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WORK TITLE: Follow Me Down
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.sherri-smith.com/
CITY: Winnipeg
STATE: MB
COUNTRY: Canada
NATIONALITY: Canadian
http://www.sherri-smith.com/bio * http://www.torforgeblog.com/2017/03/14/qa-with-sherri-smith-author-of-follow-me-down/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Children: two.
EDUCATION:Received honors degree in English and politics.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author; also teaches special-needs children in Winnipeg, MB.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Sherri Smith’s first thriller is the novel Follow Me Down. “Follow Me Down is about a woman forced to return to her hometown after learning that her twin brother has disappeared the same day the body of his high school student is pulled from the river,” Smith said in an interview on the Tor/Forge Blog. “I was inspired to write it, because it was the sort of book I love to read. It’s full of small town secrets … addiction, and the complexities of sibling relationships.” Mia Hass is not enthusiastic about coming back to the place where she and her brother grew up. She has an established home and a good job in the city, far from the North Dakota plains. “Mia’s life as a pharmacist in Chicago is … nothing like being back in her hometown,” wrote Karen Keefe in Booklist. “Trying to wrap her head around the rumors of Lucas’s affair with the teen, and unable to reconcile the media’s portrayal of Lucas as a murderer with her own memories of him,” declared Jenni L. Walsh in Debutante Ball, “Mia is desperate to find another suspect. All the while, she wonders: If he’s innocent, why did he run?” “Against all odds,” concluded a Publishers Weekly reviewer, “Mia fiercely pursues the truth in this unsettling crime thriller.”
Reviewers enjoyed Smith’s debut thriller. “Follow Me Down is a rare find—a gutsy, visceral, and beautifully crafted psychological thriller from a talented new author,” stated Chevy Stevens in the Tor/Forge Blog. “The story has everything I love in a dark and twisty psychological thriller: complicated family dynamics, small-town secrets, fascinatingly flawed characters, and lots of surprises.” “Psychological thrillers are having a moment,” stated Zoe Morris on the Bookbag website, “and this has all the ingredients for a winner with an intriguing, keep-you-guessing plot full of dark moments, revelations and secrets.” “Once I started this book, I could barely put it down,” enthused a Well-thumbed Reader website reviewer, “especially near the halfway point where we kept discovering new things and clues kept popping up and I just absolutely needed to know what was going to happen next. Personally, I thought this book was pretty much perfectly-paced, and a fantastic balance between being extremely tense, but slowing it down when it was necessary. I thought the way that the entire case unfolded was quite realistic, especially regarding the police work.” “Gritty, unpredictable and unnerving, Follow Me Down is a Gillian Flynn style novel that feels like one long tangle of secrets, deceit and complex twists,” declared Natalie Xenos on the Culture Fly website. “If this is Sherri Smith’s first thriller, I can’t wait to read the next one.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, February 1, 2017, Karen Keefe, review of Follow Me Down, p. 25.
Publishers Weekly, November 28, 2016, review of Follow Me Down, p. 44.
ONLINE
Bookbag, http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/ (March, 2017), Zoe Morris, review of Follow Me Down.
Culture Fly, http://culturefly.co.uk/ (April 13, 2017), Natalie Xenos, review of Follow Me Down.
Debutante Ball, http://www.thedebutanteball.com/ (March 25, 2017), Jenni L. Walsh, “Interview with Sherri Smith.”
Sherri Smith Website, http://www.sherri-smith.com (August 30, 2017), author profile.
Tor/Forge Blog, http://www.torforgeblog.com/ (March 14, 2017), “Interview with Sherri Smith, Author of Follow Me Down“; (May 3, 2017), Chevy Stevens, “Chevy Stevens Interviews Sherri Smith, Author of Follow Me Down.“
Well-thumbed Reader, https://thewellthumbedreader.wordpress.com/ (March 22, 2017), review of Follow Me Down.*
Interview with Sherri Smith, Author of Follow Me Down
MARCH 14, 2017TORFORGE
amazon bn powells booksamillion indiebound
Follow Me Down by Sherri SmithMia Haas has built her life far from the North Dakota town where she grew up, but when she receives word that her twin brother is missing, she is forced to return home. Back to the people she left behind, the person she used to be, and the secrets she thought she’d buried.
We sat down with Sherri Smith to talk about recent reads, writing rituals, and how her research made some pharmacists a little suspicious. Get a preview of the first chapter here!
Will you tell us a little about Follow Me Down and what inspired you to write it?
Follow Me Down is about a woman forced to return to her hometown after learning that her twin brother has disappeared the same day the body of his high school student is pulled from the river.
I was inspired to write it, because it was the sort of book I love to read. It’s full of small town secrets, a troubled main character, guilt, addiction and the complexities of sibling relationships.
