1.4 Val McDermid

It’s quite clear to me that over the years that my readers have very strong relationships with my characters, both the protagonists and the villains. And I totally understand that, because I’m a reader, first and foremost. And I have exactly that same response. There are certain series that I pick up the next one excited to find out what’s going to happen to the protagonist next, because I care about them.

So, yeah, it’s important to me that readers form that relationship. And I think that one of the things that makes me feel most heartened about my work is the way that readers do respond to those characters.