London Writers' Salon #197: Chris Pavone — Writing the Modern Thriller, Sustaining Tension Over Action, and Defining Success on Your Own Terms
Chris Pavone, Edgar Award–winning novelist and former publishing editor, discusses defining a book’s clear lane and rebuilding drafts from scratch. He explains editing to make a story bigger, sustaining slow-burning tension over nonstop action, and turning a single building into a portrait of a city. He also reflects on planning endings, managing multiple viewpoints, and what success looks like for a working novelist.
01:08:46
Edit To Make Books Bigger Not Just Less Bad
- Editing has two directions: make a book less bad and make it better by adding more emotion, tension, or complexity.
- Chris prioritises the "make it bigger" stage to layer stakes, not merely cut flaws.
Bestseller Felt Like A Publisher Win
- Chris treated bestseller status as a publishing success driven by his publisher's marketing, not solely his achievement.
- He felt gratitude because bestseller placement validated his publisher's investment and secured a two-book deal for stability.
Announce A Mystery Then Make Readers Wait
- Stating an event on page one and then making readers wait creates sustained curiosity; Pavone admires openings like To Kill a Mockingbird.
- The Doorman opens by signalling a death and then asks readers to watch how it unfolds.
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Intro
00:00 • 2min
Chris's publishing background
01:51 • 4min
Working across genres in publishing
05:30 • 44sec
Balancing editing and writing
06:14 • 56sec
A failed first novel and genre clarity
07:10 • 3min
Origin of The Expats
10:13 • 7min
Spy fiction's core: betrayal and intimacy
16:47 • 33sec
Rewriting The Expats from scratch
17:21 • 1min
Early readers who reshaped the book
18:39 • 3min
Make a book bigger, not just less bad
21:31 • 4min
Adding suspense: theme-driven expansion
25:02 • 3min
Publishing reality and managing expectations
28:17 • 6min
Pitch for The Doorman
34:06 • 48sec
Opening line strategy
34:54 • 3min
Planning endings and being wrong
38:19 • 4min
Pacing reveals and the value of tension
42:13 • 8min
Sustaining fear without constant action
49:59 • 5min
Worldbuilding and New York novels
55:06 • 3min
Managing multiple viewpoints
58:03 • 6min
Defining personal success as a novelist
01:04:03 • 4min
Outro
01:07:47 • 51sec
#57
• Mentioned in 317 episodes
The great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Published in 1925, 'The Great Gatsby' is a tragic love story, a mystery, and a social commentary on American life during the Jazz Age. The novel is narrated by Nick Carraway, who moves to Long Island and becomes entangled in the lives of his wealthy and mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby, and Gatsby's obsession to win back his first love, Daisy Buchanan.
The story delves into themes of honesty, the temptations of wealth, and the struggle to escape the past, ultimately reflecting on the disintegration of the American Dream.
#44704
• Mentioned in 2 episodes
The Travelers
CHRIS PAVONE
The Travelers follows Will Rhodes, a travel writer for the magazine *Travelers*, who finds himself caught in a web of international intrigue after a chance encounter in Argentina.
As he navigates through Europe and beyond, Will uncovers a massive conspiracy that threatens everything he thought he knew about his life and work.
The novel is a twisty thriller filled with deception and suspense, exploring themes of marriage, career, and identity.
#117
• Mentioned in 219 episodes
To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a classic novel that explores themes of racial injustice, childhood innocence, and moral courage in the American South.
The story is narrated by Scout Finch, a young girl who witnesses the trial of Tom Robinson, a Black man falsely accused of a crime.
Lee's powerful storytelling captures the complexities of race relations in the Jim Crow South, highlighting the prejudice and injustice faced by Black people.
The novel's enduring appeal lies in its exploration of universal themes of empathy, compassion, and the importance of standing up for what is right.
It remains a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggle for racial equality in America.
#1037
• Mentioned in 50 episodes
The bonfire of the vanities
Tom Wolfe
The Bonfire of the Vanities is a drama that centers on three main characters: Sherman McCoy, a WASP bond trader; Larry Kramer, a Jewish assistant district attorney; and Peter Fallow, a British expatriate journalist.
The novel explores the complexities of New York City in the 1980s, delving into themes of ambition, racism, social class, politics, and greed.
