We interviewed bestselling co-author Andrew Child following the publication of his and Lee Child's (creator and of the award-winning Jack Reacher series) book The Secret.
The Secret is the latest Jack Reacher instalment and has had stellar reviews so far. Read on to find out what inspired the Reacher storylines, Andrew's dream train journey and more in this exclusive interview.
Pictured: The Secret authors Lee and Andrew Child.
Tell us a little bit about your new book The Secret?
In The Secret we travel back in time to 1992, when Reacher is still in the army. Recently demoted from major to captain, Reacher is selected to join a task force convened by the Secretary of Defence to investigate a series of bizarre deaths in cities in disparate cities across the US. If he gets a result, great. If not, he’s a convenient fall guy. As he races to identify a cold-blooded killer and get to the heart of a twenty-three year old cover-up, one question emerges: will Reacher bring the bad guys to justice the official way, or his way?
Where did you get the inspiration for your Reacher storylines?
I find inspiration for Reacher stories anywhere and everywhere. Things I read in the news, current events, things I see and hear close to home and on far-flung travels. This all becomes the raw material which accumulates somewhere in my head and percolates, sometimes for years, until it’s distilled down to the key points that are strong enough to form the foundation for a book.
Having both lived in the US for many years, is there anything about the UK you both miss?
I miss my friends, the places where I lived, and of course Villa Park!
Do you visit the UK often?
As often as possible. I never miss an opportunity, whether for work or pleasure.
What is your favourite location in the UK, and why?
I have many favourites! Birmingham, where I was born, and the home of Aston Villa, although it has changed a great deal since I was a kid. St. Albans, where I went to high school, fortunately before the age of social media and phones with cameras. London, for its energy and history and museums and theatre. Wales, where my parents lived for the last – and possibly happiest – years of their lives. Scotland, which I often visited for work. And finally Sheffield, where I went to university and where my kids were born.
What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
My first was to the Brontë parsonage in Haworth, West Yorkshire. I went several times as a kid and on each occasion we combined the visit with an excursion on the nearby Keighley and Worth Valley railway because my father was huge fan of preserved steam trains. Since then I’ve also visited Ernest Hemingway’s house in Key West, Florida, which involved an epic drive across the famous Seven Mile Bridge; Fyodor Dostoevsky’s apartment in St. Petersburg, Russia; and most recently Pablo Neruda’s house in Santiago, Chile.
You can invite three people to travel with, past or present, who would you invite and where would you go?
I would invite Salvador Dali, Oscar Wilde, and Queen Boudicca for an around-the-world hot air balloon ride.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
When it comes to writing: ignore all advice…
Which destination is at the top of your bucket list?
For fifty years the Galapagos Islands were at the top of my list. My obsession began when my parents took me to Dudley Zoo, near Birmingham, when I was a little kid. Much to their surprise – they had expected me to prefer the lions or tigers or elephants – I fell in love with the giant tortoises and became determined that one day I would visit them in their natural environment. Last year my dream finally came true in what was a true highlight of my life.
If you hadn’t become a successful writer what would you be doing now?
Reading!
Tell us something about yourself that we likely don’t know! The more obscure the better!
I’m a qualified scuba diver.
Which profession do you look at and think: “I’d love to be able to do that?”
Teaching. I was so fortunate to have an amazing set of teachers when I was at school. They had a truly profound impact on my life and I would love to be able to help other people in the same way but that would require a skillset I simply don’t have.
Quick fire round
Where is your favourite place to write? My office
Does writing energise or exhaust you? Both! I start out brimming with energy but on a good day I quickly lose track of time and wind up hours later, barely able to hold a thought in my head.
What are 3 words to describe yourself? Stubborn. Determined. Relentless.
What is one thing everyone should do? Travel. As frequently and extensively as possible.
What are you reading right now? Killing Thatcher, by Rory Carroll.
What 3 things you can’t leave the house without? A mug of coffee, a book, and for the last few years my reading glasses.
Best way to travel, train, plane or car? I love train travel. I have a dream to cross Canada in a train with a glass observation dome in place of a roof.
Reading, TV, Music – in order? Reading, music, TV.