What kind of research did you do for Follow Me Down?
I did learn a great deal about different prescription drugs and their varied effects on the body. I also figured out that pharmacists find you to be pretty sketchy when you keep asking about the sort of pills that make an appearance in Follow Me Down.
What’s your favorite word?
I am not sure I have a favorite word, more so word combinations like, ‘happy hour’ or ‘nap time’ or ‘buy one get one.’ All of those work for me.
Which books are currently in your to-read pile?
I have a never-ending tower of books. Right now I am reading Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinsborough (I am halfway through and can’t tell where it’s going.) I am reading my first Peter Swanson, Her Every Fear, and I can’t wait to read his other books. I am also just finished reading While They Slept by Kathryn Harrison, a true-crime story about a son who murdered his parents and younger sister. It’s a brilliant and insightful book on how this sort of heartbreaking tragedy can unfold.
What’s the first book you remember reading?
By grade 5, I was reading my mom’s books: Danielle Steele, Mary Higgins Clark, Jackie Collins (should not have been reading Jackie Collins at that age,) Sidney Sheldon. I loved being able to access these sophisticated adult worlds so different from own, and I think this initiated me into being a voracious reader.
What’s your favorite thing about being a writer?
The loose hours. Working in my PJ’s. Being home with my children. Leading a double life, because that’s what writing can feel like when you get sucked into the lives you’re creating.
If you could only recommend one book, what would it be?
I would recommend picking out a book that makes you uncomfortable, for whatever reason, at least twice a year. Don’t play it safe when it comes to reading.
What’s your favorite method of procrastination?
With two small children I am no longer allowed the luxury of procrastination, which is too bad because I do think it’s a useful tool when it comes to writing. Some of my best ideas have come to me, when I’ve been doing anything but sitting in front of my computer.
Do you have any writing rituals?
Coffee and sitting.
What’s next for you?
I am currently writing another suspense novel. I don’t want to say too much about it at this point other than it takes place at a wellness retreat, involves psychotropic tea and murder.
ABOUT ME
Sherri Smith has previously written two historical fiction novels with Simon & Schuster UK. When not writing, she spends time with her family and two rescue dogs, and restores vintage furniture that would otherwise be destined for the dump. She lives in Winnipeg, Canada, where the long, cold winters nurture her dark side.
Chevy Stevens Interviews Sherri Smith, Author of Follow Me Down
MAY 3, 2017TORFORGE
amazon bn powells booksamillion indiebound
Follow Me Down by Sherri Smith
Follow Me Down is a rare find—a gutsy, visceral, and beautifully crafted psychological thriller from a talented new author. Chevy Stevens, bestselling author of Never Let You Go and Still Missing, sat down with debut author Sherri Smith to talk about her novel and writing during the long Canadian winter.
Chevy Stevens: In Follow Me Down, Mia Haas is a troubled woman forced to return to her hometown in North Dakota after her twin brother disappears and the body of his high school student is pulled from the river. The story has everything I love in a dark and twisty psychological thriller: complicated family dynamics, small-town secrets, fascinatingly flawed characters, and lots of surprises. I’m not the only one enthralled. Diana Chamberlain said, “This engrossing page turner will keep you guessing right up to the delicious ending” and Publishers Weekly called it an “unsettling crime thriller.” They got that right!
When I read an early copy of Follow Me Down a year ago, I instantly knew this book was special and wondered about the author. How did she get so good? Who is this amazing fellow Canadian writer? Recently Sherri’s editor asked if I’d be willing to ask Sherri some questions, and I jumped at the chance.
Sherri! Thank you so much for agreeing to do this with me. It’s exciting to be on the other end of an interview. First off, what is your background? Did you go to university? Or the school of hard knocks?
Sherri Smith: Wait. Before I answer that, I need to ask, is this really happening? Is Chevy Stevens really interviewing me? I need a moment pull my fan-girl self together, so please hold on a sec.
[Long pause, full of calming breathing-techniques or maybe hyperventilating. It’s always a fine line.]
Ok, I’m here. I’m here. Thank-you so much for that lovely introduction!
So yes, back to your question. Definitely both. I did go to University but it was a few years after high school. I knew it was something I was paying for myself and so I worked and saved some money first.
Turned out though, I was really bad at saving money and even more accurately I didn’t make enough money to save, since I lived on my own and had a very crappy job. So when I finally made it to University I had to continue working thirty-plus hours on nights and weekends. It wasn’t pleasant and I should have only taken courses part-time, but at this point I was a in a big hurry to get a degree because I felt so behind and old (which now seems ridiculous.) In the end, I was pretty proud of myself when I graduated with an honors degree in Literature and Politics. I promptly resumed working at a slightly less crappy job but at least I had better critical thinking skills.
