Ramping up the Tension
Guest Post by Hannah Richell
Last week we were so pleased to have Hannah Richell on The Book Tide where she talked about the landscape of her new novel, The Search Party. It is a fantastic peek into how she begins her writing process and how the setting itself becomes a character in the story. But today, she has taken us one step further and is talking about the four very different families that make up her cast of characters. If you have read The Search Party, you will see how she used the landscape to strip away the superficial layers of each character to expose the real person underneath. And if you haven’t read The Search Party yet, you are in for a treat.
You only have to spend an hour or so in a local playground to know that there are different “types” of parents. I’m talking about the helicopter parents, who hover over their kids, worrying about every possible danger. The free-rangers, who avoid the word “no” and allow their kids to define their own boundaries. Then there are the nervous first-timers, with babies strapped to their chests dodging the opinions and judgement bouncing at them from every direction. And what about the parents who have had to fight to have a child, those that have endured punishing IVF cycles or rigorous adoption processes?
A good suspense novel needs tension, and what could be more tense than a long weekend glamping with a group of families all with very different parenting experiences and styles? So allow me to introduce you to my cast of parents, and watch the sparks fly …
Max and Annie Kingsley
Max and Annie consider themselves the glue of the group. Architects from London, they have recently relocated to Cornwall to set up their eco glamping site, Wildernest. It is their invitation to trial the new site that has prompted the reunion weekend, but there are underlying worries for these parents. Their adopted son, Kip, has experienced difficulties in his early life. How will he cope with the influx of guests into their tranquil new life?
Dominic and Tanya Davies
Dominic is the alpha male of the group, a man who has found fame and fortune as a reality TV judge. Dom is travelling down to Cornwall with two teenagers from his first marriage, his second wife Tanya, and their six-year-old daughter. Dom thinks kids should hear ‘no’ just as much as they hear ‘yes’ and is the proverbial bull in a china shop when his buttons are pushed. Tanya is a less than enthusiastic travel partner. She’s never felt particularly comfortable around Dominic’s oldest friends and a glamping weekend in the great outdoors, well, it isn’t exactly her vibe.
Jim and Suze Miller
Jim and Suze are the hippies of the group. Suze is a yoga instructor and nutritionist, Jim a stay-at-home Dad. They are driving down to Cornwall in their battered combi van with three tangle-haired kids in tow and boxes of homemade bread and granola. Suze is enthusiastic about the weekend and the chance to get everyone out in the fresh air, but Jim is hiding secrets he’d rather not share.
Kira de Silva and Fred O’Connor
Kira is an exhausted new mum, travelling with her boyfriend Fred and her five-month-old baby, Asha. Packing for the weekend, Kira almost ditched the idea to reunite with her friends. The last time she saw them all she got very drunk and gave a rather inappropriate speech. She’s not sure she can face them … but they’re her oldest friends. They’ve forgiven her, haven’t they?
For all their many differences, there is a strong thread of friendship linking these characters. You can’t know a group of people for twenty years and throw it all away on one long weekend … can you? Whatever happens on this stormy weekend, you can certainly expect a few fireworks.
~ Hannah Richell
Be on the lookout for more great content about The Search Party, including our video podcast with Hannah and reader chat where we talk all about the book.
Happy reading,
~ The Book Tide