Interview with Maren Cooper, author of Behind the Lies
Today it gives the Indie Crime Scene great pleasure to interview Maren Cooper, whose novel Behind the Lies has its debut on November 14, 2023.
Behind the Lies is your third novel. How does it relate to your first two novels, A Better Next and Finding Grace?
All of my novels stand-alone. Perhaps the common element is that each has a theme that I wanted to explore in fiction. The first of my novels A Better Next is about health care mergers and the effect of these macro changes on the lives of those who are involved. I chose characters who were on opposite sides of the business amid a domestic crisis to display the effect.
My second book, Finding Grace, is based on motherhood choices and who should make them. The theme became more relevant with the controversy over reproductive rights, still raging.
Behind the Lies is my attempt to shine a light on the damage caused by the “fake it till you make it” culture too often found in the business world, with the focus of the behavior in the complicated biotech industry.
Your protagonist, Will Franklin, is a rising star in the biotech industry. What can you tell us about Will?
Will is the kid who grew up wounded by the loss of his parents to diseases that he was then motivated to try and cure. Single-minded, he was a nerdy wunderkind in the academic scientific community and somewhat naive about the temptations of his new world in the morally challenged biz climate of biotech wannabes. I am a character-driven writer and once I had his personality outlined, I threw some challenges his way….it was fun!
How did you go about researching the biotech world and what’s the significance of the phrase “fake it ’til you make it”?
My long career in health care allowed me a good look at the emergence of biotechnology and the sometimes over-reliance on the brilliance of inventive minds, when many outside of that universe don’t even know the questions to ask. It reminds me a bit of our conundrum about the use of artificial intelligence and how few of us keep up with the details which could ward off the potential for bad behavior.
The plot begins when Will is unexpectedly suspended by his boss, Chet, before the latter falls gravely ill and Will finds himself supporting Chet’s family. How much can you hint at the circumstances surrounding this catastrophe?
While
Will is totally blind-sided by Chet, there is a kernel of truth to something
that Chet accuses him of, which puts Will in a tailspin—but the truth lies
beyond that bit.
You worked for many years as a health centre leader. What does that involve and how far did it influence your choice of subject?
As I mentioned previously, the complexity of biotechnology can be bewildering to those outside of that rare circle which requires bridging the knowledge gap between scientists and businesspeople to assure the best use of new offerings for the benefit of the end users. Beyond that, the health care industry is consolidating at a fast clip and how leadership succession occurs is a topic beyond health care—here it is top of story with Will’s quest to secure the top job—and more importantly, what will he do to get it.
Will Franklin is not the only focus in the story. How much can you tell us about other characters - his boss Chet, his wife, Charlotte, and Bella, described as “a young and beautiful rising star making waves with her own start-up company.”
Chet is complicated—the early success of his career path as a biotech company leader allows him to move into an elder statesman role to influence the growth of the industry and mentor up-and-comers like Will. But is it enough for him? Is he addicted to power—can he let go?
Charlotte is the partner who outshines her husband in street smarts and strategic instincts—is it enough for her to take vicarious pleasure in his success—clearly not the stereotypical little woman standing by her man.
Bella—the opportunist who lacks the patience to take the conventional road to success; will her ‘fake it til you make it’ short-cuts compromise her in the long term?
Is this a novel with heroes and villains, or are there different levels or moral culpability and nuance?
I’m hoping readers find the head-scratching entertaining—can someone be a hero as well as a villain? What circumstances make the difference? Are we all fallible to the same degree?
What made you move from being an avid reader to a writer, and what part did the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis play?
Simply
put, I was ready for a change. A heavy job along with family responsibilities
isn’t conducive to a balanced lifestyle. Once I had a chance to play with
something new, the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, was there for me to
venture into the literary world.
You mention in your bio that you write best on the North Shore of Lake Superior. How important is landscape and nature in your creative process?
For me, looking out at Lake Superior, hiking the Superior Hiking Trail, observing wildlife calms me and allows me the space for my mind to wander to new ideas. Finding Grace is the book that I wrote about a small town in Minnesota featuring the drama of Lake Superior as a backdrop to the family saga. I tipped my hat to a landscape and natural environment that I love.
What is the significance of the title, Behind the Lies?
There is
much to uncover in the novel, and almost everyone in the story is touched by a
lie—so the plot twists reverberate around what is behind each of the lies.
What books do you enjoy reading and what are you reading now?
I’ve just finished Saving Emma by Allen Eskens and The River we Remember by William Kent Krueger. David Housewright’s In a Hard Wind and Mindy Mejia’s latest book, To Catch a Storm were both incredible. While I was vacationing in Iceland and Scandinavia this summer, I read Jo Nesbo and a book that truly reflects the Icelandic vibe, Reykjavik by Jonasson and Jacobsdottir.
Have you planned your next book and how is
it progressing?
My time has been limited of late, but one never knows
what’s next!
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About Maren Cooper:
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Behind the Lies is her third novel. Her debut novel, A Better Next, was a 2019 International Book Awards Finalist in Fiction: Women’s Fiction and Finding Grace was a 2023 IPPY Awards Bronze Medalist in Great Lakes: Best Regional Fiction and a 2022 International Book Awards Finalist in Fiction: Women’s Fiction.
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