Grilling Thriller Authors: Q&A with Catherine Cooper

In this series, I carry out hard-hitting interviews with psychological thriller authors, where I ask them… just a bunch of silly questions, actually. This month, it’s Catherine Cooper’s turn in the hot seat.

1. Which emoji do you use most often?

Eyeroll, probably by quite a long way.

2. If your writing muse were an animal, what would it be?

A cat. They don’t care what people think and at the same time want to be loved.

3. What’s your go-to karaoke song? (Bonus points if it’s terrifying.)

Any early Madonna, but especially Like a Virgin or Crazy for You. I also have a habit of randomly singing with bands with only the slightest encouragement. Last time was an Abba song on St Patrick’s Day.

4. How do you celebrate small wins in your writerly life, like finishing a draft?

Same way I celebrate anything – with wine and crisps.

5. Is there a true crime case or real-life mystery you’re deeply fascinated by?

So many. I recently enjoyed the one about Amy Bradley, who went missing from a cruise ship. I’ve become a bit obsessed by those kind of cases since it was the premise of my third book.

6. What are your non-book-related hobbies?

Skiing. Yoga. Watching strangers on social media like they are my own personal soap opera.

7. You discover a random door. Where are you hoping it leads?

A Caribbean island (seems unlikely but perhaps someone has invented some kind of teleporter).

8. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received (writing advice or life advice)?

There is no point trying to control what other people do, all you can do is try to control your reaction to it.

9. Tell us about your latest novel in one sentence.

The Lake: A group of ghosthunters meet at a Scottish castle, quite a lot of people die.

Pick up your copy of Catherine’s latest book, The Lake.