Bryan Reardon's "Let Her Lie"

Bryan Reardon is the author of Finding Jake and The Real Michael Swann. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Reardon worked for the State of Delaware for more than a decade, starting in the Office of the Governor. He holds a degree in psychology from the University of Notre Dame and lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania, with his wife and kids.

Here Reardon dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, Let Her Lie:

In Let Her Lie, Theo Snyder once tasted the kind of fame most of us crave. His true crime documentary went viral and he soaked up the attention. Until it all turned, and he found himself embroiled in a lurid scandal. To reclaim his career, to turn his infamy back to fame, he decides to do his next film on the most notorious serial killer in recent history, Jasper Ross-Johnson, known as the Halo Killer. When he uncovers a connection between Jasper and a young woman named Miracle, it is almost as if his story writes itself. But when the Halo Killer escapes from prison and Theo finds himself on the run, discovering the ending of his film becomes a matter of life and death.

As you can imagine, with a plot like that, I certainly had movies on the mind. In fact, the structure of Let Her Lie revolves around Theo's filmmaking process. Often, I let my mind drift, trying to imagine who could play my characters on screen. And here's what I came up with:

Who is Miracle Jones?

Miracle is something of a local celebrity. As a newborn, she was abandoned in a restroom at a coastal State park. She survived four days before an angler found her. Her traumatic beginnings certainly left scars, both inside and out.

Who could play Miracle?

Mila Kunis – I definitely pictured her as I wrote. Miracle has an intensity to her expression, the kind of eyes that can make someone sweat. And her sharp edges hide a vulnerable soul.

Who is Zora Monroe?

Zora is the most respected investigator in the documentary world. All the major filmmakers have used her. And most secretly attribute much of their success to her work. She can find anyone and anything. That kind of expertise brings with it an expected aloofness. That, or maybe she's hiding something.

Who could play Zora?

This one was the easiest. Zora is Zazie Beetz. I mean, others could play her, certainly. But in my mind, she's the only one. She's tough. She can be intimidating. And she can certainly put Theo Snyder in his place, no matter who plays him.

Who is Theo Snyder?

Theo found fame at a young age. And, when his story starts, he can't dream of living without it. When he delves into the dangerous mind of the Halo Killer, his own reality starts to waiver. He pushes both his body and his mind to the brink of madness.

Who could play Theo?

This one could go in a lot of different directions. But in my daydreams, I see Rupert Grint. To get the chance to see the progression of Theo's story through his expressive eyes would be priceless. I can imagine him teetering on the edge of madness, so different from his iconic role, and doing what he has to do to survive in the end.

Who is Jasper Ross-Johnson?

He's a serial killer! He's also a dermatologist. And a master of forensics. He claims to have alopecia. And his thin build hides a dangerous strength.

Who could play Jasper?

Crispin Glover – he'd have to shave his head and lose a little muscle, but is there anyone out there better at creepy?

Follow Bryan Reardon on Facebook.

The Page 69 Test: The Perfect Plan.

--Marshal Zeringue

Allison Epstein's "A Tip for the Hangman"

Allison Epstein earned her M.F.A. in fiction from Northwestern University and a B.A. in creative writing and Renaissance literature from the University of Michigan. A Michigan native, she now lives in Chicago, where she works as a copywriter. When not writing, she enjoys good theater, bad puns, and fancy jackets.

Here Epstein dreamcasts an adaptation of A Tip for the Hangman, her first novel:

A Tip for the Hangman is a historical fiction spy thriller set in 1500s England, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The main character, Kit Marlowe, is a grad-student-turned-spy who finds himself undercover in the household of Mary Queen of Scots, trying to uncover a Catholic-led plot to assassinate Elizabeth.

Even though most of my characters are real historical figures, they’re mostly behind-the-scenes players who didn’t get their portraits painted often. There’s only one existing portrait of Marlowe, and scholars aren’t even really sure it’s him! So I had some freedom to play with my actor lookalikes.

In my dream cast, Kit himself is played by Timothée Chalamet. They’re both small, scrappy, poetic types who look like they’ve just wandered in from the local tavern without brushing their hair. And since Chalamet has already played Henry V, I can imagine him wandering back into old-time England for the role.

Sir Francis Walsingham, the intimidating spymaster who oversees Kit’s missions, is definitely Mark Rylance. They have the same expressive eyes and an undercurrent of pervasive sadness, with a layer of kindness hidden underneath it. (Am I projecting a lot of feelings onto Mark Rylance? Absolutely.)

