Lord and Lady Holt. All traces of Hannah’s existence
vanished with her, leaving only a mystery and a memory – neither which should
be trusted.
As a psychological thriller, The Nanny is
troubling, and the perfect read to pack for the summer. It provides distraction
from the reality that surrounds us, again indicating that taking perceptions
and recollections at face-value can be dangerous, so very deadly. Sometimes the
truth requires uncovering, but what we find may well unsettle.
Read More HERE
The Nanny is released in hardcover
27th June 2019 in the UK / Ireland from
Century Imprint of PenguinRandomHouse
10th September 2019 in the US /
Canada from William Morrow of HarperCollins
However, it is currently on offer at Amazon
as an eBook for 99p, and also as an audiobook from Audible.co.uk
for £19.24 or for a monthly credit in their membership platform.
Gilly kindly took time to answer some questions about her
work for Shots Readers as to what THE NANNY has in store.
Ali K So tell us did The Nanny, in terms of narrative come from an idea
that you “ran with” or had you plotted heavily before commencing telling the
story?
Gilly M I aspire to be a writer who plans, but my mind fills with
grey mist when I try to. My usual method of working, which as how I wrote The
Nanny, is to start with a premise I believe is exciting, and ideas for strong
characters, and then run with it. It’s somewhat terrifying working in that way but
I believe I get my best ideas when I’m in the thick of writing, so it works for
me. The downside is that it can lead to significant edits at second draft
stage.
AK And I assume your own experience of both sides of the Atlantic
gave Jocelyn her background?
GM Absolutely. My family moved to Northern California when I was a
teenager and the culture shock was tremendous and wonderful. I thought it was
important to give Jocelyn, or Jo as she prefers to be called once she’s left
home, a glimpse of life far from the influence of her parents.
AK The Nanny has a fiendish plot, so tell us a little about the
writing process?
GM As I said above, I start with a concept and strong characters
and then run with the idea. It makes the process nerve wracking, but I believe
that benefits both my writing and plotting. At no point can I relax and just
type out a scene according to a pre-existing plan. I know that is a very
successful method for many brilliant writers, but it doesn’t suit me. What I
like about how I work is that I am constantly inventing, and I believe I get my
best ideas as I’m writing, and this process allows me to run with those ideas,
adding twists as I go, and letting characters develop.
AK And could you tell us why BURNT
PAPER SKY was retitled WHAT SHE KNEW?
GM WHAT SHE KNEW is the title that the book had in the US market
from the outset. They felt that BURNT
PAPER SKY wouldn’t work for them and came up with a new title and a very
successful package. Sometime later my UK publisher decided to adopt it here,
too.
AK What
is it that intrigues you about family and dysfunction that is evident in your
writing, especially in your latest, THE
NANNY
GM Family is something that we all have, in some way, shape or
form, and I’m interested in exploring common experiences. Family friction is
inevitable, though hopefully not often to the dysfunctional extent that a
thriller plot requires, and how we deal with that speaks to both our weaknesses
and strengths as people. It intrigues me. I guess you could say my starting
point is the famous line from Philip Larkin (“They f*** you up, your mum and
dad”), though I love exploring how family relationships mould us for both good
and bad. Ultimately it comes back to a nature/nuture question.
AK So did you come from a Bookish family?
GM Yes! My mum was an English teacher and has always been an avid
reader of fiction and my dad read tons of non-fiction. Our house was full of
books and we visited the library regularly. Bookshops were a very special
treat. For as long as I can remember I’ve made time to read every day.
AK And the novels you read, that perhaps made you consider
entering the precarious world of creative writing?
GM Absolutely. Though writing wasn’t something I considered doing
seriously until late in life and I am self-taught. I didn’t have the money or
opportunity to take a creative writing course, so I figured it out by rereading
and analysing books I admired. I made a lot of mistakes along the way as a
result, but I think it’s important that people know you can become a writer
without taking a course.
AK Your work is very popular in America, so what is it about your
novels that you consider appeals to the US Reader?
GM That’s a very good question and one that my US editor and I
have discussed in the past, though we haven’t come up with any definite
answers. I will say that I had both the UK and North American markets in mind
when I began writing, because I have always been a huge fan of fiction from
across the pond. Maybe it helped that my family lived in California for a few
years when I was a teenager, though that was a long time ago! Our best guess was
that the writing style and strong character focus has a broad appeal. THE NANNY
is probably my most ‘British’ book, so it’ll be interesting to see what
reception it gets in North America.
AK And why do we appear to enjoy examining the lives of others,
the ones with dysfunction such as work by Alafair
Burke, Patricia Highsmith, Gillian
Flynn, Laura
Lippman to name authors who have much in common to your own style?
GM I believe we’re all inherently nosy! It’s part of the human
condition. We love to know about other people’s lives and are hungry for
gossipy details. Fiction can give us insight into the lives of others like
nothing else. We can live in the mind of another person, witness the intimate
details of their lives and thought processes and this is particularly
interesting when dysfunction comes into play. These stories thrill and
fascinate us without putting us in actual danger and let us question how we
might react if we were in the shoes of the characters. What’s not to love?!
AK And who do you read and what appeals to you about their work
GM I love so many writers! James Lee Burke was a big
influence on me when I was starting out. I love how his books combine thrilling
plots, intense characterisation, locations that come alive off the page and
writing that can be poetic at times. I recently discovered a literary crime
novel by Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk called Drive Your
Plow Over the Bones of the Dead. It was shortlisted for the
International Man Booker prize. I loved it. The main character is stunning, and
the writing is stunning. I can’t stop thinking about it. Other crime writers I
love to read include Mary Kubica, Rene Denfeld, Shari Lapena, Linwood
Barclay.
AK And finally, what are you working on currently?
GM It’s early days, but I’m working on a novel that could be
described as a journey into psychological horror. It’s narrated by a writer, so
it’s very fun to write, though also creepy. I might soon be sleeping with my
eyes open.
AK Thank you for your time
GM Thank you for having me back
Shots Magazine pass out thanks to Katie Sheldrake of PenguinRandomHouse
for kindly organising this interview.
The Nanny is released in hardcover
27th June 2019 in the UK / Ireland from
Century Imprint of PenguinRandomHouse
10th September 2019 in the US /
Canada from William Morrow of HarperCollins
And a reminder, THE NANNY is on
offer at Amazon as an eBook for 99p, and also as an audiobook from Audible.co.uk
for £19.24 or for a monthly credit in their membership platform.
Photos / Imagery © 2019 PenguinRandomHouse, William Morrow,
Various European publishers, Audible & A Karim
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