Q&A with Elle Marr

  

Photo by Kitta Bodmer

 

 

Elle Marr is the author of the new novel She Dies in the End. Her other books include The Lie She Wears. She lives in Oregon.

 

Q: You’ve said the inspiration for She Dies in the End came from an article about a body broker. Can you say more about that, and about how you created your character Penny?

 

A: Yes, it's actually all thanks to doom-scrolling, believe it or not. Several years ago, while I was awake with my then-infant at 3 a.m., I was scrolling on my phone when I read an article detailing the profession of body brokerage that shocked me wide awake.

 

The actions of a body broker in Las Vegas, and the egregious ways with which he handled cadavers donated to science, got me thinking: If the industry is as poorly regulated at the federal level of the country, as the article suggests, is there any actual oversight at the local level? Could an additional, unknown cadaver be slipped into a container by someone desiring to hide a body?

 

The whole idea smacked of an incredible premise for a thriller, but it was missing a heroine. Cue my body broker with a heart of gold, Penny Lin.

 

Q: How did you research the novel, and what did you learn that especially surprised you? 

 

A: I dug into the recent history of body brokerage, and learned the industry only developed in the last 10 years or so. Traditionally, hospitals managed the donors' remains and ensured they were shipped to medical teaching programs, surgeon schools, and research institutes, all with the altrusitic goal of furthering medical research.

 

However, body brokers eventually began to fill that role by leasing cadavers from the hospitals or buying them out right, then shipping them to said teaching programs.

 

I'd venture many act in legal and ethical ways; but a few other body brokers, whose actions made national headlines, surprised me by the carelessness they displayed in shipping human remains in cardboard, Saran wrap, and other highly questionable containers. 

 

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: I came up with this title because it grabbed my attention, simply put. It echoes the story's premise that centers around body brokerage; the awareness that my main character, Penny, has for death as the end for us all; and the way in which death is a literal part of her daily routine. 

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the novel? 

 

A: A sense of hope, always. That although we might carry baggage with us from one location to the next, we're never locked into wearing that burden indefinitely. 

 

Q: What are you working on now? 

 

A: I'm deep in the manuscript on my next thriller, and I'm so excited by how it's turning out. I can't say much yet, as a lot of the story line can change while I'm still drafting, but I think it might be my most ambitious yet. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know? 

 

A: Recently, I launched my Substack and have been so thrilled to connect with readers there, in addition to the usual places on social media. 

 

I'm also grateful for the chance to talk all things She Dies in the End with you, here. This was a book that had many iterations, but which, I think, has the strongest ending of any that I've written. I hope readers love exploring the twisty, secretive world of this book!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Elle Marr.