Virginia Trench is the author of the psychological thrillers Our Secrets Were Safe and Mr. Disappear. She studied English at Vanderbilt University and earned a master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Colorado Boulder. A Colorado resident, Trench draws on the state’s dramatic landscapes in her suspense fiction. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys exploring the Rocky Mountains and reading crime novels.
- MR. DISAPPEAR begins with a frighteningly recognizable premise: a man who transforms himself into precisely the person his intended victim wants to meet. What first gave you the idea for this character?
I watched The Tinder Swindler on Netflix and was absolutely blown away (and furious) because of the lack of consequences for the con man’s despicable scheme. Both fraud, something that’s notoriously difficult to legally prosecute, and the type of person who commits that type of crime are fascinating to me and proved irresistible in developing a story in which victims get mad … and get even.
- Con artists often succeed not because their victims are naïve, but because they are exceptionally skilled at identifying ordinary human needs and vulnerabilities. Was that distinction important to you while developing the novel?
Absolutely. It’s also worth noting that people are much more credulous than we would like to think we are. In researching this book, I learned that our instinct to trust originates from a tribal survival mechanism and is conditioned through modern markers of status and affirmation of pre-existing belief systems. All it takes is the right story. It doesn’t matter if you work on Wall Street, are casually perusing a dating app, or just want your version of the American Dream—when someone comes along with exactly what you want to hear, we tend to be all ears.
- Rhys is charismatic enough to be convincing but dangerous enough to remain unsettling. How did you write from his perspective without allowing his charm to obscure the damage he causes?
Rhys has no conscience and complete disdain for all that’s truly good in the world. That brought his criminality front and center, whether he was doing a mindfulness exercise, drinking green juice, texting a potential mark, or fleeing the scene of one of his crimes. Rhys’s fundamentally sociopathic, Machiavellian nature guides his every decision throughout the book, and that dastardly motivation ended up speaking for itself despite the veneer of charm on the page.
- Alex, Liz, and Quinn each encounter the hunt for Mr. Disappear from a very different position. What interested you about bringing these three women together?
Despite their very different personalities and backgrounds, all three women enter the story in a state of isolation, whether they realize it or not. None of them realize just how much they have to offer the world (and each other), and that changes by the end of the novel, which was a joy to write.
- A Reddit community plays an important role in recognizing Rhys’s pattern and tracking his movements. What research did you do into online communities devoted to exposing scammers and abusive partners?
Online true crime communities have become a force to be reckoned with, and I’m so here for it. To write this book, I dove into Reddit rabbit holes, “Are We Dating the Same Man?” social media pages, and half a dozen or so books and podcasts dedicated to exposing scammers of many different stripes. In every case, there was something fundamentally human—pure, raw, and vulnerable—about the desire to believe, which makes scammers all the more loathsome and deserving of every bit of exposure and public shaming they get (ideally paired with prison).
- Liz is a former journalist attempting to reclaim part of herself while dealing with postpartum depression. How did her journalistic instincts shape both her investigation and her personal journey?
They did and they didn’t. In the depths of her postpartum depression, it’s hard for Liz to access parts of her identity that existed before she became a mom. I’ve experienced this firsthand, and it’s one of the hardest parts of adjusting to parenthood. Slowly, though, as she gets more and more invested in the case (and in Quinn), those parts of her start to wake up, she remembers who she is, and those journalistic instincts start kicking back in.
- Much of the novel takes place in and around Denver. What did the Colorado setting contribute to the atmosphere and suspense?
I live here, and I love this state so much. It always helps to know a setting in order to write it, and Colorado has so many different stories to tell. Besides, I’m a sucker for bitter cold and falling snow in thrillers … there are fewer places for the characters to hide.
- MR. DISAPPEAR unfolds through several points of view, including that of the con artist himself. What were the challenges of controlling the pace and withholding information while moving among those perspectives?
One of these days, I’ll get one of those corkboards with red string connecting all the different timelines, theories, and players in the story. Maybe that will make it easier? We’ll see. The best method I’ve found for navigating a multi-POV story is to isolate each character’s arc in the larger overall story. I come back to asking myself: what does this individual want, perceive, or know that makes them an essential piece of the puzzle, but not the entire picture?
- Without giving away the ending, was there a scene or revelation that changed significantly as you revised the novel?
The dynamics between Liz, Alex, and Quinn evolved most throughout the writing process. Each character has so many layers, and they surprised me the most as I crafted their journeys both as individuals and as a kick-ass team.
- What do you hope readers will be thinking about after they finish MR. DISAPPEAR?
Real-life connection matters more than ever in our digital age. I hope this book prompts a phone call, coffee date, or two. Check on your friend who just had a baby and see how they’re doing. FaceTime your friend from college. Show up. Then, obviously, pick up the next book on your TBR.
- Finally, what are you working on next?
Something sinister that involves a textbook Karen 😉
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