What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?
I wanted to write about what it would feel like to come home after twenty-five years—and what it would feel like to be the people who had spent those twenty-five years wondering whether you were alive or dead. Jessie Carver has been part of the Windermere story from the beginning, even when he wasn’t physically there. Claire and Elias never stopped carrying him with them, Jessie never stopped thinking about them, and Finch was the one person who knew both sides of that story.
What interested me most wasn’t simply why Jessie disappeared. It was what twenty-five years of absence does to friendship, family, guilt, and loyalty—and whether coming home can ever give you back what was lost. At its heart, this book is about people finally getting the chance to say the things they waited far too long to say.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be? (Meant to be fun. Skip if you need to!)
Jessie Carver — “The Long and Winding Road,” The Beatles. Twenty-five years away, and everything keeps leading him back home.
Claire Bennett — “The Climb,” Miley Cyrus. Claire keeps moving forward regardless of what Windermere throws at her. Elias Monroe — “I Won’t Back Down,” Tom Petty. That is Elias in about five words.
Finch — “The Sound of Silence,” Simon & Garfunkel. He knows more than he says, watches everyone, and carries secrets for a very long time.
Parker Johnson — “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” Pat Benatar. Because Parker would probably consider that an invitation.
Windermere itself — “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” John Denver. Because sooner or later, everybody seems to find their way home.
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I enjoy mysteries, especially stories where the mystery involves ordinary people rather than superheroes. I like trying to figure out what happened, but I care just as much about why people made the choices they made.
That is also what I enjoy writing. The Windermere books have murders, secrets, investigations, courtroom battles, and old records, but the mystery is really the framework. What interests me most is loyalty, friendship, public service, second chances, and what people are willing to do for their community. I want readers to keep turning pages because they want the answer—but I also want them to care about the people who are looking for it.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
Mostly history. I have always enjoyed reading about real people, real events, and the decisions that changed what happened next. I think that probably carries over into my mysteries. I am fascinated by the idea that the past never completely disappears. There is usually a record somewhere, a person who remembers, or a consequence that shows up years later.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
My favorite scenes are the ones where the mystery stops being about evidence for a moment and becomes about the people. In this book, I especially enjoyed writing the moments involving Jessie and the people who had waited so many years for answers. After twenty-five years, there are things that cannot be fixed with one conversation, but there are things that can finally be said. Those scenes meant the most to me.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
I take care of two dogs, so apparently my writing schedule is actually their schedule. I can be in the middle of solving a murder, uncovering a conspiracy, or writing an important courtroom scene, and one of them will decide that this is exactly the moment I should get up and open the door. They are very good at making sure I do not take myself—or my writing—too seriously.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
Kindness is the key to a good life—for yourself and for others. I believe the way we treat people matters, especially when there is nothing in it for us. A little kindness can change somebody’s day, and sometimes much more than that.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
I spent time in the Navy and was sometimes away from home for six months to a year. One of the things I learned was that coming home is not as simple as returning to the place you left. The people you love have continued living and changing while you were gone—and so have you. You have to find your place in each other’s lives again. That feeling is something I wanted readers to understand in this book. Sometimes the hardest part of leaving is not the goodbye. It is learning how to come home.
Thomas Vale is the author of the new book The Legacy We Keep (The Legacy Series Book 5)
