Minnesota writer Tasha Coryell’s new thriller Matchmaking for Psychopaths is so full of twists, turns and thrills that sometimes she’s at a loss as to how to describe this new book without giving too much away.
She explained, “I try not to delve too deep into what the other surprises are, because I know that's part of the reason why thriller readers are reading what they are, right? Because you want things to surprise you and you want to be kept guessing and make guesses yourself. And that's the joy of reading. And so it is this really tricky balance.”
What we can tell you about Matchmaking for Psychopaths is that the story centers around a woman named Lexie. After Lexie's fiancée leaves her for her best friend on Lexie's birthday, she throws herself into her work—she's a matchmaker for psychopaths. Strange new clients get too involved in her private life, and then a human heart appears on Lexie's doorstep, just as her ex mysteriously disappears.
While Tasha’s books usually play with dark themes, she does draw from lighter components of her real life as well. She’s recently acknowledged to friends who work at non-profit organizations that she drew on that aspect of their lives for characters in a previous book.
She said, “They were like, ‘Oh, yeah, we recognized ourselves in that…’ So, I take small things or even just like silly things--like all of the characters in the book really like to watch reality television. And I like a lot of reality television. So I was able to include my thoughts on that and my experiences with that.”
In Matchmaking for Psychopaths, the character Lexie’s obsession with reality television illustrates her loneliness and desire for connection and intimacy, but it is also an outlet for Tasha, as a new parent.
She explained, “There are a lot of conversations right now about a loneliness crisis or people are hanging out with one another less than they used to…It's really difficult to make plans with adult friends because I don't really leave the house at night…but I still long for connection. And I think in some ways reality television sort of fills that void because the people on reality television can start to feel like friends.”
While Tasha’s books can show the darker side of us all, they also play around with humor. Tasha credits her own sometimes dark sense of humor as an approach to life.
“I think because there are a lot of serious things going on every day, it becomes really overwhelming…But I think that humor makes consuming difficult topics more palatable. I can read about very dark and difficult things as long as it's also funny. And I feel that way about writing too.”
Learn more about Tasha Coryell and her books on her website.
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