Sara Blaedel, known as Denmark's "Queen of Crime," is the author of the novel The Forgotten Girls, just published in the United States. Her many other novels are published in 17 countries and in 15 languages. She lives north of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Q:
How did you come up with the idea for The Forgotten Girls, and how did you
research the plot?
A:
Over the years I have looked at topics like prostitution, Internet dating, drug
abuse, peer pressure, assisted suicide and much more. In The Forgotten Girls, published in the U.S. on the 3rd of February by Grand Central
Publishing, the story takes place in the historical setting of an all-girls
home where unwanted girls were abandoned.
Fifty
years ago, it was customary for local authorities to look after children that
for one reason or another could not get the care they were entitled to from
their own families. When the girls registered at the orphanage, parents were
asked to forget that they ever existed.
Two
of these girls, a pair of twins, appear many years later, many years after
everybody thought they were dead.
I
read about these forgotten children in a Danish newspaper, and the story just
would not leave me. It made me really curious. And I started digging (I am a
journalist by profession), reading and talk to sources.
Q:
When you wrote your first novel featuring your main characters, Louise and
Camilla, did you plan to write a series of books about them?
A:
No, I did not. But when the first book found so many readers, won a prize and
since it was so fantastic to write it, I decided to continue. I have never had
a plan for how many books I wanted to write about Louise and Camilla. I have
written every book out of sheer pleasure and of course when I found topics
important enough to write about.
Q:
Do you know exactly how your novels will end before you begin writing, or do
you make many changes along the way?
A:
I have a strong idea of how they will end, but it does not always turn out that
way. Characters develop along with the writing, and sometimes someone who I
planned should be a victim, for instance, gets off the hook, and suddenly the
story takes me another way. But usually I am in charge from the very beginning
to the end.
Q:
Who are some of your favorite mystery novelists?
A:
There are so many fabulous mystery writers whom I love to read. But Michael
Connelly and Karin Slaughter are all-time favorites. And Jo Nesbo. And when I
was a child – Enid “Famous Five” Blyton.
Q:
What are you working on now?
A:
Louise Rick #9 came out in Denmark in November 14. So right now I am spending
most of my time promoting books in foreign countries. In the middle of February
I will go to the States and hopefully have a splendid time on a book tour that
will take Louise, Camilla and me from Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, to San
Francisco and L.A.
When
I am back I will start writing a short story about Louise, and after that we
will see.
Q:
Anything else we should know?
A:
There is A LOT you should know, and I hope you will join me on Twitter and
Facebook to learn more.
US Facebook: www.facebook.com/SaraBlaedelAuthor
Twitter: @sarablaedel
Instagram: sarablaedel
Web: sarablaedel.com
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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