The Sentinel (Jack Reacher #25) - Lee Child Page 0,132

thing, but whatever. History. Who cares?’

Reacher thought for a moment. He had just left Nashville, and he had a rule. Never go back. It rarely ends well. But he had been making a few exceptions recently. They had all worked out OK. And if he made another one now he could go to a club.

Catch a band.

Make sure they got paid.

Read on for a Q&A with

Lee Child

and

Andrew Child

How did you find collaborating on The Sentinel?

LC: Sitting down together to write The Sentinel felt like the final phase of a twenty-five-year process. When I finished the first Reacher book, Killing Floor, I showed it to my wife and daughter, who were loyal and enthusiastic, but neither of them was a natural thriller reader, so next I showed it to Andrew, for what I felt would be an informed opinion. I knew it would have been really tough for him to criticize his big brother’s work, but equally I knew he would if necessary. He’s like that. But fortunately he approved, and from then on Reacher became a kind of family property … almost like another brother. So in the end the collaboration felt pretty easy.

AC: I found the writing hard – Lee sets a very high bar! – but the collaboration part came much more naturally than I’d expected. I haven’t written anything with anyone else for years – decades! – because in the past when I tried I always felt like I was swimming against the tide. I was always out of step with my partners and none of my ideas seemed to mesh with theirs. But with Lee we were in sync from minute one and remained that way throughout.

What was it like writing a novel during the Covid-19 lockdown?

LC: A lot of it was mapped out and written before lockdown, but those enforced nothing-else-to-do months were really helpful, actually, in terms of focus and concentration.

AC: The lockdown meant that we had less face-to-face contact than I’d expected while we were writing, meaning more had to be done via Zoom and text etc., but I agree that the opportunity for total immersion in the creative process was very beneficial.

Andrew, what was Lee like growing up?

AC: I have few memories of us living together due to the difference in our ages but there is one incident that will always stay with me. I was about five and my father was mad with me due to some childish misdemeanour I’d committed. Lee was the only one who took my side, and in the aftermath we struck a deal: he would always stand up for me, and I would always stand up for him. I had very little in common with the rest of my family so as I grew up I saw Lee very much as a beacon of hope – proof that it was possible to find your own path in life, have fun, and be a success.

And Lee, same question about Andrew!

LC: I was a teenager when he was born. I had girlfriends and was going to gigs and parties all the time. But he was a cute baby, and soon developed a fascinating personality … stubborn, obstinate, opinionated, but funny, too. From the start he had to carve out his own space in a crowded house. I had a good time hanging out with him. And he was good practice for having my own kid later. One time I babysat for him when he was a few months old, he wouldn’t sleep because he had a cold. So I held him upside down by the ankles until all the snot drained out, and then he slept like a log. A useful technique. Then I left home, so really he grew up a friend rather than a brother, because we weren’t under the same roof all the time, with all the usual sibling issues.

There’s quite an age gap between you. Did you find that creatively useful?

LC: Totally, and that’s very much the point of the transition. As a writer I’m aware now of the world passing me by somewhat, and I wanted the series to get a shot of more contemporary energy. Having Andrew on board is like mysteriously waking up fifteen years younger, full of ideas and passion. It’s like meeting a younger me.

AC: The situation is a complete turnaround for me. As the youngest in the family I was always aware of being the slowest, the least qualified, the least experienced. And now, for the first time