Jane Casey - Missing

Born and brought up in Dublin, Jane Casey studied English at Jesus College, Oxford, followed by an MPhil in Anglo-Irish Literature at Trinity College, Dublin. She was working as a childrens books editor when her manuscript for her first book, The Missing, was discovered on her agents slush pile. She was signed up by Ebury Press shortly afterwards, and The Missing has since been published around the world.

The Missing was a bestseller in both the UK and Ireland. It achieved widespread critical acclaim and was shortlisted for the Irish Book of the Year Award in the Crime Fiction category. Janes second book, The Burning, has also been a bestseller in the UK and Ireland. Married to a criminal barrister, Jane lives in south-west London.

I owe thanks to many people who helped, knowingly or unknowingly, in the writing of this book.

Frank Casey, Alison Casey, Philippa Charles and Kerry Holland were always encouraging; without them progress would have been much, much slower. I owe them all a great deal. Go raibh mle maith agaibh go lir.

Anne Marie Ryan is a wonderfully gifted editor and friend, and was razor sharp in seeing what needed to be cut from the first draft.

Rachel Petty not only found a hole in the plot but suggested the perfect solution immediately, thereby heading off a nervous breakdown on my part.

My wonderful agent, Simon Trewin, has made all the difference; he is indefatigable and always entertaining. His assistant Ariella Feiner is equally brilliant, and her enthusiasm set me on this path; I will always be grateful. I am also tremendously grateful to Jessica Craig and Lettie Ransley, and everyone at United Agents for their hard work on my behalf.

Gillian Green is the perfect editor understanding, helpful and encouraging and has brought this book to life. She and Justine Taylor have done a superb job of picking up the mistakes, infelicities and inconsistencies that I managed to introduce; any that remain are my fault entirely . I feel very lucky to be published by Ebury Press and would like to thank all of those who have brought their dedication and professionalism to the task of publishing my book.

Lastly, I would like to thank my partners in crime, my cat Fred and my husband James. Fred has been my constant companion in the writing of this book. He never quite managed to delete the entire novel on one of his frequent forays across the keyboard, but he has typed some entertaining comments now and then.

Without James none of this would be possible; I cant begin to list the many ways in which he contributed. He has my thanks, and my heart.

What was the inspiration for The Missing?

I was interested by the idea of exploring what happens to a family in the aftermath of a terrible crime, particularly when theres no proper resolution. Ive always felt that the uncertainty, the strain of wondering about what has happened to a loved one, would be infinitely worse than knowing the truth. Also, Im fascinated by the fact that very dark secrets can be hidden behind outwardly civilised facades. From that starting point, I found myself wondering what would happen if someone who had been damaged by such a traumatic childhood someone like Sarah was caught up in a murder investigation. What would happen if you put someone like that under tremendous pressure? How would they act? The plot came together from there.

The Missing is a brilliant novel of psychological suspense with lots of unexpected twists. Did you know how it would all end when you started out? Are you a planner when it comes to your writing?

From the very start I knew what was going to happen at the end, and how Sarah was going to act in the final scene everything else in the plot was focused on building up to that point. I did plan it out in some detail, but there were definitely a few surprises once I started writing! Not everything went according to the original plan

The book is set mostly on a housing estate and in a school in Surrey are either based on real places?

They arent specific places Ive played fast and loose with the geography of Surrey, in fact, as anyone who knows it will spot immediately! Its a very beautiful part of England with a great wealth of woodland and open spaces. The commuter towns tend to have fragmented communities where people dont necessarily know their neighbours well the perfect place for crimes to be hidden away.

Youre married to a criminal barrister. Does his job come in useful for your research?

Its extremely useful to have an expert in the criminal justice system at my beck and call, though I sometimes wonder what people make of the conversations we have in restaurants! As a lawyer, he wants everything to be accurate; as a writer, I want everything to be dramatic. We generally manage to agree in the end.

Which classic novel have you always meant to read and never got round to it?

Ive come to terms with the fact that I may never read Proust. I sort of feel I should, but the motivation is lacking. And I was utterly defeated by The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It isnt even particularly long

What are your top five books of all time?

Bleak House by Charles Dickens, The Secret History by Donna Tartt, Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers, Madame, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart and the Pax Britannica trilogy by Jan Morris.

What book are you currently reading?

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, a phenomenal mystery with one of the first great detective characters to appear in fiction, Sergeant Cuff.

Do you have a favourite time of day to write? A favourite place?

I write in the mornings when its quiet usually between six and eight oclock and I often end up writing at the kitchen table. But I have written at all times of the day and night and in lots of strange places: trains, airports, cafes, in the garden, in bed, on the sofa while trying to find somewhere for the cat to sit that isnt actually on my laptop anywhere and everywhere.

Which fictional character would you most like to meet?

Captain Wentworth from Persuasion by Jane Austen.

Who, in your opinion, is the greatest writer of all time?

For the combination of intricate plotting, unforgettable characters, superb descriptions and his ability to define the era in which he was writing, I have to choose Dickens.

Other than writing, what other jobs or professions have you undertaken or considered?

I never seriously wanted to do anything but write or work with books, and Ive been lucky enough to do both. I did consider being a lawyer, a diplomat or a psychologist at various times, but publishing won out in the end. My worst ever job was being a sales assistant in the Christmas-tree section of a big Dublin department store. The Christmas music started in September, the customers were grumpy, and I was always covered in glitter by the end of the day, which got me some very odd looks on the bus. It took me a long time to recover my love for the festive season.

What are you working on at the moment?

Currently, Im working on my second crime novel, this time featuring a serial killer. Im juggling two first-person narratives in this one its a lot of fun!

I DIDNT GO out looking for her; I just couldnt stand to stay at home. Id left school as soon as the last class ended, avoiding the staffroom and going straight to the car park, where my tired little Renault started at the first time of asking. It was the first thing that had gone right all day.

I usually didnt leave straight after school. I had got into the habit of staying behind in my quiet classroom. Sometimes I worked on lesson plans or marked homework. Often I would just sit and gaze out of the window. The silence would press against my ears as if I was fathoms below sea level. There was nothing to make me resurface; I had no children to rush home to, no husband to see. All that was waiting for me at home was grief, in every sense of the word.