CS: I think it’s fabulous that you got a degree—and worked so hard for it. I never went to University but I always wish I’d had that experience. Maybe when I’m older! Speaking of experience, many authors have a couple unfinished manuscripts or even completed drafts that never ended up going anywhere. Do you have any books hidden in drawers?
SS: I definitely have some unfinished drafts, but they’re each probably under twenty-five pages. So I either give up way too soon, or know when to quit. Depends on the day.
CS: Maybe you could turn those into short stories one day! You know, with all your free time. Ha. You live in Winnipeg but your book is set in North Dakota. I loved the richness of your small-town setting and how it played a part in the story and the character’s lives. How did you decide on your location? Canada versus the US?
SS: It was for entirely selfish reasons. I needed an excuse to go down to Target in Grand Forks. So I’d tell everyone I was ‘researching,’ but I was really at Target, oh and at Gordman’s. I love that store.
CS: That is an absolutely brilliant reason for choosing a setting. I have to admit I picked Seattle for my next book because I love visiting the city. Great minds think alike. Maybe we’re related? Mia and Lucas are twins, and obviously share a strong bond. Do you have any experiences with twins? Or naughty teenage girls? Because you have a few of those!
SS: I don’t have any experiences with twins. But absolutely some mean-girl stories from those awful middle school years. There was one girl, who was particularly sophisticated in psychological warfare. I think she provided the foundation to write a lot of wicked characters (so a big thank-you to her for murdering my self-esteem in 9th grade, it’s come in handy after all!)
CS: Ugh. I think we all have our mean girl stories. I remember a few from my high school day, and those events can haunt you for a long time, which brings me to my next question. Your character takes a lot of prescription medicine (or NOT prescription) and I’m curious about your research—it was so well writtenJ
SS: Thank you!
I’ve been asked that a lot lately, always with a certain amount of suspicion. So I will take the opportunity to clear the air, I am not personally a pill-popper.
I researched Mia’s pills use, mainly by lurking in a lot of online forums where people freely discussed their drug use. How it made them feel, what they recommended to one another and what one might want more of and why. That definitely helped get an idea of the physical and mental sensations certain drugs might bring about. A pharmacist at my local Safeway also helped me out with my sketchy questions about certain medications, their effects and what you could and couldn’t mix, (this was of course, after establishing I did not need an ambulance.) She was great!
CS: Well, you did a fabulous job. It’s obvious you did a lot of work to bring these characters to life. They were so vivid and three dimensional. How long did it take you to finish Follow Me Down? Do you think the long, cold Winnipeg winters helped?
SS: It’s hard for me to pin down the exact timeline, since I had such a meandering start. I think it took two years at least, and then another year of edits. This was my first thriller and the learning curve was huge. I spent a lot of that time also reading as many thriller novels as I could, trying to understand why certain books worked for me and others didn’t.
And yes, the winter absolutely helps, because there’s literally no reason to leave your house, and in turn, your desk.
CS: Now that your book has been published, what has been your biggest surprise? Is it everything you thought? I know this isn’t your first book, but your first in this genre. Anything different?
SS: The biggest difference from when I last published is the huge presence of book bloggers. I’m just in awe of how supportive they are and how integral they’ve become to the promotional side of the industry.
As well, the expectation for a writer to participate in social media is much bigger, which hasn’t come easy to me. My social media age is like ninety years old and sharing unsolicited information about myself still feels odd but I’m getting the hang of it.
Lastly, the thriller community is also so much more supportive of one another and that’s been the best surprise in all of this.
CS: You’re right. The thriller community is amazing and I’ve made a few wonderful friends. When I’m not working, I love looking at vacation rentals on VRBO and planning dream holidays for all of us. What is your favorite method of procrastination?
SS: Oh good question. I love that you plan dream holidays! So much better than what I do, which is aimlessly knock-around the Internet. I read articles I don’t need to read and forget about them fifteen minutes later. I search for used vintage furniture. I look for answers to random thoughts, like what was that actor’s name, was she/he in that other thing I watched, or what is the exact altitude of Santa Fe, New Mexico. If I feel sick in any way I put my symptoms into Google and get really scared by what comes up. I also like to do online jigsaw puzzles, (yeah, I know, nerd-alert but at least I will know how to handle myself if I end up in a senior’s home) because it gives me something to look at, other than staring at font that does eventually blur together if I stare at it too long.
For this reason, I will disable my Internet for long stretches out of the day if it gets too distracting.
CS: Ha! I love all of those and will probably try a few on my next bout of Internet procrastination. (I’ve never tried online Jigsaw puzzles!) Writers are known for their strange quirks and superstitions. I need the same keyboard and have several of them stashed in the closet in case they are ever discontinued. I also use ear plugs and can’t write if a door is slightly open beside me. Do you have any writer quirks?