Arthur Gregory, the gruff senior spy with a heart of gold, isn’t exactly a main character in the novel, but I strongly believe he should be played by Tom Hardy. Gregory is essentially a reprise of Hardy’s role as Alfie Solomons in the TV show Peaky Blinders, except with Elizabethan costuming and a less-impenetrable accent.

The character I had the most trouble casting was Nick Skeres, Kit’s frenemy from grad school who returns with a vengeance in the second act. The person I really want to play him is Damian Lewis circa 2000, but the realities of linear time thwart me there.

My dream adaptation is a TV series that follows in the footsteps of Dickinson, Harlots, or Reign. (Well, maybe not quite as wild as Reign.) I yearn for a bright, irreverent series with anachronistic touches and modern songs played on period-appropriate instruments. A lute cover of Florence + The Machine? Yes, please.

Visit Allison Epstein's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Gwen Florio's "Best Laid Plans"

Gwen Florio grew up in a farmhouse filled with books and a ban on television. After studying English at the University of Delaware, she began a thirty-plus year career in journalism that has taken her around the country and to more than a dozen countries, including several conflict zones.

Her first novel in the Lola Wick mystery series, Montana won the Pinckley Prize for Crime Fiction and the High Plains Book Award, and was a finalist for the Shamus Award, an International Thriller Award and a Silver Falchion Award. She has since released four other books in the Lola Wick series and one standalone novel.

Here Florio dreamcasts an adaptation of Best Laid Plans, the first installment of a new mystery series:

She’s a little younger than Nora Best, but Reese Witherspoon repeatedly came to mind when I was writing Best Laid Plans.

Maybe it’s because of her role in Wild, struggling to adapt to life on the trail in much the same way Nora has to fend for herself in Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains. Witherspoon has a way of personifying determination, and Nora is nothing if not determined, even when faced with the most challenging circumstances.

Witherspoon also has a knack for humor, something I try to write into my work to leaven the inevitable darkness of crime fiction.

Finally, I’d love to see Witherspoon perched behind the wheel of the giant pickup truck I’ve given Nora, driving hell for leather through the Wyoming high country with an Airstream trailer in tow. She’d have that steely glint in her eye that would let all of us know she’s going to make it.

Visit Gwen Florio's website.

Coffee with a Canine: Gwen Florio & Nell.

My Book, the Movie: Silent Hearts.

Writers Read: Gwen Florio (August 2018).

The Page 69 Test: Silent Hearts.

--Marshal Zeringue

Paul Vidich's "The Mercenary"

Paul Vidich’s fourth novel, The Mercenary, is now out from Pegasus Books. His debut novel, An Honorable Man, was selected by Publishers Weekly as a Top 10 Mystery and Thriller in 2016. It was followed the next year by The Good Assassin. His third novel, The Coldest Warrior, was widely praised in England and America, earning strong reviews from The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times.

Here Vidich dreamcasts an adaptation of The Mercenary:

The Mercenary was written with great attention to setting, place, and atmosphere. Of course those are appropriate for a spy novel set in Moscow in 1985 at the end of the Cold War. An American, Alex Garin, formerly of the CIA, is brought back to Moscow Station to help exfiltrate a senior KGB officer who wants to defect. It’s a dreary city, Americans are under constant surveillance, and danger is everywhere. When I wrote the novel, I saw my characters in visual settings and dialogue drives most scenes. In this sense, The Mercenary, feel cinematic. I have chosen to cast the movie with actors from the past or from earlier in their careers.

The Mercenary, the movie, ideally would be directed by Carol Reed, the English film director best known for Odd Man Out (1947), The Fallen Idol (1948), and The Third Man (1949). I am a huge fan of The Third Man and the dark, atmospheric world of Post-War Vienna that Reed created in his classic film. Vienna in 1948 was controlled for the four major powers and it was a city where everyone had a racket, food was rationed, and many people were desperate for a new life. The movie captures the city’s numbing grimness, and my novel tries to capture the same pervasive grimness of Moscow thirty-five years later.

Natalya, the book’s female protagonist, is both a spy and the novel’s romantic interest. I see her being played by Alida Valli, an Italian actress who acted in over 100 films, including The Third Man, but also in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Paradine Case. The sullen demeanor, vinegary spirit, and mysterious glamor, make her perfect for my spy-heroine. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2006.

