Not What It Seems by Lisa Jackson

#1 NYT and USA TODAY bestselling author Lisa Jackson started writing after her sister read an article in TIME Magazine in 1981 about how young mothers were making money writing romance novels. Both Lisa and her sister, Nancy Bush, began their writing careers right then, and lo, these many years later Lisa has published seventy-five plus novels and has no plans to slow down anytime soon.
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What called you to start a series set in Savannah and Georgia’s low country? What about this place seemed like the perfect backdrop for a suspense thriller?

I’ve always been intrigued by the city of Savannah.  It has a unique vibe—Southern, mysterious, beautiful and historic and as such Savannah has all of the elements I think enhance a mystery.  As gorgeous as the city is, there’s a dark underside, a mystic that I try to tap into in my stories set there.

You open Not What It Seems at the scene of a brutal murder. How do you research the true to life elements of your books, such as forensics, in a way that still feels accessible to readers?   
 
For years I watched true crime mysteries, cop shows and Forensic Files to keep up with the technology. I have to admit that lately, I use AI more often when I have a question I can’t answer.

I think it’s important to lace in the pertinent details of the homicides to satisfy curiosity, but not go into too much explanation which could bore the reader.  It’s a careful balance.  At least I hope it is.

You’ve been writing in the Savannah series for 20 years. How has your writing changed since beginning Nikki and Pierce’s story?

As with all things in life, my writing has evolved. So have Nikki and Pierce and the world in which they live.  When I introduced the characters, I was a single mother, and now I’m a single grandmother.  With the birth of each of my grandkids, my perspective altered and, of course, I’m more cognizant of an older person’s view of life.  Also, when I first met Nikki, she was young, green, single, eager and overly ambitious.  She’s now married and a mother so she is fighting her urges to throw caution to the wind so easily.  She’s become a little more responsible.

​Nikki and Pierce separately investigate the same killer, each collecting different clues. How do their sometimes dueling careers impact their dynamic as a couple?

The biggest problem they face and have always faced is the fact that Nikki will stop at nothing to uncover the truth.  She has no restrictions other than concern for the safety of herself and her family.  On the other hand, Pierce has the constraints of his profession as a homicide detective. He always has to follow the rules and Nikki never does.

How does Nikki’s identity as a crime reporter both empower her investigation and put her at greater personal risk?

Nikki’s greatest asset and her worst flaw is her insatiable curiosity.  She simply cannot give up even when she should.

How does motherhood reshape Nikki’s instincts, and does it strengthen or complicate her drive to pursue dangerous truths?

As a mother, Nikki now has to be concerned not only about her daughter’s safety, but also her own survival because of her daughter.  For the first time in her life, Nikki cannot just throw caution to the wind as she chases down leads and confronts suspects. She has to be more careful and it’s about to kill her!

In this book, your main character finds herself to be a target of the enigmatic serial killer she is investigating. How did flipping the script change Nikki’s actions?

Nikki is Nikki and pretty damned intrepid.  She’s not easily intimidated and has faced some intense, life-threatening circumstances in the past.  In several of the books, she’s targeted, so I doubt another killer having her in his sights would change her determination to get to the truth.

Do you start writing Not What It Seems with the ending or twist in mind? Has a twist you’ve written ever surprised you?

I start a book knowing the ending.  In the case of Not What It Seems, the ending did change as the story took me in that direction.  I usually write from a loose synopsis of the book, and always, it seems, new characters, twists and ideas pop up that I think enhance the novel, so I run with them.  And yes, sometimes I very surprised, especially when a new character walks onto the pages and ends up running away with the story.

Was there a scene in Not What It Seems that felt especially difficult to write? What about a scene that was the most fun to write?

What surprised me about Not What It Seems was the secondary plot involving the stables.  Nikki’s niece became more integral to the plot and Nikki spent time at the horse-riding facility which, I think, enhanced the story.

If Not What It Seems were to be adapted to the screen, who would you pick to play the characters?

Oh, that’s a tough one.  Maybe Matthew Rhys as Pierce and Jennifer Lawrence as Nikki?  I think they could pull it off and then some!

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Link to purchase the book:
https://www.amazon.com/What-Seems-Savannah-Lisa-Jackson/dp/1496753747/