Since it’s Halloween season, I figured there was no better time to post my Q&A with the author of Hawthorn Woods – an exciting thriller full of spooky mysteries and whodunits. The story follows a young divorcée named Francine Haddix who decides to escape the stress of her separation by house-sitting for her sister in the idyllic, Chicago suburb of Hawthorn Woods. Despite her short stay, Francine is quickly swept up into a tight-knit community teeming with surprising secrets and a few not-so-nice neighbors.
Other than the captivating plot and detailed setting, my favorite thing about Hawthorn Woods is the author. Pat Canning’s ability to paint the scene, draw in the reader, and push the story forward is quite remarkable. As a fellow writer, I am always amazed by his wordsmanship! When it comes to books, whether it be fiction or self-help, I am a judgmental reader who cannot stand poor grammar and bland writing. Lucky for me, Canning’s style is quite the opposite. So even if you don’t love thrillers, Hawthorn Woods is worth the time and money simply to experience easy-to-read, smart writing full of wit, humor, and charm. And yes, I may be a bit biased because (full transparency, folks) Pat Canning just so happens to be a close friend from college. However, if you know me at all – I would never promote someone or something that I didn’t genuinely admire.
SO WHO IS PATRICK CANNNG
Patrick Canning is the author of several novels, including Cryptofauna (2018), The Colonel and the Bee (2018), Hawthorn Woods (2020), and Cryptonalia (2021). He has also published several short stories. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys playing beach volleyball, following space exploration, and losing at bar trivia. Some of his favorite authors include Bill Watterson, Liane Moriarty, David Foster Wallace, Stephen King, and Kurt Vonnegut. Patrick lives in Los Angeles with his Australian Shepherd, Hank, who some consider to be the greatest dog of all time.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
When did you get into novel writing?
Probably eight years ago, though it took about five years to get my first book out. Now I’m trying to put out a book a year (give or take).
This might be a toughie, but do you have a favorite book?
It regularly changes, but I can almost always re-read Neuromancer, A Confederacy of Dunces, and Cat’s Cradle.
Okay, time to dive into your novel, Hawthorn Woods…
I’ve never read a book with such short chapters. I don’t know if this was intentional or stylistic, but regardless – I sure liked it! If I ever write a novel, I am going to implement this tactic because it easily convinces the reader to keep going since the next chapter is less than 10 pages. I ended up reading much more of your novel in each session than most books I’ve recently read due in part to the chapter length and of course, the quality of the writing! So way to go for pulling the reader in!
I don’t know if it has to do with modern attention spans or what, but short chapters seem to be the preferred style for page-turner books like this. I think a lot of readers appreciate a format that allows them to easily jump in and out of the text, which I’d say is great as long as it’s appropriate for the story.
I enjoyed a lot of the characters, but I think my favorite is Bruno. And as a VERY close second, I would actually pick Hawthorn Woods itself! I know you grew up there, but you do such a wonderful job of describing the neighborhood that it truly becomes one of the main characters and not just a setting – at least in my opinion. Who would you say is your favorite character and why?
The setting was one of the main reasons I wanted to tell the story, to try and recreate what it felt like being a kid in that place and time. A lot of the details actually got parsed down in editing to keep the story flowing, but the setting is still one of my favorite aspects of the book. Characterwise, I have to go with Francine. I like how she always rolls with the punches and sticks it out ’till the end.
What do your friends and family who grew up in Hawthorn Woods think of the story?
Many were very nice and said it rang true to how they remembered the actual neighborhood. A few of them also helped supply some of the details during the writing process, so maybe they were just patting themselves on the back. I’ll take the compliment either way.
I’m glad they took it well and that some were even a part of the creative process. Plus, how could they be anything but happy for you – the story is fiction after all 😉
Did you have a specific message or theme that you wanted to get across while writing this story?
I wanted it to mostly be about heartbreak and mental health, though those are obviously nested inside the mysteries of the main story. I think the book ended up being more focused on the plot and narrative, but I hope readers can still find value in some of the issues involved.
I, for one, was very happy to see mental health as a through line in the story even if it wasn’t always the main focus. Any piece of art that brings attention to and destigmatizes this very common struggle is a positive in my eyes!
I think there should be a sequel? How about you?
I’d love to do one, just waiting to see if a story is there. I’d like to find Francine and Bruno working together on a new case and see how their detective skills have progressed, along with their relationship.
There is absolutely a story there, and I, personally, can’t wait to see what the future holds for these two characters.
WORKING ON ANYTHING NEW AS OF LATE?
I have a new contemporary fantasy book called “Cryptonalia” that comes out November 9th. It’s the second book in my “Cryptofauna” series, which will likely end up being three books. It’s very different from Hawthorn Woods, but I figure if I like writing both of them, there’s probably someone who will like reading both of them.
Amazing! I look forward to reading it.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I noticed that Liane Moriarty is one of your favorite authors. I’m curious if you’ve seen the television adaptation of Nine Perfect Strangers on Hulu? The reason I ask is that the TV writers added something that wasn’t in the book. I’m thinking that someone in the writer’s room read your novel, got inspired, and incorporated this one element into the series 😉 Two words (without me giving too much away): Offed Quadruped!
I have not seen Nine Perfect Strangers yet. I didn’t like the book very much, but the show could still be great! And yes, there’s no question they got all their good ideas from Hawthorn Woods.
Yes, in comparison to Big Little Lies – Nine Perfect Strangers falls a bit short. Television wise – I’ll watch anything with Nicole Kidman!! And yes, all good ideas come from Hawthorn Woods 😉
AND THERE YOU HAVE IT
I hope you enjoyed my brief book review and Q&A with Patrick Canning as much as I did! If you love a fun, mystery novel or simply appreciate good writing, Hawthorn Woods is an excellent read! Get your copy today via the website below.
You can find Pat on Instagram @catpanning &
learn more about his writing at www.patrickcanningbooks.com.
HOMEMADE IN LA 