Meet the Author: Heidi Perks

Image © Andy Rapkins

Heidi Perks had her first book, Now You See Her published by Century in 2018 and it became a Sunday Times Bestseller and a Richard and Judy book club pick. In 2021 she received a silver Nielsen bestseller award for selling over 250,000 copies.

Since then she has published a string of bestsellers including Come Back for Me, Three Perfect Liars and The Whispers. Heidi's latest book is The Last Resort which was published by Penguin in December. You can find The Last Resort and all of Heidi's books on our catalogue.

Who were your influences as you were growing up and did you have books around you as a child or use a library?

I had loads of books around me as a child. I used to visit the local library weekly and can remember it so well. We couldn’t afford new books the rate I got through them, and so the library was a lifesaver. I was always reading books like the Famous Five, Secret Seven, Nancy Drew so even then I was interested in mystery stories.

When did your interest in writing really develop and what was your journey to publication?

In primary school I used to love writing stories and probably more so poems. This waned through secondary, but when I was in my twenties I remember coming up with ideas for books but never putting pen to paper. I always said if I there was one thing I would like to do in life it would be to write a novel, and yet I wasn’t actually trying to. I had a career in marketing, then started a family and it was only when my youngest was six months and I took redundancy from my job I finally thought ‘I’m going to write that book I’ve always wanted to write.’ It took five years, and three books before I finally got published with Now You See Her.

Now You See Her was your first novel in 2018 and it immediately became a bestseller and Richard & Judy pick. How did you adjust to that sudden level of success?

It didn’t feel sudden given the amount of work I had put in, writing for five years previously. I wrote two books that were rejected by lots of agents, and then self published another, which had been taken on by an agent but rejected by publishers. Now You See Her took two and a half years to write with multiple edits before it was ready to go! It’s true I was lucky that once published it did brilliantly. It made the Sunday Times bestseller list and was picked by Richard and Judy and this was absolutely amazing. I think it had a great package - the title, cover and the premise for the story were all great sell ins to the stores and supermarkets which really helped too.

The Last Resort is your latest novel. Can you tell us a little about it?

The Last Resort is about Erin and Will Harding and the sudden downward spiral of their marriage, which leads them to seek out a marriage counsellor, Maggie. Right from the start we know something awful has happened when Erin is fighting for her life after a hit and run, and then the story steps back six months to what happened leading up to the accident. It’s very much a book that asks ‘Who do you trust?'

You set The Last Resort in the world of couples counselling and therapists. How did you research it and did you find out anything that surprised you?

I spoke to counsellors, and also to friends who had been through counselling to get an idea of how it all works, and also watched a brilliant TV series called Couples Therapy. That was the limit of my research as far as counselling went, and I would like to think the rest of it flowed quite naturally. I have always had a huge interest in counselling and in fact if writing hadn’t gone well for me then this is what I would have turned to instead. But what I was mostly keen to explore in The Last Resort was the notion of how much power a therapist can have over their couples, and especially if things are to go very wrong!

When did the characters of Will, Erin and Maggie really click for you?

None of my characters click in the first draft. They always come once I have written the story out in full and then go back to edit it. This is the point when I start to flesh them out and explore what their backgrounds are, and what kind of person I want them to be. I wanted all of them to be likeable, and in their own ways trustworthy because I wanted the reader to keep flipping sides. I think Maggie clicked when I worked out her past and knew who she was and what her demons were. And this is probably the same for Erin and Will too. Once you know what makes your character tick (and this is usually what has happened to them in the past) then you understand them so much more.

Is there anything you can share with us about your latest project?

I am in the middle of writing a book about two teenagers who disappear while travelling Europe and the story is written in the voices of their mothers. I have written a first draft and sent it to my editor and while I am waiting for notes to come back I am starting to plot my next book! I write one book a year and so I always need to be thinking about the next one or even two ahead!

We are always looking for good book recommendations. Aside from your own work what have you read recently that you really enjoyed?

I have loved two books which are out in 2024 called First Lie Wins and The Woman On The Ledge, so look out for both of those! I have also recently loved a very different book for me called, We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman. It was beautifully written, a little heart breaking but also funny.

What is the strangest or funniest thing that one of your readers has shared with you?

I don’t know of anything that is particularly funny or strange that they have shared, but I was once asked in front of a room full of people, what the ending of my book was, so that they would know whether it was worth them reading it or not! A number of people in the crowd answered for me but clearly I said there was no way I would be telling them that!!!

Can you tell us one thing about yourself that your readers may not know?

Oh that’s a really hard question. I can’t think of one thing that sounds remotely impressive enough and so I will give you a few facts: Sport was my passion at school above all else. By the end of A-levels I was destined for a career in textiles but had a sudden change of heart at the last minute and went for a degree in retail instead. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere other than on the coast now, and this is the inspiration for all my novels. If I was only able to spend my money on one thing it would be travel - there is nothing more exciting than planning and looking forward to a holiday!