Post #3 Expectations, Complexity, and Why I Write the Way I Do

We are now a month into the launch of The Cover Up, Book Two of Zone of Deceit trilogy. Book Three, Beyond the Beyond arrives in September (late July for those of you who want early access).

As more readers finish Cliffhanger and discover The Cover Up, reviews have begun to appear, including from people who have read both books. I read these reviews carefully, even when they're not complimentary. They often reveal something interesting about the relationship between a story and its audience. I've been thinking about the expectations that authors and readers bring to a book.

My approach to writing is rooted in discovery and verges on improvisation. I don't create detailed outlines or map every emotional turn in advance. I don't develop FAQs or build stories from whiteboards covered in plot points. I try to preserve an element of surprise as I write, for myself as much as for a future reader.

That doesn't mean structure isn't important. It is. Revision is where the pieces are tested and strengthened. But during the initial creative process, I'm interested in following characters into situations that feel alive and unpredictable.

Because of that, my books sometimes move differently than traditional thrillers. Mine contain conspiracies, mysteries, investigations, and danger, but they are equally interested in the emotional consequences that follow. What happens to a family after the catastrophe? What happens to a person after survival? What happens when the truth arrives and doesn't solve everything?

One reviewer called Cliffhanger "emotionally wrenching," adding that it "really connects the characters to the reader."

Another wrote, "What I really enjoyed was how relatable the characters felt. They make mistakes, have doubts, and their reactions to high-stress situations feel authentic."

A third observed that while the series is classified as a psychological thriller, that label is "too simplistic," noting that the story combines multiple genres in ways that challenge the reader while deepening the experience.

Those responses resonate with me because they recognize something I care deeply about: stories that are not only suspenseful, but human.

Other readers prefer it when action drives nearly every page. That's a perfectly valid preference. When a reader say there is "too much going on," I can understand what they mean. My books are intentionally layered. Family, politics, corruption, grief, recovery, history, and suspense all occupy the same space.

The question isn't which approach is right. It's a question of fit.

As a reader myself, I'm drawn to books that leave room for uncertainty and complexity. Books where the characters remain surprising. books where solving the mystery is only part of the journey.That's what I've tried to create in Zone of Deceit.

In future posts I'll talk about some of the writers whose work has inspired me—authors who combine suspense, character, and emotional depth in ways that continue to influence my own approach to storytelling.

'Til then, best wishes, Andy