Jennifer Vido: What inspired your new release, HER, TOO?
Bonnie Kistler: I usually can’t reconstruct where my ideas come from, but in the case of Her, Too, it was literally “ripped from the headlines.” Like much of the world, I was riveted by the trials of those prominent entertainment figures (you know who they are) who were accused and ultimately convicted of sex crimes. What struck me in each of those cases was that the defendant was represented by a woman attorney.
There was an obvious strategy in his choice. A woman could very aggressively cross-examine the female victim without offending the jurors to the same extent that a male lawyer would have. A female attorney could also soften her client’s image in subtle ways, like leaning close to speak to him, touching his shoulder, etc. Non-verbal cues that send a subliminal message to the jury that he can’t be the monster the prosecutor is claiming.
But what fascinated me wasn’t the defendant’s choice of counsel. Rather, it was the lawyer’s choice to take his case. It made me wonder if she felt any inner conflict and how she might have rationalized her decision. I wondered if she was the target of any insults from the public, that she was a traitor to her sex or complicit in her client’s crimes. And I wondered what terrible thing might happen to upend her world.
Jen: How would you describe Kelly McCann?
Bonnie: Kelly’s a lawyer who’s built a national reputation defending men accused of sexual assault. She’s not always the smartest lawyer in the room, but she’s shrewd and scrappy, and she thrives on winning. She’s made a lot of ethical compromises along the way, and sometimes she feels the sting of regret. But she swallows it down and soldiers on, doing what she thinks she has to do. Kelly’s also a wife and mother and fiercely protective of her family.
Jen: What happens to Kelly that changes her life forever?
Bonnie: All her life choices come crashing down on her when she herself is raped––by her own client for whom she’s just won an acquittal. She believes that she can’t report him or tell anyone what happened without destroying her own career in the process. She tries to convince herself to forget it and move on, but her rage is volcanic. She finally decides that if she can’t get justice, she’ll get revenge.
Jen: Which character was your favorite to develop, and why?
Bonnie: Kelly. She may not be likable (I reject the notion that female characters have to be), but I hope she’s interesting. We don’t often see women in fiction who shoulder as much responsibility as Kelly does. A whole raft of people are financially dependent on her, and she takes that obligation seriously, even though it’s led her to make some bargains with the devil.
I especially enjoyed coming up with Kelly’s fatal flaw. It’s her competitiveness and the thrill she takes in winning. That’s something else we almost never see in female characters in fiction.
Jen: Where’s your favorite place to write, and why?
Bonnie: I have an office on the top floor of our North Carolina home. If I turned my desk to the windows, I’d have a nice view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, but I quite deliberately face a blank wall instead. I can’t write with any distractions. I could never write in the proverbial coffee shop. I never even play any music. My North Carolina office is the closest I can get to a sensory deprivation tank.
I also have an office in our Florida condo, but it’s not nearly as isolated, and I usually struggle to write there.
Jen: What do you hope readers take away from this story?
Bonnie: That silence is the enemy of justice. The reason Kelly’s client was free to be a repeat offender is that all of his previous victims were silenced. They each accepted a financial settlement in return for signing a nondisclosure agreement. They all had compelling reasons for doing so, but the consequence of their silence was that he was free to attack again. I hope readers will come away with an appreciation of the need to speak up if something like this happens to them, no matter how painful or embarrassing it might be.
Jen: What’s the best way for readers to stay up to date on your latest happenings?
Bonnie: My website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And please email me.
Jen: Sneak peek! What’s your current work in progress?
Bonnie: The working title is Shell Games, and it’s a story of gaslighting and mother-daughter issues and husbands with secrets. All that plus climate change, too! It’s set on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Look for it from Harper in 2024.
Jen: What’s on your summer TBR stack?
Bonnie: Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver. This Pulitzer Prize winner is set in my own Appalachians and inspired by Charles Dickens, one of my favorites in the literary canon.
All the Sinners Bleed, by S.A. Cosby. I’m a big fan of Shawn’s rural noir novels and really looking forward to his latest.
Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner. I don’t often read memoirs, but I’ve heard such good things about this one. Also, Michelle and I went to the same college (albeit quite a few years apart).
Jen: Thanks for chatting about your fast-paced release, Her, Too. Happy summer!
Bonnie: Thanks, Jen!
Defending an accused rapist, a high-powered lawyer learns firsthand the terrible truth about her client . . . a discovery that propels her on a quest for justice and revenge in this addictively readable thriller from the author of The Cage.
Kelly McCann is a fighter. She’s fought to build a successful legal career, fought for the special needs of her family, and tirelessly fought for her clients. Her specialty is defending men accused of sex crimes––falsely accused, she always maintains. Her detractors call her a traitor to her gender, but she doesn't care. Badass and brilliant, Kelly simply loves to win, and as the story opens, she's done it again, securing an acquittal for a renowned scientist accused of sexually assaulting his female employees.
But the thrill of her victory is short-lived. That very night she, too, falls victim of a brutal sexual assault. And almost as horrific as the attack is the fact that she can't tell anyone it happened—not without destroying her career in the process.
Kelly has never backed down from a fight and she’s not about to start pulling her punches now. Joining forces with her rapist's other victims, the shrewd lawyer plans to turn the tables on him. It’s not only about justice—these wronged women are out for revenge.
But someone, it seems, is out for them, and one by one, they find themselves facing even greater danger.
Thriller Legal | Suspense Women Sleuth [Harper Paperbacks, On Sale: July 4, 2023, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780063089204 / eISBN: 9780063089211]
Bonnie Kistler is a former Philadelphia trial lawyer. She spent her career in private practice with major law firms and successfully tried cases in federal and state courts across the country. She and her husband now live in Florida and the mountains of western North Carolina. They have two daughters.
Jennifer Vido writes sweet romances set in the Lowcountry filled with southern charm and hospitality. In between chapters, she interviews authors for her bi-weekly Jen’s Jewels column on FreshFiction.com. Most mornings, she teaches an arthritis-friendly water exercise class for seniors before heading to the office to serve as the executive director of a legal non-profit. A New Jersey native, she currently lives in Maryland with her husband and two rescue dogs and is the proud parent of two sons who miss her home-cooked meals. To learn more, please visit her website.
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