The following is an interview with New York Times-bestselling author Matt Goldman on the upcoming release of the mystery novel, The Murder Show, through Forge Books. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Goldman about his creative process for crafting the characters and mystery, what he hopes that readers may take away from the story’s themes, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of The Murder Show! For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you share with us about the story’s premise?
Matt Goldman: The book is about Ethan Harris, a television writer who gets too involved in a real-life murder investigation. It happens when Ethan returns home to visit his parents during The Writers Guild strike. When the strike ends, he’ll need to pitch the network the fourth season of The Murder Show, a TV crime drama he created. The ratings are sagging. If Ethan doesn’t come up with a great storyline, they’ll cancel the show. That’s where his high school friend Ro comes in. The summer after they graduated high school, their friend Ricky was killed in a hit and run. No one came forward. The crime was never solved. Ro is now a Minneapolis Police Officer, and has noticed a pattern of hit and runs like the one that killed Ricky. Problem is, they’re all out of her jurisdiction and spread over the five-state area. No other law enforcement agencies are interested in investigating. But feeling guilty over Ricky’s death, Ro is determined to go it alone. Except when Ethan returns home, she talks him into helping her under the guise that he can use the story for his show. The book is about their investigation, their friendship, and the possibility of something more than friendship.
BD: How would you describe your creative process in crafting a murder mystery? It’s always thrilling to follow a mystery as the reader, but I would imagine that crafting the narrative and staying 3 steps ahead of your reader is quite the challenge!
MG: I don’t outline. I know little when I start. I focus on characters and relationships and the story comes out of that. I couldn’t do it that way if I hadn’t worked on over 500 episodes of television. I didn’t write all 500, but I was one of the writers involved, taking an idea from a one-liner to several drafts of outlines and scripts. Eventually, I developed a sense of story. And I prefer to develop my stories from the inside out.
BD: What makes Forge Books the perfect home for this story?
MG: Forge has a rich tradition of publishing crime fiction. It’s quite satisfying to have published eight novels with them.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that Ethan and Ro’s story may connect with and impact today’s readers?
MG: The “universal” theme that emerged while writing this book—I put quotes around universal because it may just be American—is that most of us tend to look back on our high school years from a certain perspective. And that perspective may or may not be the truth. When, 22 years after graduation, Ethan and Ro reconnect with each other and a few other high school friends, the truth will be revealed over the course of the book. I think looking back on high school, which we all do, will help readers connect. The impact will come from the characters and their relationships.
BD: Are there any projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
MG: One thing I’d like to highlight is that my first four novels feature a private detective named Nils Shapiro. Fans of Nils are always asking when he’ll return. Nils is in a few chapters of The Murder Show. That storyline sets up his return. He’ll be back in his own book this December in a book called Dark Humor.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about The Murder Show and your other work?
MG: My website is mattgoldman.com. And I have a social media presence on Facebook and Instagram.
