Jeffery Deaver: The Bone Collector, James Bond, Favorite Books, A New Colter Shaw and More…

Exclusive interview by Karen Beishuizen

Jeffery Deaver is a Bestselling Author of Suspense Novels with great characters: Lincoln Rhyme, Kathryn Dance and Colter Shaw. His book The Bone Collector was made into a movie with Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. The latest Colter Shaw will be published in November. Check out “Scheme” on Amazon Original Stories written by Jeff.

KB: What were your favorite books as a kid and did this inspire you to become a writer?

I liked action/adventure/crime novels and stories—Ian Fleming, Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Eric Ambler, John D. MacDonald, Raymond Chandler, and the like. And, yes, they all inspired me to try my hand at writing suspense fiction

KB: You started working as a journalist, then as a lawyer and now a writer: There is a logic in this as all 3 professions involve writing?

Very observant! Yes, exactly. All are about communication between one person and others and being as clear and concise as you can. In addition, being a journalist taught me how to write very economically and precisely and to research. And being a lawyer taught me how to be organized. Those two skills are very helpful for a novelist.

KB: I read that From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming is one of your favorite books?

Yes. I read it when I was young (the original Bond books were completely appropriate for that age). It had action, great characters and exotic locations. It was also a bit daring, as we didn’t get to our hero until we were sixty pages in. I found that quite innovative for genre fiction

KB: Your 1995 novel A Maiden’s Grave was made into a movie with James Garner called “Dead Silence”: Have you seen the movie and did it do your book justice?

Yes, I saw the film and thought they did a great job (it was an HBO production). I actually went to the set. They were quite kind to the author, but, in truth, I was bored. Movies are very painstaking projects. I went back to my hotel and worked on my next novel.

KB: Your first Lincoln Rhyme novel The Bone Collector was made into that big movie with Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie: Did you have anything to say about the screenplay and did the movie do your book justice?

I saw this too and thought they did a great job. No, I wasn’t involved. Nor did I want to be. I love movies, but as my answer above suggests, I don’t have any interest in making them myself.

KB: Ian Fleming Publications chose you to write a new James Bond novel which was published in 2011: Carte Blanche …. How long did it take you to write it and why did you turn James Bond into a modern guy who was born in the 1979?

It took my about a year to write the book, as it does all of mine (though I’m working other novels and stories at the same time). I set Bond in the present because I wanted younger audiences to experience him fresh, as I had when I was a teenager.

KB: Have you ever considered writing in a different genre? Maybe Sci-Fi or Romance?

I do original horror stories for Audible. But that’s about it. You need to be a reader of the genre your working in, and while I read some occult books when I was young, I didn’t read any other category of fiction

KB: Will there be a new Rune, John Pellam, Kathryn Dance novel?

Probably not Rune; she’s a product of the 1980s. John Pellam has been reincarnated as Colter Shaw, so I won’t be returning to John. And I probably will write a Kathryn Dance at some point. She has a good fan base but isn’t as popular as my other characters.

KB: If you could make a top 7 of your favorite books (Not your own): which books would you pick and why?

From Russia With Love – Ian Fleming: for the reasons I mention above.
Lord Of The Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien: The author created a consuming universe of a story.
The Long Blue Goodbye – John D. MacDonald: A classic novel featuring the loner hero.
Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy – John le Carre: the best novel of espionage and government intrigue every written.
Day Of The Jackal – Frederic Forsyth: The definition of page turner, even though we know the assassin did not, in the end kill, his real-life target.
Silence Of The Lambs – Thomas Harris: A great story but what made it unique was the author’s soaring literary style.
Humboldt’s Gift – Saul Bellow: I enjoy literary fiction, too, and Bellow was one of the greatest American writers who ever lived.

KB: Your last novels were released in 2021: The Final Twist (Colter Shaw) and The Midnight Lock (Lincoln Rhyme). I read and loved these ! …. Are you currently writing and what will be next?

My latest Colter Shaw, Hunting Time, will be out in the fall of this year. I’m writing a new Lincoln Rhyme for 2023. Also I write long stories for Amazon Original Stories. The current one just came out: Scheme. There will be another in the fall.

Check out Jeffery’s website: HERE
Find Jeffery on Facebook: HERE