Alex Garin, the novel’s protagonist, is an enigmatic figure. He was born in Russia in the 1940s, moved to America when his mother married a US Army captain stationed in Moscow during WWII, and joined the CIA in the 1960s. His mother happened to be an illegal working for Moscow, and Alex, her son, is a sort of Manchurian Candidate in the CIA, where he is a double agent working secretly for the KGB. However, he is turned and becomes a CIA mole within the KGB, while ostensibly working as a KGB mole in the CIA. He is an American Russian mongrel with divided loyalties. The actor who plays Garin needs to be clever, witty, and deceitful, who can effortlessly live his many lives. The actor should be in his mid-40s. The actors who come to mind are all English and older now, or passed away, but these men in their forties, would be perfect for the role: Colin Firth, Richard Burton, Christian Bale, and Gary Oldman.

Visit Paul Vidich's website.

Q&A with Paul Vidich.

--Marshal Zeringue

Suzanne Redfearn's "Hadley and Grace"

Suzanne Redfearn is the bestselling author of four novels: Hush Little Baby, No Ordinary Life, In An Instant, and Hadley & Grace.

Born and raised on the east coast, Redfearn moved to California when she was fifteen. She currently lives in Laguna Beach with her husband where they own two restaurants: Lumberyard and Slice Pizza & Beer.

In addition to being an author, Redfearn is an architect specializing in residential and commercial design. When not writing, she enjoys doing anything and everything with her family—skiing, golf, tennis, pickleball, hiking, board games, and reality TV. She is an avid baseball fan. Her team is the Angels.

Here Redfearn dreamcasts an adaptation of Hadley & Grace:

Since Hadley & Grace was inspired by Thelma & Louise, the entire time I was writing it I was seeing it as a movie. Yet, in my head, the characters were very different than Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon.

Hadley is well bred and sexy. I see someone like Salma Hayek playing her.

And the moment I started watching The Queen’s Gambit, I was entirely enthralled with Anya Taylor and certain she would make the perfect brilliant and street-savvy Grace.

Visit Suzanne Redfearn's website, Facebook page, and Twitter perch.

Coffee with a Canine: Suzanne Redfearn and Cooper.

My Book, The Movie: Hush Little Baby.

The Page 69 Test: Hush Little Baby.

The Page 69 Test: No Ordinary Life.

Writers Read: Suzanne Redfearn (February 2016).

My Book, The Movie: No Ordinary Life.

My Book, The Movie: In an Instant.

The Page 69 Test: In an Instant.

Q&A with Suzanne Redfearn.

--Marshal Zeringue

Keisha Bush's "No Heaven for Good Boys"

Keisha Bush was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. She received her MFA in creative writing from The New School, where she was a Riggio Honors Teaching Fellow and recipient of an NSPE Dean’s Scholarship. After a career in corporate finance and international development that brought her to live in Dakar, Senegal, she decided to focus full-time on her writing. She lives in East Harlem.

Here Bush dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, No Heaven For Good Boys:

No Heaven For Good Boys is an Oliver Twist like tale, but with a grittier City of God mixed with a bit of Beasts of No Nation.

Ten years ago, I wanted Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, the directors of City of God to direct the film adaptation of No Heaven For Good Boys. I watched their film at the Angelica Film Center in SoHo and was entranced, it was so visceral and raw.

Now, in 2021, there are so many great American directors, not to mention great Senegalese directors, but to narrow it down, I’d be interested in either a Gina Prince-Bythwood film, or Cary Joji Fukunaga, or even perhaps a collaboration bringing their two styles together, like City of God.

I think in terms of actors, there are roles in the book for a diverse cast that includes Senegalese, Americans, French, and British actors. I think of Paula Patton or Gugu Mbatha-Raw as the young American mother who is married to a Senegalese ambassador, and they have a young son who befriends the main characters in the novel.

The main protagonists are children and I would actually like to see some of the talibé roles in the book cast with actual runaway and former talibé in the country, if possible. It would give the local talibé a way to earn income and experience a world outside of what they know. The child actors from Beasts of No Nation (and most definitely City of God) would be too old for the roles in No Heaven For Good Boys, as the main protagonist is 6 years old and his cousin is 11 years old, with none of the boys older than 13 years old, and because they are undernourished and abused they look younger and smaller than their actual ages.

