Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Unwedding by Ally Condie

Book Description

Ellery Wainwright is alone at the edge of the world.

She and her husband, Luke, were supposed to spend their twentieth wedding anniversary together at the luxurious Resort at Broken Point in Big Sur, California. Where better to celebrate a marriage, a family, and a life together than at one of the most stunning places on earth?

But now she’s traveling solo.

To add insult to injury, there’s a wedding at Broken Point scheduled during her stay. Ellery remembers how it felt to be on the cusp of everything new and wonderful, with a loved and certain future glimmering just ahead. Now, she isn’t certain of anything except for her love for her kids and her growing realization that this place, though beautiful, is unsettling.

When Ellery discovers the body of the groom floating in the pool in the rain, she realizes that she is not the only one whose future is no longer guaranteed. Before the police can reach Broken Point, a mudslide takes out the road to the resort, leaving the guests trapped. When another guest dies, it’s clear something horrible is brewing.

Everyone at Broken Point has a secret. And everyone has a shadow. Including Ellery.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Unwedding by Ally Condie is her first attempt at adult fiction after being a successful young adult novelist.  There are themes of grief, loss, family, trust, and healing. The plot is a locked mystery since the characters are “locked” into a hotel.

The setting is a remote luxurious hotel in Big Sur, California.  Even though the main character, Ellery Wainwright, is surrounded by a cast of supporting characters she feels very much alone and lonely.  The characters are stuck, “locked,” at the hotel after a huge storm hits, closing off the guests from the rest of the world.  They are isolated with roads and bridges closed and no one able to rescue them for a few days.

Ellery decided to be a guest at the Broken Point resort since she had the reservations.  She and her husband, Luke, were supposed to spend their twentieth wedding anniversary together until he tells her he wants a quick divorce since he already has a girlfriend. Unfortunately for her, after deciding to go swimming in the pool she discovers a dead body.  It seems also at the resort is a wedding party.  But the “un-wedding” is real since the dead body was that of the groom, dying under suspect circumstances.  After another guest dies soon after, also under mysterious circumstances, she teams up with two guests who befriend her, Ravi and Nina. They become amateur sleuths trying to find the killer before more guests drop dead.

Readers see Ellery as relatable since she is suffering from heartbreak and a past trauma after witnessing the death of a bus accident victim. Her own life will never get the happily ever after.

The setting was very interesting, creating a sense of foreboding.  There were twists to the plot and the main character’s emotional state will tug at readers’ heartstrings.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: You are known for your YA books.  Is there a difference in how you write books for YA and adults?

Ally Condie: Yes and no.  I always come from the character initially. This is where stories start for me, having an idea of a person doing something in a situation. When writing adult books, I can write themes and issues not as relevant to younger people. But sometimes it was from a different perspective. This was not my first mystery.  I had previously written a juvenile mystery that was nominated for the Edgar Awards, titled Summerlost.

EC: Why mysteries?

AC: I have loved mysteries since I was a child. I read some Agatha Christies on a trip to England with my dad and sister. I have been a big reader of mysteries my whole life.

EC:  Do you think divorce plays a role in the plot?

AC:  In 2019 after I got divorced, I went on a trip by myself. I was sad since I had not expected the divorce and did not want it. I went on a trip to center myself and get away from everything. On the trip I found I was so lonely. I was paying attention to everyone there.

EC:  Is that where you got the idea for the story?

AC:  Yes. There was a wedding there.  I thought if there was a murder here, I would be the only person who could solve it. I am the only one paying attention to everyone else.  This is how I came up with the book idea. The rest of the week I plotted out the book and thought about a character in this situation. My experience was very different but some of the feelings between Ellery and myself are the same, particularly when the children are away. Suddenly I was missing out on a large chunk of their childhood. This feels painful. My ex-husband is not Luke.

EC: Is the book more plot oriented or character oriented?

AC: Both. Agatha Christie is the master of this, with a fantastic plot. The characters were also real.  I hoped the readers felt that the characters were flawed people who make mistakes but there is something appealing about them as well. 

EC:  Did you have a character you did not like?

AC: I wanted to like all of them in some way.  I was not sad when I figured out who the killer was.  Each of them had a motive and a secret.

EC:  How would you describe Ellery?

AC: She is, caring, anxious, an observer, and someone who connects the dots. She is very strong and has encountered a lot in her life, which comes to bear in the story.  For example, she was involved in an accident that made her who she is. She felt after it that her hard experience was behind her, and then she finds a dead body here at the hotel. But by the end of the book, she is happy to see there is joy that comes from unexpected places.

EC:  Other than Ellery who was your favorite character?

AC: Ravi.  He is smart, sarcastic, and has a heart of gold.  He is very urbane.  He compliments her because he has some life experiences she does not have and vice versa.

EC: What about the hotel?

AC:  It is based on a few hotels in Big Sur.  I have not stayed at them because they are so expensive but did eat dinner there.  There is one called Post Ranch Inn and another one Ventana Big Sur.

EC:  Why the Big Sur setting?

AC:  It is gorgeous and beautiful. The weather does play havoc there just as in the story.  Mudslides have taken out roads, bridges, and people had to be helicopter out.  The murder I added, but people have been trapped there for several days.

EC:  Next book?

AC: I am working on another adult and young novel plus four picture books coming out.

THANK YOU!!

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