There is something distinctly slick and brand-like about the Sasha
McCandless novels - for a start, all titles start with the letter ‘I’. Irreparable Harm, Inadvertent Disclosure and now Irretrievably Broken. The titles themselves make a considerable impact: they instantly
appeal to the fans of the legal thriller genre, who will recognise the jargon,
and grab the attention of the casual browser, who might be intrigued by the
similar sounding headings. The ‘brand’ feel, of course, goes way beyond the
titles: Irretrievably Broken is only
Melissa F Miller’s third novel, but it already feels part of a firmly
established series, and one that is destined to gain a bigger and bigger
readership with every volume.
Readers new to the Sasha McCandless series would probably benefit from reading the previous two instalments in order, as they set a lot of the scene and introduce recurring characters; however, this is not strictly necessary - Miller expertly feeds enough background information throughout the story, so that all readers can follow the main plot, but without giving her existing readers the impression that content is being unnecessarily repeated. It’s a very tricky balance to achieve, and even very well-known writers often get it wrong; take the example of Jean M Auel - the author of the Earth’s Children series. Her last novel - The Land of Painted Caves - was plagued by continuous, mind numbing repetition of character traits and events that, by the seventh book in the series, most readers would have been be very familiar with. In this respect, Auel could certainly learn a things or two from Melissa Miller.
The ingredients of the ’Sasha novels’ have, by book 3, become
essential staples that, I am sure, all her loyal readers have come to expect: a
tight plot combining action and legal exposition; snappy but still realistic
dialogue, and brilliantly flawed characters. This is the time for us readers to
look at Sasha through a lens in order to really understand her relationship
with Connelly and with her own family, her dedication to her work, her severe caffeine
habit. As a result, Sasha as a heroine is not infallible - a trait that makes a fictional character
instantly sympathetic.
Flawed characters demand a carefully balanced flawed world, and as
we know,a lawyer’s life is not always
hunky-dory; if Irreparable Harm set the scene and Inadvertent Disclosure expanded it, we could say that Irretrievably Broken signals a time for
break-ups; not only by its reference to matrimonial law, but also by
introducing a rift between Sasha and Connelly - which prevents the characters’
dynamics from becoming stale. Even
Sasha’s invincibility is questioned, as she struggles to find her way in the
unfamiliar territory of criminal law. Without giving away any spoilers, by the
end of the book, her own infallibility as a lawyer will be seriously tested.
After having consumed my third ‘legal’ fix in the space of a year,
I am once again left craving for more. I envy future readers of the series,
because they will be able to binge read, while I have to wait patiently until
the next instalment is published. Thankfully, Miller is a very
prolific writer, and is already at work to keep us topped up with more
coffee-fuelled Sasha goodness; until then, I might have to follow a friend’s
example and just read the first three again, and hope that the megadose will
tie me over until number four.
Read on for a Q&A with the author!
Q - When did you decide that you were going to become a writer?
A: I suppose I always
wanted to be a writer. Growing up, I
wrote tons and participated in creative writing workshops and the like. I even have a concentration in creative
writing from my undergraduate English literature program. But, I never considered being a writer to be
a particularly practical pursuit. Not
until I was flying cross-country to take some witness depositions in July of
2009 and I read The Lincoln Lawyer on
my outbound flight. Michael Connelly so
accurately captured some of the realities of criminal law (as I understand them
from friends who practice in that area) and did so in the service of a really
gripping story, that I closed the book thinking, I’d like to do that! And, so I returned to writing.
Q - They say write about what you know; well you clearly have a
background in law. Having worked in a big law firm once, I think you got the
details totally nailed. The gruelling long hours, the boredom of meetings -
everything that Sasha describes…was that your experience of corporate law?
A: First off, thanks
for that. I’m glad to hear it resonates
with your experience. In many ways, that
has also been my experience of practicing corporate law. It’s a strange environment in that the work
is sophisticated, the stakes are high, the stress is higher still, and usually
no expense is spared. From the outside,
I think that tends to lend it an appearance of, not glamour exactly, but
importance or excitement. The reality,
as you mentioned, is somewhat less exotic.
The hours are long, the workload is heavy, and the work itself can
become monotonous, especially for junior lawyers. That’s the experience I
wanted Sasha to bring to like, at least in the first book.
Q - I’ve been meaning to ask you this since book 1: Prescott &
Talbott actually remind me of the fictional firm of the TV Show The Guardian,
which was also set in Pittsburgh. Have you ever watched the show
A: I know of the show,
because it was not only set in Pittsburgh, it was at least partially filmed in
Pittsburgh. I did watch an episode or
two when it aired; however, it was on in the early 2000s, when I was a junior lawyer
at a large law firm and, truthfully, I barely had time to brush my teeth, let
alone commit to watching a television series!
