Louise Mangos writes psychological suspense, historical mystery and short fiction. Her novels are set mostly or partly in Switzerland, where she lives at the foot of the Alps. The psychological whodunnit Five Fatal Flaws is her fifth novel.
New mother Trudy is finally enjoying a peaceful afternoon with her four-month-old son Benny. After a walk, he falls asleep as Trudy hangs the laundry in her backyard. Lulled by the peaceful afternoon, she too falls asleep. She wakes to every parent’s nightmare: Benny is gone.
A psychotherapist, Trudy has been running a trauma research group, which has helped keep her sane through the trials of new motherhood. But when the police begin investigating, the seemingly unrelated death of a local councilman brings each member of the group under firm suspicion, along with Trudy herself.
Mangos didn’t begin with this story in mind; in fact, the story grew as her relationship with the characters did. “I’d created my characters for a flash fiction competition, and I couldn’t let them go. Being long-listed for the Bath novel-in-flash competition with chapters from these individual characters made me realize that there was a much longer story for each of their journeys, so the novella became a full-length novel.”
Flash Fiction
Generally between 750-1,500 words
Two scenes (at most), but still needs to have character(s), plot, and an arc with conflict, tension, and stakes.
Most famous flash fiction: Ernest Hemingway’s “For sale. Baby shoes, never worn.”
She also drew on some dark and vulnerable themes. “When I began plotting this novel, the #MeToo movement was fresh and raw. A couple of the characters in the self-help group in the novel have been victims of domestic abuse. One particular character, Rachel, has been carrying her burden for years, and I wanted to highlight issues that might prevent someone from coming forward about their plight.
“Addtionally, Women Talking, Asking for It, and Luckiest Girl Alive were novels that kept coming back to me as I was writing Five Fatal Flaws, although not all my characters are victims of domestic abuse.”
Next up for Mangos is a humorous novel about a failed crime writer, a murder at a literary festival, and a satirical peek into the world of publishing.