It was originally conceived as a serial in the style of Charles Dickens and ran in 27 installments in Rolling Stone before being published in book form.
The story follows the characters through their interactions and conflicts, highlighting the superficial values and hypocrisies of the city's elite and the underlying social tensions of the time.
#855
• Mentioned in 57 episodes
Invisible Man
Ralph Ellison
In 'Invisible Man,' Ralph Ellison tells the story of a nameless black protagonist who navigates the surreal and often hostile world of 20th-century America.
The novel begins with the narrator living in an underground room, reflecting on his life and the various ways he has experienced social invisibility.
He recounts his journey from a small Southern town to Harlem, involving experiences with racism, a brutal 'battle royal,' and his involvement with the Brotherhood, a civil rights group.
The narrative delves into themes of identity, power, and the struggle for self-definition in a society that refuses to see him.
Through his experiences, the narrator grapples with the complexities of being a black man in America, ultimately leading to a profound exploration of invisibility and the search for one's true self.
#127426
The Expat
Hansen Shi
The Expat is a spy novel that delves into themes of identity, high-tech immigration, and US-China conflicts.
It follows Michael Wang, a Princeton graduate working at General Motors, who becomes embroiled in industrial espionage after moving to China.
The novel explores the complexities of loyalty and self-actualization in a world of geopolitical tensions.
#19987
• Mentioned in 4 episodes
The Dorman
CHRIS PAVONE
#79664
Two Nights in Lisbon
Chris Pavone
Two Nights in Lisbon, by Chris Pavone, is a fast-paced thriller that follows a man drawn into a dangerous conspiracy during two nights in the Portuguese capital.
The novel blends personal stakes and political intrigue as characters confront secrets and betrayal.
Introduced in the podcast as part of Pavone's bibliography, it exemplifies his work combining character depth with suspenseful plotting.
The book explores themes of trust, deception, and the consequences of hidden pasts through international settings and tense encounters.
It contributes to Pavone's reputation for literary-leaning thrillers with complex plots.
#102691
The Paris Diversion
Chris Pavone
The Paris Diversion, by Chris Pavone, is a thriller set in Paris that interweaves personal betrayals with espionage and criminal elements.
The novel follows characters whose lives collide amid geopolitical tensions and private deceptions, reflecting Pavone's interest in intimate betrayals with wide consequences.
Mentioned in the episode intro as part of Pavone's bibliography, it demonstrates his focus on character-driven suspense in international settings.
The book examines trust, identity, and the fallout from secrets through taut plotting and rich atmosphere.
It reinforces Pavone's reputation for blending literary sensibility with thriller mechanics.
#10702
• Mentioned in 7 episodes
The Accidental
Ali Smith
Edgar Award–winning novelist Chris Pavone on creating tension that never lets up, editing a book to make it bigger rather than just better, and turning a single apartment building into a portrait of a whole city.
You'll learn
- Why every book has to be one clear thing before it can be anything else.
- How two decades of editing other people’s books prepares you to write your own.
- The offhand note from a legendary editor that quietly transformed a debut, and why the vaguest feedback can be the most useful.
- What it means to edit a book to make it bigger, not just to make it less bad.
- Why tension, not speed, is what truly keeps a reader turning pages.
- A counterintuitive case for telling readers what’s coming on page one, then making them wait for it.
- How to keep generating questions and withholding answers without ever feeling coy.
- The one-page document worth months of tinkering before a single chapter gets written.
- What turns a story set in a city into a genuine portrait of that city.
- When to separate your hopes from your expectations, and what success can actually look like for a working novelist.
Resources & Links
- Chris Pavone’s Website
- Chris’ Newsletter
- The Doorman
- Ernest Hemingway
- Doubleday Publishing
- John Grisham
- The Expats
- Pat Conroy
- Jamaica Kincaid
- Knopf Publishing
- Adele Parks
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- James Bond Films
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
- The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe
- Jack Reacher by Lee Child
About Chris Pavone
Chris Pavone is the New York Times bestselling author of The Doorman, Two Nights in Lisbon, The Paris Diversion, The Travelers, The Accident, and The Expats, winner of the Edgar and Anthony Awards for best first novel. He was a book editor for nearly two decades and lives in New York City with his family.
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