SS: What keyboard do you use? I need a new one! I don’t have any superstitions, I don’t think? As for quirks, I know a lot of writers listen to music to draw them out of dry ruts, or to keep the energy up from all the sitting writing requires, but I watch comedians. A few snippets on YouTube and the fog lifts. (Trying to make one another laugh, ranks highest in my family as demonstrations of love so I get some good material there too.)
CS: I’m obsessed with a Microsoft Wireless Comfort 5000. Like me, you have a young family. I get asked often how I balance it all (not very well) and I only have one child. What is your system for getting your work done while still managing to be an awesome mom, who goes to dance class with her daughter. I’ve seen the video, remember!
SS: Ahhh, yes. The video. (Who knew one could use a helmet in a dance class?!)
Trying to balance it all is hard. Having kids certainly changes things. I army-roll to my office now, so my children don’t see me, that’s mainly how I still get things done. Actually ‘office’ is way too lofty, I work at a desk crammed in my son’s nursery, far too close to his cloth diaper bag. I’m also constantly lured away from writing by my four-year old daughter’s pleas to play a variety of imaginary games, in which she controls everything and I am forbidden to go off script (future writer?) But aside from space issues, continual distractions and the emotional tug-of-war kids can put you through; I think having children has actually made me a more efficient writer.
First off, I drink less, and so I’m hung-over less. Plus I’ve set out boundaries and a schedule, that have forced me to get things done, rather than flitting around all day without restriction. I can’t wait for inspiration to make an appearance; I have to chase it down. So I like to get up really early, get as much done as possible before my mom-guilt wins out and I put what I am working on behind me for the day.
CS: Your daughter sounds a lot like mine. It’s her Universe and she’s very clear about that. I think the only place we can control anything is in the pages of our books. Can you tell me anything about your current project? What aspect of it excites you the most?
SS: My new project is another suspense novel. I don’t want to say too much about it at this point other than it takes place at a wellness retreat, and involves psychotropic tea and murder. It is the most intricately plotted thing I’ve ever attempted and so I’m excited to find out if all those jigsaw puzzles will pay off!
CS: It sounds riveting and I can’t wait to read it! I really appreciate you answering all of my questions. I know you are a busy woman. It’s always so fascinating to me when I get a chance to look inside another writer’s world. Thank you for sharing yours with me.
SS: And thank you for the interview! It’s been such an honor.
Follow Sherri Smith online on Facebook, Twitter, and her website. Chevy Stevens can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and her website.
Interview with Sherri Smith + #DebBallGiveaway of FOLLOW ME DOWNMARCH 25, 2017 | JENNI L. WALSH
Today on the Debutante Ball, I’m excited to welcome a fellow Tor/Forge novelist, Sherri Smith, whose book, FOLLOW ME DOWN, is a rare find: a gutsy, visceral, and beautifully crafted psychological thriller that will keep you guessing right up to the ending. Here’s what it’s all about:
Mia Haas has built her life far from the North Dakota town where she grew up, but when she receives word that her twin brother is missing, she is forced to return home. Back to the people she left behind, the person she used to be, and the secrets she thought she’d buried.
Once hailed as the golden boy of their town, and now a popular high school teacher, Lucas Haas disappears the same day the body of one of his students is pulled from the river. Trying to wrap her head around the rumors of Lucas’s affair with the teen, and unable to reconcile the media’s portrayal of Lucas as a murderer with her own memories of him, Mia is desperate to find another suspect.
All the while, she wonders: If he’s innocent, why did he run?
As Mia reevaluates their difficult, shared history and launches her own investigation into the grisly murder, she uncovers secrets that could exonerate Lucas—or seal his fate. In a small town where everyone’s lives are intertwined, Mia must confront her own demons if she wants to get out alive.
FOLLOW ME DOWN just released a few days ago, March 21st, and it sounds killer. Kate Moretti, New York Times bestselling author of The Vanishing Year, seems to agree, claiming the novel is a, “Whip smart exploration of how well we know anyone in our lives, even a twin brother. The plot was engrossing, Mia was compelling, and the small town made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. You’ll flip the pages long into the night to find out what happened to Lucas, but you’ll never guess the explosive ending!”
I’m happy to say, we’ve got a hardcover to giveaway! To enter to win a copy, simply retweet on twitter:
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The Debutante Ball @DebutanteBall
RT to Enter! Interview w/ @SL_Smith_ + #DebBallGiveaway of FOLLOW ME DOWN http://www.thedebutanteball.com/interview-with-sherri-smith-debballgiveaway-of-follow-me-down/ …
7:00 AM - Mar 25, 2017
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Or share our post from Facebook. We will select and contact the very lucky winner on Friday, March 31st at noon (US Only).
Now, on to the interview!
Talk about one thing that’s making you happy right now.