Lupita would slam dunk the role of the main characters mother, and for the father perhaps Peter Mensah, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, or even Idris Elba - any of three have the skills to pull off the antagonist role of the religious teacher of the boys.

Visit Keisha Bush's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Doug Engstrom's "Corporate Gunslinger"

Doug Engstrom has been a farmer's son, a US Air Force officer, a technical writer, a computer support specialist, and a business analyst, as well as being a writer of speculative fiction. He lives near Des Moines, Iowa with his wife, Catherine Engstrom.

Here Engstrom dreamcasts an adaptation of his 2020 novel, Corporate Gunslinger:

Corporate Gunslinger is set in a near-future United States where duels have become the last stop in the legal system. Companies are allowed to hire professionals to represent them; ordinary citizens must fight for themselves.

The duels are highly formal. A judge presides with the assistance of wards, who help prepare the combatants and enforce the rules. Combatants use identical single-shot pistols, and wear pants and tunics with no metal parts that might deflect a bullet. They start back-to-back, separated by an opaque hologram called the Wall. The Wall makes it impossible to get a clear shot until both combatants enter their respective “kill boxes,” a space about ten yards from the center. At that point, the Wall disappears, and the combatants are free to turn around and fire at each other. The last person to fall wins.

The story is told from the perspective of Kira Clark, a young woman who’s incurred huge debts for her education and secured them with a “lifetime services contract” that will make her property of her creditors if she fails to pay. She wards off foreclosure by training as a gunfighter for TKC insurance. We see her career from her first day as a trainee through a climactic match against another professional.

I’d like to see Emma Stone as Kira. Like Abigail, the character Ms. Stone plays in The Favourite, Kira has fallen from a relatively high social status, and is simultaneously an abused waif trying to make her way in a world she isn’t well-prepared to navigate and a relentless predator who’s determined to do whatever it takes to make herself safe. I think Ms. Stone could bring Kira’s dual nature to life on screen.

The key physical features of Diana Reynolds, Kira’s trainer, are that she’s tall, muscular, and intimidating. She’s also smart, cynical, and expert at manipulating the world around her to protect the people she cares about. Charlize Theron put those qualities on screen in a great way as the leader of a mercenary band in The Old Guard, and I’d love to see her do the same for Diana.

Kira rooms with another gunfighter, Chloe Rossi, who is also her best friend. Chloe is a short, red-haired Italian-American from a working class background. Her soft appearance and lack of self-confidence make her easy to underestimate. While Chloe isn’t anywhere near as cold as Arya Stark, I think Maisie Williams would be great in the role.

I’d love to see Lexi Alexander in the director’s chair. Although she’s probably best known for the big-canvas action movie Punisher: War Zone, I believe she could do some really interesting things with the smaller scale and more intimate violence of the corporate dueling field. Her background as a World Kickboxing Champion and Marine Close Combat instructor would also bring an important perspective to the story.

Visit Doug Engstrom's website.

The Page 69 Test: Corporate Gunslinger.

--Marshal Zeringue

Jeannie Mobley's "The Jewel Thief"

Jeannie Mobley has spent much of her life daydreaming herself into other centuries. This tendency has led her to multiple degrees in history and anthropology, and a passion for writing fiction. She is the author of three historical middle grade novels: Katerina’s Wish (2012), Searching for Silverheels (2014,), and Bobby Lee Claremont and the Criminal Element (201), which have received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and Library Media Connection. Other honors include the Willa Award, Colorado Book Award, Junior Library Guild Selection, and inclusion on a number of notable lists, including the Amelia Bloomer List for Feminist Literature, Library of Congress 52 Great Reads List, the New York Public Library Notables, the Jefferson Cup List for Historical Fiction, as well as a variety of state lists. Her favorite stories are those of ordinary people who achieve the extraordinary. She is currently a professor of anthropology and department chair at a college in northern Colorado.

Here Mobley dreamcasts an adaptation of her 2020 novel, The Jewel Thief:

While I typically do see the scenes playing out in my head as I write them, I think the advantage to books over movies is their ability to dig deep inside the characters in their portrayal, so I don’t tend to focus on the outward appearances of characters as much. Of course, I would love to see my books made into movies, and I think The Jewel Thief would be an excellent choice right now, with the popularity of historic costume dramas, so it’s always worth thinking about.

