Jaipur Literature Fest: AJ Finn’s journey to the bestsellers

Here’s a book so grippingly written that Stephen King emailed the author, asking if he’d like a quote for it. And, Fox called up the author, when he was at a US airport (“good things happen in airports!”), with an offer he couldn’t refuse.


‘

Woman

in the Window’ has become a million seller many times over, and is now being made into a movie. But Daniel Mallory — or, to give him the name the world knows him by, A J Finn – is keeping his feet firmly on the ground.

As amiable as he was witty, Finn made for good company, in conversation with Amrita Tripathi, in the afternoon session on Day 1 of JLF 2019.

He admitted that Anna Fox, the psychologist protagonist of his thriller, isn’t “easy” company. “I wasn’t eager to stick around with her – I’m done with her!” But because the action in ‘Woman in the Window’ takes place inside Anna’s head, the challenge for Finn was to make her as interesting as possible. “And it’s tough to keep the action moving when it is confined to between the four walls.”

However, the next book, also a psychological thriller, will not be set in an enclosed space. “The characters set foot outside, which is a refreshing change!”

Because he has written convincingly of Anna Fox, many have mistaken Finn for a woman. But having a mom who could “kick ass” helped. “Writing from a woman’s perspective wasn’t as difficult as I had expected. I thought about my mother and my sisters, and how they are with me – I listened to their voices and blended them with my own.”

Amy Adams was Finn’s wish to play the part of Anna Fox, in the movie adaptation of ‘Woman in the Window’. Another wish of his is to see Indian writers of commercial fiction enjoy international success. And, the next time he’s in India, he might bring over his dog, Ike (a female, despite the name). “I don’t love her

flatulence

but I’ve dated worse!”