I have a four-year-old daughter and seven-month-old son, and so while the days are long and all that, they always manage to do something to make me laugh and feel genuine awe. These ample nuggets of happiness definitely make it all worth it.
Jenni: I love this, and as someone with a three-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son, I can totally relate! As “they” say, “the days are long but the years are short.”
If you were a drink (preferably alcoholic), what would you be and why?
I would be something cheap, unpretentious, but with a high alcoholic content. Not the most palatable but it would get the job done. Bud Light Platinum most likely. Room temperature. It’s just how I roll.
Jenni: As other “they” say, “you do you.” In college, I used to pop a straw into my beer. Only way I used to roll 🙂
What three things would you want with you if stranded on a desert island?
A detailed book on survival (because I am practical like that,) Frank’s hot sauce (how else can one be expected to survive on insects?) and hmm….a fully stocked TIKI bar because, you might as well enjoy the deserted island.
Jenni: If I’m ever stuck on an island, I hope it’s with you. It sounds like you have excellent survival skills.
Do you have any phobias?
Being stranded without a fully stocked tiki bar.
Jenni: HA!
What’s your next big thing?
I am currently writing another suspense novel. I don’t want to say too much about it at this point other than it takes place at a wellness retreat, involves psychotropic tea and murder.
Jenni: Tease.
Thanks so much for joining us, Sherri! And congratulations on your very recent book birthday for FOLLOW ME DOWN, which, ahem, released March 21st from Tor/Forge!
When not writing, Sherri Smith spends time with her family and two rescue dogs, and restores vintage furniture that would otherwise be destined for the dump. She lives in Winnipeg, Canada, where the long, cold winters nurture her dark side. For more information about Sherri and FOLLOW ME DOWN, please visit www.sherri-smith.com. You can also catch Sherri on Twitter and Facebook!
Follow Me Down
Karen Keefe
Booklist.
113.11 (Feb. 1, 2017): p25.
COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Full Text:
Follow Me Down.
By Sherri Smith.
Mar. 2017. 352p. Forge, $24.99 (9780765386700).
In Smith's debut thriller, Mia Haas returns to North Dakota when she learns that her twin brother is wanted by the
police for murdering one of his female students. Mias life as a pharmacist in Chicago is not without its stresses, but it's
nothing like being back in her hometown, where she is haunted by a mentally unstable mother now institutionalized
after an accident, a father she never knew, and a police department she has long distrusted. Her current demons are the
pills she's stolen from work and keeps in a secret bag at the bottom of her purse. As Mia tries to prove her brother's
innocence, she must learn about the victim--a popular teen with an overbearing "dance mom" and a drug-dealing,
dropout boyfriend. Some of her information comes from the same guidance counselor Mia had a crush on when she
was a student. Though the hidden relationships between some of the characters are revealed a little too perfunctorily in
the book's last chapters, this fast-moving domestic thriller will satisfy readers of contemporary suspense.--Karen Keefe
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
Keefe, Karen. "Follow Me Down." Booklist, 1 Feb. 2017, p. 25. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA481244784&it=r&asid=5cbd09312965e497f3973af70e661326.
Accessed 13 Aug. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A481244784
8/13/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1502649252276 2/2
Follow Me Down
Publishers Weekly.
263.48 (Nov. 28, 2016): p44.
COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Follow Me Down
Sherri Smith. Forge, $24.99 (352p) ISBN 9780-7653-8670-0
At the start of Smith's compelling first novel, John Pruden, the police chief of Wayoata, N.Dak., phones Mia Hass, a
Chicago-based pharmacist with a dependence on pills, to ask whether she's heard recently from her twin brother,
Lucas. Pruden, who says he's missing, urges Mia to return to Wayoata, her hometown, where she learns that Lucas, a
high school teacher, has become the prime suspect in the murder of one of his students. The town residents are all
against him, and the inept local police are all too willing to treat the faintest circumstantial evidence as if it were solid
proof in what they consider an open-and-shut case. Only Mia is sure of her brother's innocence. To discover what really
happened, she must descend into the narrow-minded hypocrisy of the small town she hoped to leave behind her and
come to grips with her problematic relationship with her alcoholic, brain-damaged mother. When we think things
cannot get worse, they do. Against all odds, Mia fiercely pursues the truth in this unsettling crime thriller.
Agent: Beth Phelan, Bent Agency. (Mar.)
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
"Follow Me Down." Publishers Weekly, 28 Nov. 2016, p. 44. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA473149882&it=r&asid=05b40dd72c2d24d646d32e6c691f541f.
