I Don’t Forgive You, a domestic thriller by ITW Debut Author Program author Aggie Blum Thompson
Author Interview + I Don’t Forgive You & Author Info + Pet Corner
I Don’t Forgive You
Perfect for book clubs or the beach, Aggie Blum Thompson’s I Don’t Forgive You is a page-turning, thrilling debut “not to be missed.” (Wendy Walker)
An accomplished photographer and the devoted mom of an adorable little boy, Allie Ross has just moved to an upscale DC suburb, the kind of place where parenting feels like a competitive sport. Allie’s desperate to make a good first impression. Then she’s framed for murder.
It all starts at a neighborhood party when a local dad corners Allie and calls her by an old, forgotten nickname from her dark past. The next day, he is found dead.
Soon, the police are knocking at her door, grilling her about a supposed Tinder relationship with the man, and pulling up texts between them. She learns quickly that she’s been hacked and someone is impersonating her online. Her reputation—socially and professionally—is at stake; even her husband starts to doubt her.
As the killer closes in, Allie must reach back into a past she vowed to forget in order to learn the shocking truth of who is destroying her life.
To purchase I Don’t Forgive You, click on any of the following links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble & IndieBound
I Don’t Forgive You — The Interview
Tell us about your road to publication with I Don’t Forgive You:
Getting I Don’t Forgive You published was pretty straight forward.
Several agents were interested and I was even lucky enough to have several offers on the manuscript. But this came after years of ups and downs, near hits, and almost maybes.
Like many writers, I have a drawer full of writing that went nowhere, and numerous rejections. All part of the process!
What should readers know about Allie Ross?
She’s everywoman in a way.
Like so many women, Allie is pulled in many different directions—as a mother, a daughter, an employee, a friend—and it doesn’t take much to send all those spinning plates toppling.
Of course, being framed for murder can throw anyone off their game!
You set the novel in Washington D.C. How does that environment impact the events in the story?
I think of my book as “suburban noir.” All of the qualities that make the suburbs appealing—knowing your neighbors, living in a like-minded community, everyone dipping in and out of each other’s lives—get twisted in my book until they are dark and sordid.
And there is a very specific D.C. vibe—a lot of high-powered and type-A people who bring that intense energy to child-rearing and their everyday life.
Suspense, domestic thrillers, mysteries . . . these genres require intense plotting and character development. How do you balance a tight plot with a relatable character?
It’s a delicate balance. I take a sort of “two steps forward, one step back” approach where I focus on the plot for a while and then turn my attention to what my main character is feeling and going through emotionally. It has to feel authentic on both fronts.
How did your time as a newspaper reporter prepare you to write a novel?
Working as a newspaper reporter was terrific training for writing novels.
First of all, I wrote. A lot. And I had to learn to write clearly and accurately.
There is simply no room to meander around the point in a newspaper story. And since I had to write so much, I learned how not to treat my writing as precious, how not to become too attached to it because there is always more writing to do.
And finally, to be a good reporter, I had to go out into the world, observe, listen and take note—skills that are also essential for becoming a decent novelist.
What are you working on now?
I am editing book number two, which will come out in the summer of 2022.
It’s another D.C. -based suspense/thriller, this time centered on two deaths that take place at Beach Week, twenty-five years apart. The book explores the themes of friendship and privilege.
“Never give up. Never give up. Never give up.”
Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:
Never give up. Never give up. Never give up.
Author Pet Corner!
Pistachio Ice Cream Thompson, known as Stash, is a hunky golden retriever.
I think of him as sort of that blonde frat guy at the party who is super-easy going and friendly, and may not realize that everyone is not quite as excited to be around him as he thinks they are.
Then there’s Eiffel Tower Strawberry Thompson, aka Fifi, a teeny, tiny runt-of-the-litter black cat who enjoys nothing more than knocking things off my bedside table and torturing the dog.
But she’s really good at curling up on my lap while I am writing, so I’ve forgiven her for stealing the drain cover from my bathroom sink and hiding it.
Aggie Blum Thompson, author of I Don’t Forgive You
Aggie worked as a newspaper reporter, covering cops, courts, and trials, with a healthy dose of the mundane mixed in.
Her writing has appeared in newspapers such as The Boston Globe and The Washington Post.
A native New Yorker, she now lives just over the Washington D.C. line in Bethesda, Maryland with her husband, two children, cat, and dog.
To learn more about Aggie, click on her name, photo, or any of the following links: Facebook & Instagram
Elena Taylor is the author of All We Buried, available now in print, e-book, and audio book format at all your favorite on-line retailers. And don’t forget many independent bookstores can order books for you and have them shipped to your home or for curbside pickup.
For more information on All We Buried, click on the link here to visit the home page.
Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery 2020
