Minnesota author Brian Lutterman finds niche in corporate thrillers

Brian Lutterman, who hails from the Twin Cities, has recently released the third entry in his Pen Wilkinson series. The novels - 'Downfall,” 'Windfall,” and 'Freefall” - find their protagonist battling greed and criminality in the corporate world.

In this e-interview, Lutterman discusses the challenges inherent in writing about a hero who is a paraplegic, the decision he's made regarding the passage of time in his novels, and the role of guilt in 'Freefall.” He also claims he can maintain his novel naming convention, sighting the success of a certain Cedar Rapids native - a bestselling author who also resides in the Twin Cities.

Q: With the Pen Wilkinson series, you've carved a niche for yourself --­ the corporate thriller. How did you arrive at that idea for an organizing principle for Pen's adventures? Are there other writers working that territory who you admire?

A: I've worked in the business world, so it was a logical setting for me to write about. Even though I think corporations are a great setting for action and suspense, there have been surprisingly few mystery/suspense authors who write a series set in the corporate world. One I admire is Joseph Finder, whose best-known book is 'Paranoia,” a great thriller.

Q: Your writing career is divided into two periods. You wrote 'Poised to Kill” and 'Bound to Die” and then didn't publish again for 10 years, when you started the Pen Wilkinson series with 'Downfall.” What led to the long break, and what, if anything, changed about your writing and your process after the break?

A: I had to take an extended break for health reasons. Disappointing, for sure, but when I came back, I had a great idea for a series, with an interesting character, using corporate settings and themes. I don't know that my writing or process changed a lot in the interim, but I'd like to think the stories are better than ever.

Q: Pen is a paraplegic, which complicates her investigations. Does it complicate your writing? Do you find that you have to think through scenes and settings in a different way than you have in the past?

A: Pen's disability makes its way onto just about every page I write. To begin with, there are the purely physical issues: How do I get her from Point A to Point B? How does she cope with physical danger? Even more interesting are the human problems: How do people react to her? With awkwardness? Disgust? Condescension? Contempt? How does disability change the power dynamics? Do people try to bully her? How does she interact with potential romantic suitors?

But I think the most intriguing issues are internal: How does Pen see herself? How does she summon the mental toughness to survive, and to help others?

To answer your question, yes, Pen's paraplegia makes things complicated. But it also makes them fascinating.

Q: Pen has had three adventures, and they've happened in quick succession in the world inside the novels. Do you anticipate continuing the series, and if so, will you keep up the quick pace of events in Pen's life (and can you maintain the naming convention for the books with 'fall” as part of each title)?

A: Busted! You're right - I'm not aging my characters in real time. I'd like to write a few books featuring a relatively youthful character, with career issues, relationships, and capabilities typical of early middle age. Some authors age their characters in real years, only to be get trapped by their series' longevity, with their characters getting old and doing things that are unrealistic for that age. Spenser and Richard Jury are two great characters who come to mind. Lee Child has fought this problem by writing prequels from Jack Reacher's younger years in the military.

But for myself, I'm just using the magic of fiction, which can slow down the aging process. I don't worry about running out of 'Fall” titles -- if I do, that would be a good problem indeed. After all, John Sandford has come up with 27 'Prey” titles and is still going strong.

Q: What are you working on now? Are there stories outside of Pen's world you're eager to tell?

A: I'm hard at work on the fourth 'Fall” novel, which I'm very excited about. Someday, I'd like to go back to my roots and write a sprawling, convoluted thriller, full of twists and turns, probably featuring espionage or terrorism. But for now, writing Pen's stories takes all the time and energy I have, and it's truly a labor of love.

Q: The new book explores guilt as a motivating factor for trying to do good in the world. Why is that an important idea or theme for you?

A: I think nearly everybody has a signature challenge in their life. Pen's guilt over causing, albeit indirectly and accidentally, the death of a loved one, is really the defining issue of her life. It's a burden she'll never fully escape, but her struggle to transcend that guilt challenges her to grow as a person, and leads her to help other people as a means of atonement.