Joshua Corin: On Modernizing the Classic Sleuth
Joshua Corin is the author of the Xanadu Marx series, the Esme Stuart series, and six Deadpool graphic novels for Marvel Comics, among many others. His work has been translated into over a dozen languages. Joshua currently lives with his cat, Princess Tater Tot, in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information visit JoshuaCorin.com, and follow him on X (Twitter) and Instagram.
In this interview, Joshua discusses how getting reacquainted with Golden Age mysteries helped inspire his new YA mystery, Assume Nothing, his advice for other writers, and more.
Name: Joshua Corin
Literary agent: Stacey Graham
Book title: Assume Nothing
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Release date: December 10, 2024
Genre/category: YA mystery/thriller
Previous titles: Nuclear Winter Wonderland, While Galileo Preys, Before Cain Strikes, Cost of Life, Forgive Me, American Lies, various issues of Deadpool and Spider-Man/Deadpool
Elevator pitch: What happens when we meet our heroes? Ten years ago, the brilliant, famous detective Alik Lisser solved the murder of Kat McCann’s mother; now, at age 16, Kat has become Alik’s apprentice, and it seems her dreams have come true…or so she assumes…
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What prompted you to write this book?
Every novel I write is a way for me to explore the implications of a question. In 2020, I did my first real reread of Golden Age mysteries since I was in high school. Doing so rekindled my admiration for their work (especially Agatha Christie’s masterful prose). But what would happen if we transposed one of these omniscient sleuths into the Internet Age, where everyone has the potential to be omniscient? And what if these omniscient sleuths weren’t quite the saints they were portrayed to be?
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
Once I had the ideas, it took me a little over a year to write the thing. It’s progressively taken me longer and longer to write each novel, a fact about which I’m not too giddy. Once I knew Assume Nothing would take place in the 90s and would feature an aged sleuth who has outlived his usefulness, I had to find an appropriate foil. This was how I settled on my protagonist, Kat McCann, a resourceful and internet-savvy 16-year-old whose penchant for Golden Age mysteries suddenly made the whole narrative become very, very meta.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
Assume Nothing is my first novel with Thomas & Mercer, and they have been absolutely wonderful, especially my editor Chantelle Osman. I could not be happier with their enthusiasm and transparency and kindness.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I did not initially expect to set Assume Nothing in Boston, as I was living at the time in Atlanta, but once I realized , the choice of Boston, especially in the 1990s, became essential. Coincidentally enough, I have since moved from Atlanta to … Boston.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
If my readers finish Assume Nothing feeling satisfied that I’ve taken them on a fun and thoughtful ride, then I will be a very happy writer.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
The one piece of advice that is universal to all writers is to read. Read everything (and often). This is a direct correlation between input and output.
