Still Water
Page 26
“I guess so,” Clare says.
“Be careful. That’s all I can say. This one seems messy. You don’t know what you’re going to find. You’re peering down a dark well.”
“I know.”
“Well, not sure you want any help, but you know where to reach me.” Somers casts Clare a sidelong glance. “I saw an old police report in the file Rourke had on you. Domestic. You filed charges against your husband and then you dropped them.”
“I declined to testify,” Clare says.
“Right. So what about him?”
“My ex? What about him?”
“Do you think he’ll come after you?”
“He’d better not.” It’s all Clare can say. “I’m tired of it. Tired of running.”
“I imagine it would get tiring after a while.”
They sit in silence, Clare aware of Somers’s gun on the bench between them. Somers fishes her cell phone from her jacket and lowers her gaze to read an incoming message. She jots a quick reply and stands.
“You have my card.”
“I do,” Clare says.
“If you get into any trouble . . . if you need any help. Any help at all. You know?”
“I know,” Clare says. “Thank you.”
The rising sun forms a halo behind Somers’s head. Whatever this is, Clare thinks, this new footing between them, it feels something like friendship. Somers turns and walks briskly down the path, cell phone in hand. As Clare watches her disappear back over the rise, she slides her hand under her shirt and rests it on her shoulder. Though her skin is warm under her palm, it no longer aches when she presses her fingertips into the scar.
Somewhere along the line, Clare realizes, she stopped counting the days since she left Jason. She now counts the days since she met Malcolm. Since he came searching for her. The days since he arrived in that coffee shop, clean-cut and well dressed, briefcase in hand, his own secrets buried deep under that stoic and inscrutable guise.
Forty-seven. Forty-seven days.
Clare grips the thumb drive that Somers gave her tight in her fist. She will walk the few miles back to the motel and get started on her search for Malcolm. There is much work ahead. She needs a plan. She needs a place to begin.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
MUCH IS written on the wild and often difficult experience of writing a sophomore book. My own journey to finishing Still Water included suffering a concussion at the midway point. This muddled me and made me draw even more on help from my incredible group of family, friends, and colleagues. I am grateful to be here, this book in hand, my brain intact, knowing the path was paved by the support of so many of you.
I’d like to begin by saying thank you to my fellow educators. I have worked as a teacher and guidance counselor for over fifteen years, and I understand that for all its rewards, teaching is sometimes a lonely and difficult gig. In my life I have been lucky to have had many excellent teachers and I would like to name them here. In the early years: Eugene Di Sante, Barbara Terpstra, Glenda Romano, Janice Fricker, Jennifer Walcott, and Gerry Lazare. In university and beyond: Lesley Shore, Sioux Browning, Alistair MacLeod, Glen Huser, Michael Winter, and Lisa Moore. To all my fellow educators in Toronto and beyond, and especially to the Alt9 family, including Sally Sinclair, Lee Sheppard, Jeff Kozopas, Cassandra Kirchmeir Gitt, Tamara Nedd-Roderique, Geraldine Diamond, Michelle Hadida, Alcidia Cabral, Grant Fawthrop, Mike Gurgol, Andrea Parise, Anna Gemmiti, Jeff Caton, and to all my amazing students at WEA with love and thanks. To the hardworking teachers who encourage my sons every day on their own learning lives: I am grateful for everything you do. In particular I would like to acknowledge and thank my high school English teacher David Reed, a true great who inspired me not only to write from the bones but also to try to be an educator worthy of every student who enters my classroom.
To the incredible teams at Simon & Schuster Canada and Touchstone Books; watching Still Mine launch into the world really showed me the magic you are capable of. To Kevin Hanson, Patricia Ocampo, Sarah St. Pierre, Amy Prentice, Adria Iwasutiak, Felicia Quon, Brendan May, Catherine Whiteside, Siobhan Doody, Lauren Morocco, Jessica Scott, David Millar, and the wonderful sales, publicity, and marketing teams, with many thanks. A special thank-you to my American editor, Tara Parsons, for championing the books so fiercely, and to the singular and incredible Nita Pronovost, a truly gifted editor who knows how to push and encourage in equal measure.
To the team at the newly minted CookeMcDermid, especially my wonderful agent Chris Bucci, as well as Martha Webb, Monica Pacheco, and Anne McDermid. To booksellers across Canada and the U.S. for placing me on their shelves and for everything they do for writers once the books leave our hands. We owe every reader to you.
The greatest support has come from the people around me every day as I wrote. To my parents, Dick and Marilyn, my sisters, Katie Flynn and Bridget Flynn, and my sister-in-law, Beth Boyden, as well as to Mark McQuillan, Chris Van Dyke, Jamie Boyden, and Tim Stuart and Anne Wright, with all my thanks. To all the Flynns, Keefes, Boydens, Carraghers, Browns, Stuarts, Manuels, Wrights, Van Dykes, McQuillans, Bradleys, Wilsons, and beyond who shouted from the rooftops when Still Mine was released and have bugged me in the best ways to finish its sequel. To my nieces and nephews: Jack Boyden, Charlotte Boyden, Jed Van Dyke, Stuart Boyden, Peter McQuillan, Margot Van Dyke, Luke Boyden, Sean McQuillan, and Owen McQuillan with lots of love.