Accessed 13 Aug. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A473149882
[REVIEW + AUTHOR INTERVIEW] Follow Me Down by Sherri SmithMARCH 22, 2017 | MIKAELA @ THE WELL-THUMBED READER
Follow Me Down
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Adult
Series: None
Rating: 4 STARS
Description:
Mia Haas has built a life for herself far from the North Dakota town where she grew up, but when she receives word that her twin brother is missing, she’s forced to return home. Once hailed as the golden boy of their small town, Lucas Haas disappeared the same day the body of one of his high school students is pulled from the river. Trying to wrap her head around the rumors of Lucas’s affair with the teen, and unable to reconcile the media’s portrayal of Lucas as a murderer with her own memories of him, Mia is desperate to find another suspect.
All the while, she wonders, if he’s innocent, why did he run?
As Mia reevaluates their difficult, shared history and launches her own investigation into the grisly murder, she uncovers secrets that could exonerate Lucas—or seal his fate. In a small town where everyone’s history is intertwined, Mia will be forced to confront her own demons, placing her right in the killer’s crosshairs.
Follow Me Down is a rare find—a gutsy, visceral, and beautifully crafted psychological thriller.
My Thoughts:
“My first thought was my mother had started another fire.”
Nothing is better than reading a book that lives up to its gorgeous cover (LOOK AT IT. IT’S SO PRETTY). I am jealous of anyone who manages to get a hold of a physical copy of this book, since I only got an e-ARC. But I’m so glad that I received this one through Netgalley, because it was oh so good.
(Also, stay tuned! I got the opportunity to interview the author, and it will be below the review!)
I was definitely pulled into requesting this one because of the synopsis, and I’m so glad to say that it definitely delivered. I’m a huge fan of thrillers in which the main character used to live in a small town, and has no choice but to go back to the bad memories to solve a conflict, and this one definitely reminded me of why I’m such a huge fan of them. If you were a big fan of Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, you’ll probably fall in love with this one like I did.
The pacing of this book was A+. Once I started this book, I could barely put it down, especially near the halfway point where we kept discovering new things and clues kept popping up and I just absolutely needed to know what was going to happen next. Personally, I thought this book was pretty much perfectly-paced, and a fantastic balance between being extremely tense, but slowing it down when it was necessary. I thought the way that the entire case unfolded was quite realistic, especially regarding the police work (even though that 100% frustrated me to death that the police wouldn’t listen to Mia, I swear to God). Not to mention that I was completely mislead about where this book was going, and it’s always a mark in my book when a thriller can truly surprise me.
The main character of this novel is Mia Haas, who was quite interesting. Usually, I’m not one to care too much about characters in thrillers, but who can resist a pharmacist who’s addicted to pills herself? I also really loved the relationships between her and her family, which was a great way to build character. Even though Lucas isn’t in the book too much, I definitely got that sort of twin bond between the two of them, and you could definitely feel the love that she had for her brother, which was what made her complex feelings towards the case so real. And we also get to see the complicated relationship between Mia and her mother growing up, and even in the present, which I really loved. A lot of relationships get explored often in thrillers – married couples, parents and their children, best friends, even siblings – but I’ve rarely seen such a huge focus on characters and their parents, and I really enjoyed it and thought it included a pretty interesting perspective.
Overall, if the premise interests you and you love small towns with big secrets, you should 100% read this book!
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I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley. A huge thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Sherri Smith for granting me a copy!
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And now, for what you guys were waiting for! I got the opportunity to interview Sherri Smith for my blog, and it was so much fun (and my first ever author interview eep!)! She’s such a sweetheart, and I really enjoyed reading her answers, so I hope you enjoy the interview!
1. What made you want to write your first psychological thriller since your other published books are in different genres?
It was really a combination of things. I love reading about history, but when writing historical fiction I was getting snagged on the details too much. The research was grueling and I was way too preoccupied with getting the historical time period just right and writing quickly became too stifling and clinical for me. I’d get too panicky about all the wrong things and realized I was avoiding the story I’d been working on at the time and I knew it was time to move on. I wasn’t happy doing it.
As well, both of my historical fiction novels are a tad on the dark side, especially the second one, and they weren’t exactly fitting in with the expectations of the genre. So I’d been heading in this direction long before I realized it.
2. Following up with the first question: were there any particular books that inspired you to write this one?
Well, I was reading Laura Lippman’s Every Secret Thing when I had this ground-shifting revelation about my writing. I just fell in love with it. I knew this was what I wanted to be doing.
From there I read as much as possible in the genre. Gillian Flynn is also a major influence. I’m in awe of her novels, they just get everything right. Same as Tana French, Mo Hayder, Karin Slaughter and Chevy Stevens.
3. Small towns with a lot of secrets are becoming a sort of trend in thrillers that I’m really enjoying! How did you make your small town different than other thrillers’ small towns, and were there any books that inspired yours?