That said, I’m now intrigued enough by the parallels you see that I’d
like to get it on DVD and watch it.
Q - This might sound like a silly question but…is it a coincidence
that all three novels so far start with the letter ‘I’?
A: Yes and no. “Irreparable Harm” seemed to me to be the
perfect title for the story---both for the legal principle and the idea that
other events in the book would or could have consequences that were
irreversible. And similarly,
“Irretrievably Broken,” as you noted in your review, works on those same two
levels. So, when I was sketching out the
series, I decided that the book that fell in the middle should start with an
“I,” as well. And because the subtext
was that Sasha was slowly beginning to reveal herself to Leo, “Inadvertent
Disclosure” worked out, too. So, now, of
course, I’m committed to “I” titles---at least until I run out of legal
doctrines! The title of my work in
progress is Indispensable Party.
Q - Now …Krav Maga. That is certainly an interesting skill to
have. Tell us the truth: do you practice it? And what made you decide to give
Sasha the nearest thing to a human superpower?
A: I wish I did
practice it, but, I’m afraid I don’t. I
wanted to make Sasha a physically small person, because I think it’s really
interesting how diminutive women are often underestimated. Some of the most formidable women I know are tiny,
and, as it happens, several of them are attorneys. But, as the star of a
thriller series, Sasha needs to be capable of defending herself in a believable
way. I have a good friend, who is not an attorney, but who is a small woman
who practices Krav Maga. She carries
herself with a lot of authority and has a great deal of confidence about her
ability to protect herself. That’s what I wanted for Sasha.
Q - Do you still practice law? How do you reconcile your new
writing career with a job and a family? Do you suffer from writer’s guilt?
A: I do. Although, I didn’t start writing seriously
until my husband and I had left our jobs at international law firms in
Washington, D.C. to start our own two-person law firm in a small town in South
Central Pennsylvania. Running our own
firm has added some administrative responsibilities to my plate, but it also
gives me much more flexibility than I used to have. Oh, I have writer’s guilt,
mom guilt, lawyer guilt---no matter what I’m focused on, I am convinced I
should be doing something else! But, the
writing, as an act, is important to me, so I make the time for it. I do try to limit how much it infringes on
time with my family by doing a lot of my writing after the rest of the family
is asleep for the night and before they wake in the morning. Luckily (or perhaps not), my caffeine habit
is about as bad as Sasha’s, so sleep is an easy area to skimp on! I’m also truly fortunate that my husband is
wildly supportive of my writing. He’s been known to disappear with our three
small kids for the better part of a day if I am under a deadline.
Q - Where do you get inspiration for Sasha’s cases?
A: Honestly,
everywhere. Some of the legal doctrines I’ve had experience with in my own work
and some (like “irretrievably broken”) I remember from law school. As I read legal journals or cases for my
legal practice, there’s a part of my brain that’s filing away interesting facts
or issues for my fiction. I’m careful to
ensure that the facts of Sasha’s cases don’t mirror my own to avoid any confidentiality
issues. And then I put whatever twists
on the issues or the facts make the cases work for my plot.
Q - What would you say to a new writer struggling to combine their
love of the written word with a job and a family?
A: Writing advice is
dangerous because it can take on the ring of a prescription, but it all sort of
boils down to this: You just have to get the words on paper. Each writer has to
decide if the way that fits into his or her life is as 500 words written every
morning while sitting in the carpool line, a dedicated block of writing time at
the same time each day, or the occasional binge-writing weekend while the
laundry piles up, the lawn goes unmown, and the kids eat pizza. However you can squeeze in the time, do it.
And if that stops working for you, try something else. Once you’ve truly
committed to a writing project, you’d be amazed as the time you manage to find.
Q - One last question: how long until the next novel?
A: Sure,
save the hardest question for last!
Well, because I’m still a practicing attorney, I build a lot of extra
time into the schedule, just in case a client matter comes up. So far, the only time I haven’t needed that
cushion was with “Irretrievably Broken”.
I am definitely going to need it this time, because I have a case going
to trial next month. I have been too busy on the lawyering front to make much
progress on the book. With all those
caveats out of the way, I’ll say the plan
is for Indispensable Party to be available for the holidays.
Paola, thanks so much for the interview.
It’s been a lot of fun!
You are very welcome, thank you for taking the time to talk to me! I am so looking forward to Indispensable Party!