When I hear Louis XIV speaking in my head, it is in that cool, smooth voice of Alan Rickman, so in my anything-is-possible dreamcast, I would bring back a young Alan Rickman and cast him as the king just for the luxurious voice.

Casting it with people who are actual possibilities, though, I think Aiden Turner would be a fascinating Louis XIV—he has the charisma for the role, and can project both the power and the arrogance necessary.

An excellent choice for René, the main love interest, would be Timothée Chalamet, who has René’s youth and sweetness, and is also quite nice to look at. He also has really interesting hands, so since Juliette fixates on his hands now and then, I think that’s a plus.

Strange as it sounds, Juliette would be the hardest for me to cast. Because I see the main character from the inside out when I write, as if I’m looking through her eyes at the world, I often don’t have a clear mental picture of what that person looks like so much as how they think. But I think Holliday Grainger might be a good choice—she has the right mix of innocence and determination in her face for Juliette.

Learn more about The Jewel Thief.

--Marshal Zeringue

Megan Chance's "A Splendid Ruin"

Megan Chance is the bestselling, critically acclaimed author of several novels. Her books have been picks for Amazon Book of the Month, IndieNext, and the Historical Novel Society Editors’ Choice. Booklist calls her writing “provocative and haunting.”

Chance lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, A Splendid Ruin:

I always cast actors or models as my characters before I start to write. I find it really helpful because when I’m writing I see the scenes unfolding in my head like a movie. It’s all very cinematic, so the wrong actor can mess up everything. It becomes rather obsessive on my part, trying to find the perfect person to represent the character I see in my head.

This also means that I have pictures of actors taped up all over my office, so it looks like the bedroom of a 14-year old girl, which can be embarrassing when the cable guy comes to fix the modem.

In A Splendid Ruin, I cast Rebecca Hall as May Kimble. I wanted someone attractive, but who wasn’t classically beautiful, and the look she had in The Prestige was exactly what I wanted for May. Capable and smart and vulnerable.

Margot Robbie was Goldie Sullivan. Gorgeous but with this edge that could make her either vulnerable or mean—that very Tonya Harding quality.

Domhnall Gleason was Jonathan Sullivan. I’m not sure why; he just popped into my head full bodied as Uncle Jonny. Pale and self-assured. Gleason always looks like he could be really kind but also could be hiding sinister secrets.

Ellis Farge was Gaspard Ulliel. I wanted someone who looked like he could have been arrogant once but then lost his way. Someone confused but also opportunistic. Also … handsome.

Dante LaRosa for me was Luke Pasqualino. Italian, charismatic, self-assured and confident. A little brash but also smart. I loved him in The Musketeers and Skins, and he’s great at being both charismatic and vulnerable.

Visit Megan Chance's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Claire Booth's "Fatal Divisions"

Formerly a crime reporter for daily newspapers such as the Miami Herald and Philadelphia Inquirer, Claire Booth is the author of the Sheriff Hank Worth Mysteries: The Branson Beauty, Another Man's Ground, A Deadly Turn, and the newly released Fatal Divisions.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of Fatal Divisions:

Fatal Divisions is the fourth in my series featuring Sheriff Hank Worth of Branson, Missouri. He’s a guy in his late thirties who has a dry sense of humor and is pretty laid back. He also speaks fluent Spanish, courtesy of his Latinx mother. So, since this is dream casting, I’d love Oscar Isaac to play him.

In this book, I really dive into Hank’s family life. That means there’s a lot more of his father-in-law. Duncan McCleary moved in with the Worths after the death of his wife. Duncan is a blunt, cantankerous old man who frequently tries Hank’s patience. I think someone like Kurtwood Smith, the dad in That ’70s Show would be perfect for the role.

In this book, Duncan’s sister, Finella, is a prominent character. She’s a lot like her brother, but with flashes of maternal caring. I would love to see her played by Angela Lansbury, who I think has just that right combination.

Finella’s husband also plays a key role in Fatal Divisions. He’s a smooth talker and a consummate salesman. Hal Linden, with his suave style, would be perfect. Plus, who wouldn’t want to see him and Angela together?

Visit Claire Booth's website.

My Book, The Movie: Another Man's Ground.

The Page 69 Test: Another Man's Ground.

My Book, The Movie: A Deadly Turn.

The Page 69 Test: A Deadly Turn.

--Marshal Zeringue