Unveiling the Secrets Behind Meg Gardiner’s Gripping Storytelling Mastery

My conversation with the Edgar-winning novelist about the craft of writing, how she won ‘Jeopardy’ three times, why she is an “escaped lawyer,” and her crime thriller The Dark Corners of the Night.

Do you remember the clammy chill up and down your spine when you first read the Thomas Harris thriller novel The Silence of the Lambs? I do. I just experienced a similar thing when reading Meg Gardiner’s newest novel The Dark Corners of the Night. Her 15th book, the Edgar Award-winning writer recently sold the rights to Amazon to develop as a TV series.

In the weird ways of the modern world, I’ve never actually met Meg, but we’ve followed each other on social media over the years, so I feel like we’re at least virtual buddies. Her Twitter feed (@MegGardiner1) is an excellent one for writers as she regularly dispenses writerly wisdom as well as links to bizarre crimes she stumbles upon in her research.

After reading — and getting seriously spooked — by The Dark Corners of the Night, I reached out to Meg to see if she’d be up for an email AMA. She agreed. Here it is, my Q&A with best-selling author Meg Gardiner:

Scott Myers: Let me lead with this because given your background in writing award-winning crime thrillers, I can think of no better person to ask than you. Books, both fiction and nonfiction, TV, movies, documentaries, podcasts, our culture seems to be absolutely steeped in crime stories. What do you think drives this seemingly insatiable thirst for these type of stories?

Meg Gardiner: We thrill at stories of light versus darkness. We like a vicarious trip to the dark side. And we appreciate tales where right prevails and order is restored.

We like stories of transgression. Especially stories where the transgression is big and obvious — and breaking the law isn’t subtle. Crime stories are vivid, high-stakes, often told in a way that’s powerfully emotional. They also embrace the idea that morality exists. They assert that justice is worth pursuing. That wrongs should be righted, or at least reckoned with. People hunger for that.

Scott: You received a B.A. in Economics from Stanford, then a law degree from Stanford as well, and practiced for awhile in Los Angeles. Since you’ve been a writer full-time for…