Good question! First, the city I live in is unique in the way that we don’t have a thriving downtown area. This is probably because we have long, killer winters with ice-slick roads, blistering windchills and snow-drifts so high that turning into traffic is a blind-gamble with your life. And so, this makes going too far out of the zone one lives in, well, unappealing. Don’t get me wrong, we’re a hardy people, we do go for leisure walks in blizzards, but just in our own areas, so we can make it back home via sheer muscle memory if necessary. Anyway, this all plays into the feel of living in a very small town. So it’s certainly a setting I am familiar with.
As well, like you, I just love small town settings. The town in Sharp Objects was a huge inspiration; it was so recognizable to me. As well the small-town settings in Stephen King’s novels where you think you know everyone, because you see them every day. You get a little too comfortable with the people around you, that they won’t spill out of the box you expect them to stay in and when they do, it makes it all the more terrifying.
4. I though this book was quite dark, and I’ve always been a fan of dark thrillers. Was there anything special you had to do to write from such a dark place?
Not really. I think I just naturally lean that way. Maybe it’s an urge to make the incomprehensible, comprehensible.
5. Mia is quite the interesting character, and I loved following her story. What was it like getting into the headspace of Mia, especially with what she’s dealing with?
Thank-you! Going into Mia’s head wasn’t always easy. Sometimes I wished she’d share a few of her pills with me, to smooth out the ride, but I think with writing any character you just have to find the threads that connect with you. I have two brothers. Again the small town thing was familiar. I certainly share Mia’s sense of humor, especially how it buoys up when she’s feeling particularly low. I’m a laugh while you cry sort of person too. So I sort of took those commonalities and went from there. And while I wouldn’t necessarily do much of what she did in the book, her actions made sense to me.
6. I’ve always been fascinated by how authors come up with their ideas for their books. How did you get the idea for this novel?
Follow Me Down started with an image of a semi-rundown apartment block with a rusty look pool in the back. There’s a teen girl in the pool, floating on an air mattress. She has that look girls this age can have, a kind of mournful sadness. I kept wondering, who is this girl? Why is she so sad? Who did she lose? Does she belong there or not? From there, a plot and characters eventually swirled together in the right way.
7. I’ve always wanted to ask this question to an author of a thriller novel: Did the mystery and the conclusion of said mystery unfold in the final version of the novel like it did in the first draft, if there was one? Did anything change?
The ending kind of revealed itself through multiple drafts. While this might sound artsy, it’s not. I had a slew of competing ideas (because I am a really indecisive writer) of where I wanted it to go and one just simply won out. So things definitely kept changing as I wrote.
8. I found it really interesting how this book focused so heavily on mothers. What influenced the broken relationships between some of the characters and their mothers?
Such a good question! Having a bad parent can set you up for a certain level of adult misery. Or so I say, because I am an armchair psychologist and it seems like a given truth. Anyway, I am overly preoccupied with being a good mother in real life that it borders on neurotic, and so maybe it was a covert away to air out my anxieties of being a bad one.
As well, just like in real life, you only really feel like you know someone if you know a bit about their history. Why they act the way they do, how they acquired their worldview and so on. I wanted that level intimacy to be there with Mia. I wanted you to feel like you knew her, the way Lucas might have, and that way you would better sympathize with her journey.
9. Expanding more on the previous question (and because it was just so interesting), what was writing the relationship between Joanna and Kathy like?
It was a bit like taking an outsider’s view of Mia and Mimi’s relationship. It was that kind of mother-daughter relationship people would heavily suspect was off in some way, but wouldn’t challenge it because they didn’t know for sure. Is this mother just really, enthusiastically supportive of her daughter or is she controlling? I think we’ve all encountered these kinds of relationships that make us suspicious of something we can’t exactly put a finger on.
10. I see you’ve written two historical fiction novels. How different was it writing a thriller rather than a historical fiction novel, or were there no differences at all?
There was certainly far less research! I actually went out of my way to not research anything for Follow Me Down because I was so totally research-fatigued from my historical fiction novels.
There wasn’t much difference in trying to create good, strong characters because I think that’s every author’s approach, but coming up with a twisty plot was very different and one of my favorite parts. I love the puzzle aspect of trying to pull it all tighter and when it clicked, it was the best feeling!
11. What are some of your favorite authors that inspire you?
There are so many authors who inspire me. Honestly I could go on for days. Books are my life’s playlist, which author, what book I was obsessed with at any given time reflects a lot of what I was feeling in that period. But now, today, those obsessions are Gillian Flynn, Laura Lippman, Meg Abbott, Mo Hayder, Alex Marwood, Chevy Stevens, Hilary Davidson, Stephen King (always,) Gilly MacMillan. There’s more, but I’ll stop here.
12. Any books that you’d highly recommend everyone must read?
Well I’d have to split it into categories to a do a good job of it. Such as, top recommended book to give you night terrors? The Silence of the Lambs.
