In His Wake, Chad Zunker interview

Welcome, Chad Zunker, author of thrillers including Not Our Daughter, The Wife You Know and Good Neighbors. In your novels, you explore the theme of secrets from the past resurfacing to disrupt everyday life. Will this also be the case in your latest novel, In His Wake?

Family secrets are the centerpiece of my new novel. The plot is built around three brothers who discover their estranged father—who they all believe died tragically in a recent boating accident—may actually still be alive. 

What role does the secret or enigma play in a Chad Zunker plot?

The reasons behind their father's fake death lead back to a powerful law firm, where he was a partner, and may tie directly to the assassination of a major political figure that has shaken the nation to its core. The three brothers (Dean, an investigative reporter, Eric, an FBI agent, and Ben, a law school student) have to overcome tension-filled feelings toward a father who abandoned them early in life, and toward each other, in order to pursue the truth.  

It seems to be more than just a narrative device — perhaps it also characterises the repressed nature of the characters?

I think writing about family dynamics, especially when it comes to family secrets, can be very dramatic. Emotions run deeper when you’re talking about family (fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, and children). It’s natural to repress when trying to keep a family together. It can also be very explosive when the emotional dam finally breaks for someone in the family. 

In your new novel, In His Wake, you explore the intertwining of politics and corruption in a suspenseful legal thriller, in which the protagonist is involved in two separate cases: one concerning his father, and another involving his ex-partner. Family secrets, conspiracies, relentless action and unpredictability: could these be the elements that define its success?

For sure. If I can nail these four components—family secrets, conspiracies, action and unpredictability—I will have taken my readers on the ride I'd hoped when starting out. So far, reader feedback has been overwhelming positive. That’s encouraging. 

A journalistic investigation turns into a struggle for survival for the protagonists. Where did the idea for In His Wake come from?

One of the first thrillers I ever read was John Grisham’s The Pelican Brief (way back in 1992). In that story, the assassination of two Supreme Court Justices is central to a reporter’s pursuit of truth while working with a young female law student. I loved it. Reading that book as a recent high school graduate was the first time where I wanted to try my own hand at creating a novel. In many ways, writing In His Wake is an ode to that first Grisham story, as well as that moment in life and time for me. 

Is there a character among those you have created that you are most attached to, or that you would like to follow up on narratively one day?

My first series revolved around a character named Sam Callahan (The Tracker, Shadow Shepherd, and Hunt The Lion). Sam was an orphan kid who grew up on the streets, spent time in juvenile detention, but eventually went on to law school—which led him into a high-stakes criminal conspiracy. The series is currently bouncing around Hollywood Studios, and I hope it gets the opportunity to see the big or small screen soon. If it ever does, I’d love to revisit the character at some point in the near future. 

Who is Chad Zunker in everyday life when he is not working on his novels? What hobbies does he have?

I’m a husband and father of three very active teenage daughters. When not writing, most of my days are spent being involved in their lives. But I also enjoy regularly running the beautiful trails of downtown Austin, Texas, where I live. 

Can you reveal anything about your next work to your readers?

I’m really excited about my next novel, What Mother Knows. It focuses on the estranged relationship between a son and his mother, who happens to be the mayor of Austin, after the mother is arrested for the murder of her husband. The son, a second year law associate, agrees to represent his mother on the case, even though there is devastating brokenness between them. A high-concept conspiracy quickly unfolds. I loved exploring the sometimes complicated relationships between sons and mothers.