Mystery Writer Mary Watson Discusses True Crime Case That Inspired Her Interest in Mystery Novels
In the suburban neighbourhood where Mary Watson grew up, amidst tidy single-story houses and neat front gardens, a field of brown scrub stretched across the road, and behind it, a row of factories hummed with activity. This seemingly ordinary setting, however, was the backdrop to an event that would forever change Watson's understanding of the world.
Watson, a renowned South African author, is best known for her adult thriller, "The Cleaner". Her novels delve into themes of violence and the ordinary, a fascination that seems to have its roots in her childhood.
As a child, Watson's favourite game was Clue, a murder mystery board game that sparked her enduring fascination with Agatha Christie novels. This fascination, it appears, mirrors her own writing style, as she weaves intricate murder mysteries that keep readers guessing.
However, Watson's interest in the darker side of human nature is not merely a passing fancy. At the age of 14, a neighbour was brutally murdered, just fifty meters from where Watson slept. The news of the violent knife attack was a shocking event that left an indelible mark on Watson's life.
The tragedy, Watson believes, is at the heart of "The Cleaner". She draws a connection between the midnight tragedy in her life and the stories she writes, suggesting that her fascination with how ordinary people can do terrible things is a reflection of her own experiences.
Watson's neighbourhood, despite the political turmoil of apartheid South Africa, was relatively safe. Yet, the murder served as a stark reminder that bad things could happen even behind the drawn curtains of nearby houses.
Interestingly, Watson was reading William Golding's "Lord of the Flies" around the time of the murder. The end of the novel, with its exploration of how civilisation can break down, resonated with Watson and may have influenced her worldview.
Today, Watson is rereading Agatha Christie novels as audiobooks, rekindling her childhood fascination. Her children, however, seem less captivated, listening to snippets but not sharing their mother's passion for the genre.
Despite the lack of explicit sourced information on the influence of the neighbour’s murder on Watson's writing or thematic interests, it is clear that her experiences have played a significant role in shaping her as an author. "The Cleaner" is a testament to Watson's ability to weave ordinary lives into a web of suspense and intrigue, making the ordinary terrifying and the terrifying ordinary.
- On some occasions, Mary Watson finds solace in health-and-wellness books, as she seeks to maintain her mental health in the midst of her fascination with crime-and-justice and violence.
- In between writing thrillers, Watson occasionally delves into general-news articles, searching for insights that might inspire her next literary endeavor, especially, stories that highlight the complexities of human nature.
- As a successful author, Mary Watson has ventured into the world of entertainment by collaborating with screenwriters to adapt her books into movies, bringing her suspenseful and intriguing narratives to a broader audience.