Recommended magical realist book? One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Recommended unlikable characters with a cool plot twist? Nick and Amy in Gone Girl.
Recommended unreliable narrator? Briony in Ian McEwan’s Atonement.
Recommended book with a clown? It by Stephen King
Recommended long-suffering artist biography? The Tragic Honest: The Life and Works of Richard Yates.
Recommended graphic novel? I don’t know, but I am loving iZombie on Netflix right now!
See? This could go late into the night, so I should probably stop now.
BOOK REVIEW: FOLLOW ME DOWN BY SHERRI SMITH
NATALIE XENOSAPRIL 13, 2017
BOOK REVIEWSBOOKSFEATURED
Shady small town politics and dark family relationships run rife in Sherri Smith’s absorbing crime thriller, Follow Me Down. Filled with flawed characters, dangerous secrets and clever twists, it’s a deliciously dark novel that hits the ground running and never lets up.
Mia Haas has built a new life for herself in Chicago, escaping the small mindedness of the North Dakota hometown she grew up in. When she gets a muffled call from her twin brother, Lucas, she assumes it’s a simple case of pocket dial. But then she discovers that Lucas went missing on the same day that the body of one of his students was pulled from the river, and Mia is forced to return home.
Suspected of having had an illicit relationship with his underage student, once-Golden Boy Lucas becomes the prime suspect in the murder case. Of course, Mia doesn’t believe that her brother would get involved with a student, let alone be capable of killing someone, and she begins her own investigation into why and how her brother disappeared, and who else in the town could be involved.
The investigation hinges on the question, ‘if Lucas is innocent, why did he run?’, and it’s a valid point that plagues Mia throughout. She has to contend with an entire town that already believes her brother is guilty of multiple crimes. The more Mia digs though, the more secrets and potential leads are unveiled, giving plenty of people motive for murder.
The problem is, Mia herself isn’t the most reliable of protagonists. Going back to her hometown causes her to lapse into a long-standing prescription drug addiction, which means her mind is always in a semi-fog. With nobody taking her claims of a smokescreen seriously, Mia spirals further into her habit as she tries to link her own memories of Lucas with the despicable image the media, police and public have painted of him.
Gritty, unpredictable and unnerving, Follow Me Down is a Gillian Flynn style novel that feels like one long tangle of secrets, deceit and complex twists. Smith peppers the story with dark humour and the strong brother-sister bond at the heart of the plot ensures that Mia is an endearingly loyal character despite her erratic and slightly hysterical personality. At various points in the novel, almost every single character seems suspicious and capable of committing a serious crime, and the excitement comes from trying to figure out what really happened.
If this is Sherri Smith’s first thriller, I can’t wait to read the next one.
★★★★
Follow Me Down was published by Titan Books on 21 March 2017
Follow Me Down by Sherri Smith
Follow Me Down by Sherri Smith
Category: Thrillers
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Zoe Morris
Reviewed by Zoe Morris
Summary: One twin missing, one twin trying to put the puzzle pieces back together, this is an unusual small town thriller.
Buy? Yes Borrow? Yes
Pages: 400 Date: March 2017
Publisher: Titan Books
ISBN: 978-1785654046
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Mia is done with the small town she grew up in, but it only takes one phone call to bring her back. Her twin brother Lucas is missing and, worse still, has been implicated in the death of one of his students. Without him there to speak for himself it becomes her job to defend his reputation while trying to get to the bottom of everything that has gone on.
Psychological thrillers are having a moment, and this has all the ingredients for a winner with an intriguing, keep-you-guessing plot full of dark moments, revelations and secrets. We follow Mia as she tries to figure everything out and convince herself of her brother's innocence in the process, because whatever else is said, a girl is dead and someone, somewhere knows what happened. Moreover, someone knows who this girl is and why her relationship with Lucas goes further than just teacher and pupil.
This story is set over consecutive days as the Police search, and Mia's own investigations, progress. Even if there were such a thing as a simple whodunit, this is not it and Mia's digging opens old family wounds that she had fought long and hard to forget. It is also a story about how manipulative teenage girls can be and the trauma this can cause, and the drama that comes from living in a small town where everyone knows everyone…or do they?
I hate to say this because I enjoyed the plot and the characters but something about the writing, about the voice, was a little off for me. I found it hard to get into initially and even when I did the voices grated a little. It's not because they're American – I read enough US fiction to be used to this – but something about the language didn't comfort me. One chapter begins Wayoata's skate park was a run-down little embedded bowl not far from a grazing pasture – descriptive enough and yet not easily painting a picture in my mind. For this reason I've docked a star, but would still say the book is well worth a look.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending us a copy to review. The Ice Twins by SK Tremayne is another twin-themed thriller that is highly recommended.