Suspense author, Rachel Paris, joins the Spotlight this week to discuss her debut, See How They Fall

Author Name: Rachel Paris

Book Title: See How They Fall

Book Genre: Mystery/thriller/suspense, contemporary fiction, women’s fiction  

Release Date: April 29, 2025

Publisher: Scarlet (an imprint of Penzler Publishers) and Hachette Australia

Welcome, Rachel! Please tell us about See How They Fall.

Succession meets Big Little Lies. A shocking death in a billionaire’s family sparks a twisty whodunnit and psychological thriller.

What sparked the idea for this book?

The power of a mother’s love was the initial spark for See How They Fall. As a mum of three, I couldn’t imagine a more compelling premise for a story than a mother trying to protect her young child from danger. Then I thought how terrifying it would be if the source of the danger came from within the child’s own family, from among the very people who were supposed to ensure her safety. That is every parent’s worst nightmare, and so the perfect start for a thriller! And to really up the drama and juiciness, I set the story in the world of the super-rich and powerful. As the saying goes, power corrupts…

How long did it take for you to write the book? Did you do any research?

It took me a couple of years, writing part-time in spurts, to complete and edit my manuscript. I’m a lawyer and a research nerd so I wanted the story to be as accurate as possible, so I extensively researched different murder methods, forensic pathology, psychosis, police and legal procedure, black ops intelligence and surveillance technologies. Given my search history, I wouldn’t be surprised if my name is at the top of the government’s spy agency watchlist, and it’s fair to say my poor husband has slept with one eye open since he read the first draft…

Fans of which authors might gravitate toward your book?

Liane Moriarty, Lucy Foley, Agatha Christine, Abigail Dean, Jeneva Rose, Lisa Jewell, Alice Feeney.

 What do you hope readers will take away from this story?

Mainly I hope that readers will be entertained and shocked! But hopefully they will also see that appearances can be deceiving, that perfection is an illusion, and that a glamorous, wealthy exterior often conceals a dark underbelly.

What about the writing/editing/publishing process has been the most surprising to you so far?

How long it takes, and how many people are involved in turning your Word document into a fully edited physical, digital and audio book. Not only do you rely on many editors and proofreaders, but also on marketing, designers, sales, operations, distributions, publicity, producers … the list goes on and on! I’m also incredibly humbled by the encouragement I’ve received from early readers, reviewers, bookstagrammers, booksellers and bloggers like you whose willingness to support See How They Fall makes all the difference for a debut novelist.

Any words of wisdom you give your pre-published writer self (or to a new writer)?

There’s a wonderful quote from Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida: “What’s won is done — soul’s joy lies in the doing”.  It’s such an important reminder for all writers, but especially for emerging writers. It’s so easy to fixate on achieving milestones — an agent, a publishing deal, an award, or whatever — but that moment of external validation is only a moment in time and you will immediately look ahead to the next thing (“what’s won is done”). It’s vital to remember that the point of it all and real pleasure (“soul’s joy”) is in the writing itself. That’s where the magic is. And I do believe that if you put your energy into learning and improving your art, then you’re more likely to accomplish those milestones along the way.

What are your interests outside of writing and reading?

Time with my family and friends, pilates, yoga, walking the dogs, eating delicious food, drinking New Zealand sauvignon blanc, travelling, clothes shopping, interior design, visual art, skiing, travel.

What was the last book you read? What did you think of it?

The Wedding People by Alison Espach. It’s a wonderful novel with drama, humor and heart and deserves all the accolades it has received.

Where can readers find you?

I’m on Instagram @rachelparisauthor, on LinkedIn @Rachel Paris, and I will shortly be launching my website www.rachelparisauthor.com where you can subscribe to my monthly newsletter, Books & Other Brilliant Things. I’d love to hear from you!

Thank you, Rachel! See How They Fall is out NOW.

See How They Fall

In this compelling debut thriller perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Liane Moriarty, one detective’s investigation into a family tragedy threatens to collapse a powerful dynasty …

When Skye married into the wealthy Turner family, she thought she was entering paradise. But now, several years later, she remains uneasy amid the opulence of her husband’s world, struggling with her own secrets and working to maintain a normal life for their young daughter, Tilly.

Skye’s delicate balance is undone when the family patriarch, Sir Campbell Turner, dies suddenly and an illegitimate heir comes forward to stake his claim in the luxury goods empire the old man leaves behind. Reluctantly, the Turners receive the newcomer at an intimate weekend retreat at Yallambee, the family seaside estate, but tempers flare and egos clash within their first few hours together and the night ends in a tragedy that leaves one dead and another fighting for life.

Sergeant Mei O’Connor is assigned to investigate the incident and though her superiors are keen to close the case as swiftly as possible, the evidence just isn’t lining up. Convinced that there’s more to the suspicious death than a simple accident, Mei continues to search for answers. But pulling at these threads may just tear down the Turner empire.

Author Bio:

Rachel Paris is a lawyer-turned-author. In April 2025, her debut novel See How They Fall will be published by Hachette in Australasia and Penzler’s Scarlet imprint in the US. A Hollywood production company has optioned the screen rights to the book.

Rachel came to writing after an international legal career. She holds a Masters in Law from Harvard Law School, and she practiced law in London for many years before returning to her native Aotearoa New Zealand. In 2024, Rachel graduated with a Master of Creative Writing (First Class Honors) from the University of Auckland and was awarded the Phoenix Prize for the best creative portfolio.

Rachel currently lives in Auckland with her husband, three children, two dogs and cat.