Christopher Reich is the author of the new novel Matterhorn. His many other novels include The Take.
Q: What inspired you to write Matterhorn, and how did you create your character Mac Dekker?
A: Matterhorn came about as a marriage of two long simmering ideas.
The first was a spy story I’d been thinking about…something in the vein of John Le Carre, my favorite author, and maybe, Ken Follett. A story about two rival spies, both aging and out of the game, drawn back to their old careers for a final confrontation.
The second idea was drawn from my love of outdoor/adventure documentaries, notably involving alpinism and climbing. I love the photographer, Jimmy Chin, who filmed “Free Solo” chronicling Alex Honold’s breathtaking climb of the face of El Capitan without any ropes or what is called, “protection.”
I wanted to find a vehicle to bring Chin’s talents to my local movie theater…a fictional story where he could bring his skills to bear.
Matterhorn is the result. Picture Jimmy Chin putting an IMAX camera on the face of the Matterhorn and filming George Clooney chase Brad Pitt (the two spies!) to the summit. Now that’s something I’d pay to watch!!
Q: Did you need to do any research to write the novel, and, if so, did you learn anything that especially surprised you?
A: I’ve been to Zermatt many times. I’ve done a bit of climbing myself.I know the region. It’s one of the most spectacular landscapes on earth.
Naturally, I’m fascinated by the Matterhorn. It’s the most iconic mountain in the world. The history of modern climbing begins with Edward Whymper’s daring ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865. In addition, I watched dozens of videos showing the climb itself.
What really thrilled me, however, was that these days the world’s elite climbers nearly run up the mountain in a bid to set new time records. What would take a normal guide eight hours – four hours up, four hours down – can be accomplished in 90 minutes or less.
Naturally, they don’t have time to use any ropes. It’s just man against the mountain. The smallest mistake results in death. If you fall 4,000 feet, you have plenty of time to realize what’s coming!
Q: Without giving anything away, did you know how the book would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
A: I don’t think I’m giving anything away by saying that I knew the story had to end on the Matterhorn. The fun was in figuring out how to get my characters up there. You never know how things are going to end up when you start a book. Once pen touches paper, anything can happen!
Q: The novel is set in various European locations--how important is setting to you in your writing?
A: Exotic locales and foreign destinations are hallmarks of all my books. I’ve lived in Europe and the Far East. I went to Outward Bound School in East Africa on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. I have a love of travel…the farther away the better.
Setting is everything to me. I want to take the reader to places he may never have been. Your imagination can transport you anywhere!
Q: What are you working on now?
A: Matterhorn is book 1 in my Mackenzie “Mac” Dekker series. All I can reveal presently is that there is a book 2 and that it begins in Paris at the wonderful Jules Verne restaurant on the second level of the Eiffel Tower. Odds are Mac won’t make it to dessert before something interesting happens….
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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