To the women in my life who keep me buoyed: Elisa Schwarz, Kendall Anderson, Deanna Wong, Allyson Payne, Mariska Gatha, Sarah Faber, Jenna King, Tara Samuel, Aviva Armour-Ostroff, Allison Devereaux, and Claire Tacon. To my friends-who-are-like-family who help us in the crazed logistics of everyday life, especially Hollis Hopkins, Doug Stewart, Darcy Killeen, Kirsten White, and all the Sharks and Titans parents and players who make being in a rink late on a Friday or early on a Sunday pretty fun. To my fellow coaches Ian Clapp, Carlo Caravaggio, Fausto Presta, and Caroline Godfrey for making my third job on the hockey bench my favorite gig of all. To my aunt Mary Flynn for being “My Mary” to our boys and caring for them with so much patience and love.
Above all, to Ian, for never wavering even when I did, and for living your life with remarkable kindness and good humor. To Flynn, Joey, and Leo, who became my mini-publicists when Still Mine was released and who fill my days with joy and craziness. Every day I think of how proud Sue would be of you. Of all of us, I hope.
Don’t miss Amy Stuart’s first chilling psychological suspense novel, Still Mine.
Download your copy today!
Still Mine
* * *
ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!
TOUCHSTONE READING GROUP GUIDE
* * *
STILL WATER
AMY STUART
How do you find the truth in a town full of secrets? Sally Proulx and her young boy have mysteriously disappeared in the stormy town of High River. Clare O’Dey is hired to track them down, hoping against all odds to find them alive. But High River isn’t your typical town.
In a town where secrets are crucial to survival, everyone is hiding something. And the police clearly have an ulterior motive beyond solving the case. Malcolm Boon, who hired Clare, knows more about her than he reveals. Their benefactor, Helen Haines, conceals a tragic family history of her own. As the truth surges through High River, Clare must face the very thing she has so desperately been running from, even if it comes at a devastating cost. Compulsively gripping and twisty, Still Water is a deep dive of a thriller that will leave you breathless.
FOR DISCUSSION
1. How does the first chapter invoke the mood for this novel? Why do you think the author opened the novel this way?
2. As Clare is assuming the identity of Sally’s friend, what does she realize about herself? How does her experience feed into this new identity?
3. How would you describe Helen and Ginny’s relationship? What is Clare’s impression of the women at High River?
4. Describe Clare’s interaction with Markus
in the bunker. Why do you think she was “grateful to be away from him at last”?
5. During the interrogation with Somers at the police station, why does Clare agree to give Somers her phone number? If you were in her shoes, would you have done the same? Why or why not?
6. When Clare meets Malcolm at Sentinel Park after not seeing him for weeks, what does she notice is different about him? How does this make you feel about Malcolm?
7. Describe Clare’s meeting with Jordan at his office. What’s your impression of Jordan? Of Philip?
8. On page 118, Raylene says, “We lie to protect ourselves,” to which Rebecca responds, “We lie to get what we want.” Which character do you agree with and why?
9. What does Clare eventually learn about her time with Malcolm at the motel?
10. After Rebecca’s confrontation with Markus about Sally, the rest of the group gather in Helen’s living room, where the characters start making certain accusations. What grievances and grudges emerge, and are you surprised by any of them?
11. Describe Clare and Grace’s reunion. Are you surprised by how it turns out?
12. Just as Clare starts to give up on the High River case and give in to her addiction, something changes her mind. What is it?
13. Janice says to Clare, “Women are capable of that. Of burying things.” Do you agree with Janice’s statement? Discuss what each female character might “bury” in this novel.
14. In the end, what does Clare plan to do? What do you think about her decision? What do you imagine will happen in the next book?
ENHANCE YOUR BOOK CLUB
1. Read (or re-read) Still Mine where Clare was first introduced to us. Discuss her character development in this novel.
2. People from Clare’s past, like Jason, her mother, and Grace, particularly their gestures and words, seem to appear in her subconscious, triggered by some external event. Discuss the imprint that some people leave on an individual. Is it possible to get rid of or to silence this imprint?
3. Consider volunteering or visiting at domestic abuse shelter in your area.
A CONVERSATION WITH AMY STUART
What kind of research was involved in writing this book? What resources did you use?
I spend time researching practical things I don’t know a lot about, like guns and police procedural work. But the most helpful research for me is reading about real-life experiences that come as close to my characters’ stories as possible. In the early stages of a book, I look at real-life cases or accounts to help me authenticate details. What I love most about the process is the unbelievable true stories you come across. Writers, especially thriller writers, often worry we are straining credulity in our plot points, but the reality is that stranger and more far-fetched things than what I write happen all the time in real life.
How did you invent your new characters in Still Water?
