See How They Fall: A Debut Thriller

See How They Fall by Rachel Paris

Author Interview + Book & Author Info + Author Pet Corner!Don’t miss any ITW Debut Author interviews! Click the link here.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.

To purchase your copy of See How They Fall click any of the following links:  Amazon, B&N, and Bookshop.org.Interview with See How They Fall Author Rachel Paris

 

See How They Fall centers on Skye Turner. What would you like readers to know about her?

Skye Turner  has married into the super-wealthy Turner family — the owners of a global luxury goods empire — and she and her husband Duncan are parents to a six-year-old daughter, Tilly. However, Skye comes from a very different background to her husband, so she still feels like an outsider, walking on eggshells around her in-laws.

When a shocking tragedy occurs at the start of the book, Skye’s sense of reality begins to disintegrate as she questions whether or not she can trust her husband while doing everything in her power to protect her young daughter. Skye is definitely a complex character with flaws and secrets, but she is also strong and courageous, and her love for Tilly is at the heart of the story.

 

See How They Fall brings Seargent Mei O’Connor into the picture to investigate an incident at the Turner family retreat. What would you like readers to know about Mei?

Mei O’Connor is a detective whose life is in freefall when we meet her: her partner has left her for his colleague, her mother is terminally ill, and she’s dealing with challenging coworkers. To top it all off, Mei is drawn into the high-profile Turner homicide which is a media feeding frenzy.

When Mei starts investigating, she quickly realises that there is more to the Turners than meets the eye, but she faces blowback from her senior colleagues who are under pressure to solve the case quickly. Mei is sassy and stubborn and has a maverick streak, but she is also a woman of huge integrity. And she’s a lot fo fun. If I could go out for a drink with any of my characters, I’d definitely choose Mei!

 

See How They Fall digs into family dynamics in a wealthy dynasty. What drew you to that kind of conflict for your debut novel? 

Where there is extreme wealth, there is often also extreme power, and power tends to corrupt. The collision of pots of money, power and corruption makes the world of the super-rich a juicy setting for a high-stakes drama. It’s also a reminder that appearances can be deceiving, and that a perfect façade often masks a grubby underbelly.

So loads of interesting territory for a writer.

 

Tell us about your road to publication with See How They Fall :

I had a very lucky and quite unusual road to publication. I began writing the book during my MFA, and my lecturer shared a sample of my manuscript with some publishers. I was extremely lucky that I received multiple direct publication offers off the back of that process and was spared the agony of the querying and submission process.

Hachette bought the world rights to the book and licensed the US rights to Penzler Publisher’s Scarlet imprint. I went through three rounds of combined edits with my Australian, New Zealand and US editors over the course of about 8 months and now my Word document is an actual book which is still super hard to believe!

 

In your previous career, you were a finance lawyer. How did that career set you up for writing twisty suspense?

My legal background definitely helped me with the research, and it gave me the discipline to finish the manuscript at points in the process that I might otherwise have been tempted to abandon it. And, although most of the people I worked with during my international career as a finance lawyer were wonderful, I definitely encountered some powerful and wealthy individuals who inspired the less savory characters in See How They Fall.

 

What are you working on now?

Another murder-mystery involving toxic rich people, but this time the main characters are three sisters in their forties. I want to really explore the pressures on women in midlife, female friendships and the sisterhood bond. The working title is Triumph & Disaster.

 

Words of Wisdom for aspiring writers:

I have three tips:

First, it’s never too late to begin. Ever. 

Second, do not give up! The writing process can be difficult, lonely and riddled with self-doubt, but if it is something you are compelled to do, then you must persevere. Over time, you will learn to love the agony and the ecstasy of the process. 

Third, read, read and read some more. The best way to improve your craft is to pay attention to how others tell their stories so you can learn what works and avoid what does not.

Great advice! Congratulations on your debut.

 

Author Pet Corner!Arthur, Max, and Coco!

I am the proud mama of Arthur, a rescue cat, who is about to celebrate his 20th birthday. Arthur was our first child and has learned to cope with three human children and two dogs in his household.

He has lived at least nine lives and had an ear amputated last year (due to skin cancer) and still rules the roost.

 

We also have Max and Coco, our inseparable cavoodles. They are my constant shadows and I adore them. Max is 8 years old, emotionally complex  and a very good boy. Coco is 5 years old, full of mischief and obsessed with Arthur the cat — an obsession which is sadly unrequited.

See How They Fall Author Rachel Paris

Rachel Paris’s debut novel, See How They Fall, was published by Hachette in Australasia in April 2025 and was an instant #1 bestseller.

It will be published by Penzler Publishers in the United States in May 2025, and a Hollywood production company is developing the work for a returning series. In 2024, Rachel graduated with a Master of Creative Writing (First Class Honours) from the University of Auckland and received the Phoenix Prize for the best creative portfolio.

Rachel came to writing after an international legal career. She holds a Master of Laws from Harvard, and practised law in London for many years before returning to her native New Zealand.

For almost a decade, she was a banking and finance partner at a major law firm and received a Sir Peter Blake Emerging Leader Award for her advocacy work for the advancement of female lawyers.

Rachel also served for 10 years as a trustee of a contemporary theatre company. She currently lives in Auckland with her family. 

To learn more about Rachel, click any of the following links: Website, Instagram, and Facebook.Elena Hartwell/Elena Taylor

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