Caitlin asked Eileen Cook:

Was "With Malice" inspired by the Amanda Knox trial?

Eileen Cook Hi Caitlin-

The original draft of the book took place here, but as I was writing the book I felt like it was missing something. I remembered when I was in university I did a semester abroad and how it was amazing, but also unsettling as that was the first time I'd ever been so far out of my own element. I decided to re-write the story having the accident happen overseas.

At that time I was planning a trip to Italy so I could combine my travel with book research. When I go somewhere I love to read books about, or set in, the location I plan to see. I read a book called The Monster of Florence which mentioned the Amanda Knox trial. That got me interested in that subject and I read a bunch more. Her trial was what motivated me to add the media interest and how people who didn't have any direct knowledge of what happened had really strong opinions into my book.

So the Amanda Knox trial didn't inspire the book, but it certainly shaped the final outcome. It's all proof that when writing one thing often can lead to another- which can make a huge difference in the end!

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