The story focuses on mother Lauren and her younger daughter.
The daughter is trying to live a normal life in Oak Knoll, where the pair have recently relocated, while the mother still hopes for answers.
Hoag fans will recognise the township of Oak Knoll. It's where Deeper Than the Dead and Secrets to the Grave are set. Hoag cleverly adds some of her characters from those books in this novel.
I asked Hoag some questions about her books.
WHAT KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED? First and foremost, I love what I do. It's a fascinating process. For me the psychology of the characters is at the heart of it all - why people become who they are, why they react to situations the way that they do. I like to pose large, difficult questions within the context of the story and explore the possible answers through the actions of the characters.
Second, I have a lot of horses to feed. My writing pays for my riding. And of course the fans are great motivators. They devour books in a day and are always asking me what's next.
DO YOU STRUCTURE YOUR DAY AROUND WRITING OR WRITE ONLY WHEN THE MOOD TAKES YOU?Once I get going on a book I'm quite disciplined. Writers are artists with artistic natures, but we have to be business people as well. I have a contract with a company that is depending on me delivering my product by a certain date. I am a corporate asset. The bottom line of that company is dependent on me, and I support a whole economy of my own as well.
Thankfully, I like structure. My days always start in the stables with the horses, which puts me in a happy frame of mind. Afternoons and evenings are for work. The deeper I get into a book, the longer my hours. In the last weeks of writing I will work 16 to 18 hours a day.
YOU HAVE WRITTEN COMEDY, ROMANTIC SUSPENSE AND THRILLERS. WHICH DO YOU PREFER? I enjoy all of it. Writing comedy is great fun, and I still find ways to incorporate a little humour into even the most serious of books. The fans seem to love a bit of romance. Even male readers write to me hoping this character or that character will find a happy relationship in the next book. And the characters themselves can take over and dictate that as well.
When I was writing Deeper than the Dead I had no intention of Vince and Anne becoming involved. Vince pushed that issue, as crazy as that sounds to non-writers. And I love the scary, creepy stuff. I'm lucky I get to do all of these things wrapped up in one book.
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT GOES ON INSIDE YOUR MORE SINISTER CHARACTERS SUCH AS ROLAND BALLENCOA?Not from personal experience, thank God. I do a great deal of research on the criminal mind, studying actual cases and listening to the insights of criminal psychologists and profilers.
HOW DO YOU RELAX AFTER WRITING A THRILLER?I always think I'm going to take a long wonderful vacation or go to a spa or something, but that seldom happens.
Because of my schedule, by the time I finish a book I get to take a long weekend going to the Breeder's Cup horse races with my writer pal Eileen Dreyer, then I have to get down to serious business training for the winter horse show season. I ride at the grand prix level in the Olympic discipline of dressage, which is very demanding physically and mentally. Relaxation is something of a foreign concept to me.
WHEN YOU ARE WRITING A STAND-ALONE NOVEL, WHAT COMES FIRST - THE PLOT OR THE CHARACTERS?Every book begins with the crime that is central to the plot. Then the characters pop up and develop in my mind. I plug them into the situation and set them loose.
I don't write from an outline. The story evolves organically. It's really all about the characters for me. They become very real in my mind. I often feel as if I'm just following them around their world and writing down what they say and do. I don't always see plot twists coming.
The characters surprise me all the time. That keeps the process fresh and interesting for me. I always figure if I'm shocked then the readers will be shocked too. Many times I'm not even certain who the killer is until the very end.
WHAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING A BEST-SELLING AUTHOR?Being able to do something I love and getting paid for it. It's great and humbling to hear from readers all around the world that my writing has touched their lives, given them enjoyment, given them respite from difficult times in their lives. There isn't much of a downside to being me, I'm happy to say.
HOW DO YOU CELEBRATE FINISHING A BOOK?I'll go out for a nice dinner with a friend or two, which is a treat because I'm very antisocial when I'm on deadline. My friends check up on me by phone and email, but they know not to invade the inner sanctum in those last weeks. Sometimes I'll buy myself a gift to celebrate. I'll set aside a few days to read for pleasure. That's about it.
I HAVE TO ASK THIS. IS THERE MORE TO COME WITH THE CHARACTERS FROM THE SEE-NO-EVIL MURDERS?Absolutely. Much more. I've got at least three more books for them in my head, and I'm sure more will spin off from those ideas. I have another story in mind featuring Vince Leone.
I'd like to do something more with Danni Tanner from Down the Darkest Road. And I'm working on a couple of ideas for Tommy. Everybody wants to know what became of Tommy - me included. It's such a strange process because I never set out to write a series.
My original idea was a book and a sequel - one set in the past when the main characters were children, and one set in the present when those children are adults. The book that was to be set in the present will be set in the past.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW?I'm taking a break from the Oak Knoll books and revisiting characters from Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, and Prior Bad Acts. Homicide detectives Kovac and Liska investigate the murder of a teenage girl no one wants to claim. The story touches on a number of current topics, including bullying in the schools and the disintegration of the modern family.
