When I got the invitation to interview Melissa Larsen for her upcoming release, Shutter, I couldn’t respond fast enough. I loved the cover and the synopsis sounded exactly like my sort of thing.
Before we get to Melissa’s answers, let’s check out the book!
Title: Shutter
Author: Melissa Larsen
Pages: 362
Pub Date: June 15, 2021
Publisher: Berkley
Find it: PRH | Indiebound | Bookshop | GoodreadsA young woman agrees to star in a filmmaker’s latest project, but soon realizes the movie is not what she expected in this chilling debut novel.
In the wake of her father’s death, Betty Roux doesn’t allow herself to mourn. Instead, she pushes away her mother, breaks up with her boyfriend, and leaves everything behind to move to New York City. She doesn’t know what she wants, except to run.
When she’s offered the chance to play the leading role in mysterious indie filmmaker Anthony Marino’s new project, she jumps at the opportunity. For a month Betty will live in a cabin on a private island off the coast of Maine, with a five-person cast and crew. Her mother warns against it, but Betty is too drawn to the charismatic Anthony to say no.
Anthony gives her a new identity—Lola—and Betty tells herself that this is exactly what she’s been looking for. The chance to reinvent herself. That is, until they begin filming and she meets Sammy, the island’s caretaker, and Betty realizes just how little she knows about the movie and its director.
Sounds good, right?
1. Please give the elevator pitch for Shutter.
A young woman agrees to star in a mysterious filmmaker’s latest project—a film in which the lines of reality and film are blurred—but he won’t tell her what it’s about. There’s no script. She just has to trust him.
2. Which came first: the characters or the plot line?
Definitely the characters! I had written another novel with Anthony as the narrator, obsessed with this woman named Lola. After finishing that novel, I realized with not a small amount of panic that it had no plot or intrigue or anything that would make it suitable for others to read, and so I took the only parts of it that I loved (Lola and Anthony), put the rest away in a metaphorical drawer (a folder in my computer that I haven’t looked at since!), and gave Lola her own story. The plot came really quickly after I decided to write from Betty (Lola)’s perspective, though!
3. Why do you love Betty and why should readers root for her?
I love Betty because she’s got her own unique, quiet strength. She’s vulnerable beyond belief—she’s still reeling from her father’s death, she is in a new city staying with an old friend she isn’t close with, and now she’s agreed to star in a role that requires her to relinquish the last shreds of her independence—but she’s tough. Readers should root for her because she’s trying to find her voice, to figure out who she is and defend herself all at the same time.
4. Were there any weird things you googled while researching?
Cameras. So many cameras. I worry that I’m now on a list because I spent so long searching for videos of “night vision” cameras—and wrestling matches!
5. Without spoilers, which scene was your favorite to write?
Chapter 4! The dog park chapter, when Betty is in charge of Peaches the Pomeranian and Forsythe the “old man dog” because I got to spend time with two imaginary (and perfect) dogs, but also because I got to write Betty’s mom, who I adore. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I won’t explain this sentiment, but that was one of the most heartbreaking and infuriating scenes for me to write.
Also, all the fight scenes. Verbal or otherwise.
Speed(ish) round:
1. You find out you’re being published for the first time. Describe the next 5 minutes.
Here’s what I remember: hyperventilating, calling my dad, hearing his triumphant shout, me saying “wow” about fifty times in a row. The rest is gone in a happy haze.
2. What 3 things would you take to a desert island?
The part of me that has watched Survivor wants to say a machete, flint, and some kind of tarp, but really I would want a comfortable mattress, a Satellite phone, and my kindle. And sunscreen. And that machete. And some family/friends. I am clearly not going to survive on that deserted island.
3. You can only read one book for the rest of your life. What is it?
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I’ll spend the rest of my days in Manderley!
4. What is the one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?
Reaching a certain goal will never change who you are fundamentally. This is a lesson I keep learning—it’s hard not to think “If I do this, then I will be happy/different/whatever.” Publishing my book has been a life-changing experience, for sure, but I’m still me. (And for that I’m glad!)
5. You wake up and discover that you are Bella in Twilight. You know how it plays out. What do you do differently?
I love the Pacific Northwest so I’d continue on for a bit, enjoy the move to Forks, flirt with Edward, whatever, try not to die from clumsiness, then I’d host an intervention for the Cullen family. Why are they posing as high school students? More importantly, why are they posing as an incestuous foster family, in which the siblings are all dating each other? Couldn’t they just…do anything else? Couldn’t they/don’t they own acres of land where they could create a fun commune for themselves? I’m seeing this become a vampire cult story in the wilds of the PNW and I want to read this right now.
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Melissa Larsen has an M.F.A. from Columbia University and a B.A. from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. She has interned and worked extensively in publishing.
She lives in San Francisco, and Shutter is her first novel.
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Huge thanks to Berkley for the invite and to Melissa for taking the time. Shutter is out now and the buy links are above.
Do you read thrillers? Have you read this one?
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