In writing Still Mine I learned that the best way for me to build character was to treat the first draft of the book as a sketch, an outline of their personalities. It takes me a few drafts to figure out who they truly are and what roles they play in the story. Sometimes you end up cutting or adding or merging characters after an early draft so the ones you’re left with are richer and more integral to the story. Ginny and Raylene started out as four characters, but after the first draft I fused them into two better ones. Building people from scratch isn’t easy! I’ve learned to give myself the time to do it.
Is there one character you relate to or sympathize with the most?
My favorite character in Still Water is definitely Somers. She didn’t actually appear until the second draft, but by the final stages of writing I was having so much fun with her. It was nice to create a strong woman character who exists on the outside of the story and is more of an observer. But the character I empathize with the most is still Clare. She’s the one who’s been with me since the beginning, and by the time I was done writing the second book I felt like I knew her so well. She feels real to me. She annoys me too, which is funny because I’m the one making her up!
Ginny, despite appearing young and immature, seems to be the most honest person at High River. Do you think her age factors in to her ability to speak the truth?
I’ve taught high school for many years, so it was important to me to get Ginny right and to have her reflect the smarts I see in the young people I teach. I think adults can underestimate youth in many ways, especially these days when they are often far more savvy with technology, messaging, and media than we are. I wanted Ginny to reflect that reality. She is observant and wry and angry with the adults around her for ignoring the issues plain to see, but because of her age, she is dismissed.
Water is mentioned in the title and it serves as a setting for the novel. Is there a significance to water? Why did you choose High River?
The first thing that comes to me when I’ve got a novel in mind is the setting and how it impacts the characters and the story. With Still Mine it was the remote mountains and the thin air, and in Still Water, it was the heat and the churning water of a river. The elemental nature gives me a focus in the early stages of writing. And sure enough, I’m writing the third book and I find myself fixated on fire.
The idea of truths and lies are two notions that often come up in this novel. What fascinates you about these two concepts?
The thing about truth that fascinates me the most is its subjectivity. I do an experiment with my students where we watch something together and then everyone writes down what they saw. The results are as remarkable as they are consistent; even though we all watched the same thing, we re-tell it very differently. Truths and lies are so wrapped up with our memory, our experiences, and our intentions. We might not always mean to lie, but we may still tell a version of a story that suits us more than the whole truth. That subjectivity is a gold mine for novel writers.
How did your experience writing Still Water compare to writing Still Mine?
It was surprisingly different. Still Mine was written slowly over five years as I found my legs as a writer and then worked with editors to whip it into shape. With Still Water, the process was much faster, which made it more difficult in some ways. At the same time, I felt better equipped as a writer to deal with certain issues, particularly around plot complexity. I think the biggest lesson I’ve taken into writing the third book is to not fiddle too much with the early drafts or stress about them being messy and somewhat incoherent. It takes a few drafts for a book to take meaningful shape, and two books later, I’m finally okay with that.
What draws you to the psychological thriller/suspense genre? Given the genre’s popularity, how do you make sure to stand out?
I always knew I wanted to write books that focused on character. Even though Still Mine and Still Water are thrillers, it was important to me to give the characters a lot of depth and make the books just as much about them as they are about the plot and the whodunit aspect. I hope that makes them stand out a bit.
Name a few writers who influenced your writing. Are there any recent books that caught your eye?
When I first started out, I searched for authors who were masters of plotting. Some big influences include P. D. James, Dennis Lehane, Louise Penny, and Ian Rankin. These days, I’m overwhelmed by the breadth and quality of books out there, even within the thriller genre. Some amazing writers I’ve read lately are Mary Kubica, Jennifer Egan, Louise Erdrich, Nathan Ripley, and Iain Reid.
Without giving too much away: What can readers expect in the next chapter of Clare’s journey? What else are you working on?
Right now I’m working on Clare’s next adventure. Even though I’m the one who wrote her, I’m still amazed by how far she’s come along since the first pages of Still Mine. She started out very troubled, and while that will always be part of who she is, I think readers will see her strength and determination and resilience shine through a lot more in the third book. I’m excited for that.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
©PAIGE LINDSAY
/>
Amy Stuart’s debut novel, Still Mine, was an instant national bestseller. She was nominated for the Arthur Ellis Best First Crime Novel award and was the winner of the 2011 Writers’ Union of Canada Short Prose Competition. Her writing has previously appeared in newspapers and magazines across Canada. Amy lives in Toronto with her husband and her three sons. Still Water is her second novel. Visit her at AmyStuart.ca or @AmyfStuart.
FOR MORE ON THIS AUTHOR:
Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/Amy-Stuart
MEET THE AUTHORS, WATCH VIDEOS AND MORE AT
SimonandSchuster.com
/TouchstoneBooks
@TouchstoneBooks
@TouchstoneBooks
ALSO BY AMY STUART
Still Mine
We hope you enjoyed reading this Simon & Schuster ebook.
* * *
Get a FREE ebook when you join our mailing list. Plus, get updates on new releases, deals, recommended reads, and more from Simon & Schuster. Click below to sign up and see terms and conditions.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
Already a subscriber? Provide your email again so we can register this ebook and send you more of what you like to read. You will continue to receive exclusive offers in your inbox.
Touchstone
An Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.