Book Title: THE MAIN CHARACTER
Character Name: Ginevra Ex
How would you describe your family or your childhood?
My childhood was full of books and imagination but otherwise rather sad. Frankly, I’m close with my twin sister, but our mother died in childbirth, after giving birth to us. And my father was a kind and educated man, a Holocaust survivor. You know, I’d rather not talk about all of that. I’m very blessed now. I have riches and success beyod my wildest dreams. I prefer not to dwell on the past.
What was your greatest talent?
Storytelling. I am a good writer, yes, but even better at spinning a story. I don’t believe in false modesty, so I’ll let my many bestsellers speak for themselves.
Significant other?
I have been single all my life.
Biggest challenge in relationships?
I don’t have many close relationships. I suppose I don’t let many people in. Just my twin sister, really. Her name is Orsola, and she lives in Positano.
Where do you live?
Rome, Italy
Do you have any enemies?
Do my legions of one-star reviewers count? Ha!
How do you feel about the place where you are now? Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this place?
I love Rome. I was born here and have lived here all of my life. I’ve never really thought of living anywhere else, except for a brief time in my twenties, when I fell deeply in love and imagined a different life. Alas, that different life was not to be.
Do you have children, pets, both, or neither?
Not really. Next question, please.
What do you do for a living?
I am a bestselling author of murder mysteries. I have an unusual method of crafting my books. I hire a main character for each new book, interview him or her extensively, and turn his or her life into a fictional tale—complete with a murder.
Greatest disappointment?
That I never got to create a family—to be a wife and mother.
Greatest source of joy?
Reading a good book. And writing, of course—when I’m caught up in the flow of words, there is no greater bliss. And when readers tell me that they forgot their troubles in the pages of my books, my heart soars. Nothing feels more sacred or special.
What do you do to entertain yourself or have fun?
I admire Sophia Loren greatly, and I enjoy bidding on and collecting special wardrobe pieces she wore over the course of her exceptional career.
What is your greatest personal failing, in your view?
There was a time in my life that I betrayed my integrity. I succumbed to temptation. It was just a single moment—but I can never take it back.
What keeps you awake at night?
See the answer to the preceding question. No further comment.
What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?
I am plotting a very special train trip on the Orient Express for a special group of travelers. The details and execution thereof must be perfect.
Is there something that you need or want that you don’t have? For yourself or for someone important to you?
Yes. Most definitely, yes.
Why don’t you have it? What is in the way?
I cannot tell you what is in the way, only that this upcoming trip on the Orient Express is sure to change everything. If it goes right, as I hope, it will bring me all that I need and want. All aboard, as they say.
Reclusive, mysterious author Ginevra Ex is famous for her unusual approach to crafting her big bestselling thrillers: she hires real people and conducts intensive interviews, then fictionalizes them. Her latest main character, Rory, is thrilled when Ginevra presents her with an extravagant bonus—a lavish trip along Italy’s Mediterranean coast on the famed, newly renovated Orient Express. But when Rory boards the train, she’s stunned to discover that her brother, her best friend, and even her ex-fiancé are passengers, as well. All invited by Ginevra, all hiding secrets.
With each stop, from Cinque Terre to Rome to Positano, it becomes increasingly clear that Ginevra has masterminded the ultimate real life twisty plot with Rory as her main character. And as Ginevra’s deceptions mount, and the lies and machinations of Rory’s travel companions pile up, Rory begins to fear that her trip will culminate like one of Ginevra’s books: with a murder or two. In the opulent compartments of the iconic train, Rory must untangle the shocking reasons why Ginevra wanted them all aboard—and to what deadly end.
Another stylish and compulsively readable mystery from Jaclyn Goldis, this is the perfect read for fans of Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley, and Paula Hawkins.
Thriller Psychological | Women's Fiction [Atria/Emily Bestler Books, On Sale: May 21, 2024, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9781668013045 / eISBN: 9781668013069]
Jaclyn Goldis is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and NYU Law. She practiced trust and estate law at a large Chicago law firm for seven years before leaving her job to travel the world and write novels. After culling her possessions into only what would fit in a backpack, she traveled for over a year until settling in Tel Aviv, where she can often be found writing from cafés near the beach. She loves to hear from readers.
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