Lydia asked Caroline Kepnes:

What would you define as Joe's mental state? As in, he's definitely got many traits of being a sociopath, but if you were a Psychologist, what would you 'diagnose' him with? Also, do you think he would be perceived as an odd or different kind of person if a stranger were to see him in public, or would he be seen as just an average looking guy? Especially from the perspective of someone who created him!

Caroline Kepnes I was just talking about this the other day! Part of where I get thrown off sometimes when people ask about potential casting is that for me, Joe is above all someone who makes an impression on you. I've always thought less about his looks than his overall presence. You would walk in and feel him looking at you, taking you in. He's kind of charged, the opposite of someone who's distracted. I studied Abnormal Psychology and I see elements of sociopath and also Borderline. That's why in Hidden Bodies, I had him diagnosing Beck as Borderline in the first chapter. I loved the idea of him projecting his own issues onto his ex. And of course, sociopaths can be so charming that you don't realize what they're up too. I've researched a lot about the theory of "psychic vampires" too. That's a fascinating area to read about, the idea of people who suck you dry and you don't realize why you're falling apart around them. And it's not like they're doing this on purpose, but they dazzle you and drain you. Also, I'm always drawn to the undefinable kind of break-the-books side of a character. And Joe interests me so much because he's also so sensitive and empathetic. I wanted to explore sensitivity. It's like, the good news is, he feels things deeply. Of course, this is also the bad news, as is so often the case!

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