January Book of the Month: The Woman in the Window by A J Finn. Post a question ahead of the author webchat, on Wednesday 6 February at 5pm

[SorchaMumsnet]

What better way to wile away a chilly winter's eve than with a spine-tingling read? Our January Book of the Month, The Woman in the Window by A J Finn is just that, following an agoraphobic woman who believes she has witnessed a horrible crime in a neighbouring house.

Find out more and read or listen to an extract. And then grab a copy and joining us in reading the book ahead of our webchat with A J on 6 February 2019, at 5pm.

[Somerville]

I’ve avoided this book like the plague after hearing rumours from publishing friend who had the dubious honour of being a former colleague of Dan.
MNHQ do you remain happy to promote this book and a webchat with “A J” given the facts in the article? (I know his publisher/employer will have spent money to get this promo slot on here, but I rate MN’s ethical standards and I think there is a strong argument for you reconsidering this. Also, I wonder if it might lead to your books of the month being chosen for something other than how much publishers can afford to pay. Because, sorry, but your highly literate readership deserves better than the cynical dross that is often in these slots.)
If you’re going ahead with the web chat then I’m planning my q’s already.

[Somerville]

I’ve started a thread on site stuff to make sure HQ see this.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/site_stuff/3499866-AJ-Finn-webchat-promo-needs-reconsidering-no?msgid=84712527#84712527

[onalongsabbatical]

The Guardian now has this story. www.theguardian.com/books/2019/feb/05/bestselling-author-of-the-woman-at-the-window-lied-about-having-cancer

[SallySwann]

I loved this, really creepy. It reminded me of a Girl on the Train by Paula Hopkins so I wondered if you were influenced at all by this. If not, what authors have influenced you and what made you decide writing thrillers was for you? Also, are you yet working on your next book and when can we expect to see it?

[SallySwann]

I'm always intrigued as to why some authors use initials rather than their first name(s) and, if not to hide your gender, what reason have you done so?

[SallySwann]

Or, why use a pseudonym?

[Somerville]

Come on HQ, it’s now 48 hours since the article was published (and exploded over social media) and more than 24 hours since it was raised on MN. Now we’re just hours from the web chat, and you’ve still got it - and this charlatan’s face - stickied all over the site. Is it going ahead or not?

[soniamumsnet]

Hi,

Just letting you know that we've flagged your concerns and questions to the webchat organisers, and we're waiting to hear back what they say.

We'll keep you posted.

[Somerville]

Hi Daniel,
I would like to ask your advice for Mumsnetters who have written books. As an editor and writer do you have advice for how they could get their book seen from off the slush pile? Assume the writers are just normal people who would never dream of faking a DPhil or cancer to get the glass elevator to a publishing role where they can meet literary agents; how can they do it?

Thanks in advance!

[ArtemesiaDracunculus]

Good question, Somerville . I wonder whether he will answer it? There are a lot of questions he needs to step up and answer. I want to know why he thinks it appropriate to manipulate people's emotions through fake tales of cancer? Does it occur to him that people who have genuinely experienced a death from cancer of a close family member, or a suicide, might be distressed by this?

[southeastdweller]

I agree it's inappropriate for the webchat to go ahead tonight - possibly MNHQ are still sorting out the contractual issues about this as I can't imagine they'd be easy to resolve in a couple of days.

[soniamumsnet]

We're going to have to cancel this evening's webchat, apologies to those of you that have already posted a question. Here's what HarperCollins have said:

Unfortunately A.J. Finn is not doing interviews or PR at the current time and so we will have to postpone the scheduled webchat.

[AvaTheGardener]

Hmm. I wonder if that was really an "e.mail" from HarperCollins - maybe Dan's branching out into publisher ventriloquism too now...

[Somerville]

I feel sorry for his brother... anyone who ever gets an email from him ever again is going to be wondering if it’s actually Dan again.

[littlerose12345]

I've just seen this! I'd logged on to come to the web chat and hadn't seen the article that had been posted. wow

[Belo]

I've just got in from work and logged onto join the chat, but looks like I've got some more reading to do!! Thanks for sharing the articles from the New Yorker and the Guardian.

Moving forwards, any news as to what February's book is going to be @SorchaMumsnet? I need to start a new book having just finished this one.

[ArtemesiaDracunculus]

@AvaTheGardener. He may be totally discredited now, hopefully, or he may be teflon-coated and crawl back out when the stories die down. I'm watching this space.

[southeastdweller]

He’s already blaming the lying on being bipolar. This is the first time he’s told anyone about it

[ArtemesiaDracunculus]

Ugh. Now trying to say bipolar made him a liar? He's digging a huge hole for himself . Stephen Fry manages to live with bipolar without being a fraudulent liar. And I'm sure many others who are not in the public eye.

[SallySwann]

Well, I've read the article now. No wonder he wrote fiction and what a surprise the chat has been cancelled! Well done to those pointing all this out.

[WaterBird]

Just, wow.
I missed all of this! Last month was really busy for me and I knew I couldn't read the Book of the Month for January, so I just checked in today looking for the February book. I hope that we just move on from this book without trying to reschedule and focus on a different book and author.