Special Edition: C.M. Ewan's House Hunt

An interview with the author of the propulsive new thriller

Hi shoppers! (And readers!)

I’m SO excited today to share another installment of my author interview series here on Material Girl. If you’re an OG subscriber you’ll know how my love for reading has grown to take up so much space in this newsletter and I’m so grateful that so many of you love to hear what I’m reading. I recently received a copy of The House Hunt by C.M. Ewan (a book I’ve had my eyes on long before it was available here in the U.S.) and I finished it, cover to cover, in one sitting. I simply could not put it down. It was delicious and non-stop and so smart all at once – if you liked the Silent Patient, I think this will scratch that itch simply because I did *not* see the twist coming in much the same way, but The House Hunt is also wholly original.

I was lucky enough to chat with Chris about his writing process, the themes in the book, and more.

When it comes time to sit down and start a new book – where do you draw inspiration? Do you draw from fears you see reflected in the world or your own life? 

I write thrillers about everyday situations that go sideways and, potentially, deadly – the type of stories where a reader might think, ”this could happen to me”. Because of this, I’m constantly on the lookout for those moments in my own life where I might be feeling safe and secure but where I’m suddenly aware that things could go spectacularly awry – a simple job interview that turns sinister, for example, or in the case of THE HOUSE HUNT, a house viewing where the potential buyer acts increasingly strangely. What really fascinates me are those situations where we willingly place ourselves in potential danger without necessarily realizing it – until it’s too late.

This book in particular, discusses phobias – where did the idea to center Lucy’s tumult around that come from? What kind of research did you do to better understand how her phobia, claustrophobia, would manifest in her day to day life? What about how trauma and memory interact? 

I find phobias so interesting. Why are some of us afraid of certain things, but not others? How is it that some people can be afraid of one very specific, highly unusual thing? Writing THE HOUSE HUNT gave me the opportunity to explore phobias in more depth, partly because I was eager to really build the suspense and the intensity of Lucy’s situation by heightening her vulnerabilities and then having her placed in a situation where she’s forced to overcome them, and partly because I was intrigued to learn more about phobias myself. In the book, Lucy is battling claustrophobia and generalized anxiety as well as a form of amnesia, and when a stranger, Donovan, shows up at her door, all of these factors come into play. The amnesia, in particular, gives the reader (and Lucy) some mystery to dig into it, but it also increases the stakes, because isn’t it always the case that we’re most afraid of what we can’t fully understand? Meantime, as Lucy shows Donovan around her home and becomes increasingly concerned for her own safety, her boyfriend, Sam, is running a support group for people suffering from a range of different phobias, and if I’m honest, cherry-picking the fears I wanted to explore was part of the fun of writing the book!

In terms of research, I read a bunch of books on phobias and memory and then I used what I could and made up the rest. Hopefully there’s a sweet spot in the mixture of fact and fiction that will intrigue and satisfy readers.

House Hunt also explores gender and relationship dynamics – without giving too much away, can you talk a little bit about how the interpersonal relationships in the book are integral to the suspense created throughout?

There’s a line of dialogue that I love from Megan Abbott’s recent novel BEWARE THE WOMAN: “Honey, we all marry strangers.” Isn’t that brilliant? And chilling? In any relationship, we’re always seeking to learn more about the other person, and yet there will always be things we can’t possibly know. For Lucy and Sam this is doubly the case, because Lucy’s amnesia means ther are things about Lucy’s past that neither one of them can know. Together, they’re working through this. Sam is Lucy’s support structure, but when Donovan enters her home, that structure is jeopardized and undermined, and navigating the unknown that Lucy is confronted by is, I think, what really intensifies the suspense.

What about trust? That also seems to be a throughline – Lucy in particular is confronted both with her ability to trust herself and the people around her. 

You’re right, and trust is key to Lucy’s dilemma. Her phobias and her memory lapses make it incredibly difficult for her to trust herself and her own judgement, let alone anybody else. And that, in turn, undermines Lucy’s self-confidence and her self-sufficiency, which feeds back into her trust issues. She’s in a bind. Ultimately, though, her only way out is through – she has to take a monumental leap of faith, in more ways than one.

The house itself feels like its own character in the book – our homes are where we’re supposed to feel safe. Can you talk a little bit about how, combined with Lucy’s anxiety, the vulnerability of having her safe space turn scary is central to the book’s tension? 

You asked about my inspirations at the beginning of this chat, and my own fears are often where I go to when I’m searching for story ideas. Usually, this involves me staring out of the window of my study at the world outside, and perhaps that’s why I’m often drawn to stories where danger invades the home. For Lucy, her home is her refuge. This is especially true because she and Sam have spent two years renovating their home to make it perfect, and perfectly secure. The world outside is scary and unknown, but her house can be curated and controlled – until it’s not. Having a stranger like Donovan inside the walls of her home is quite literally a nightmare scenario for Lucy, but it’s one she’s willing to tolerate in order to sell her house. Donovan, of course, understands that Lucy’s desperation to sell gives him some latitude, but neither one of them know when, or if, Lucy’s patience will snap.

For American readers who loved House Hunt, what would be your next recommendation from your thrillers! 

My next thriller, ONE WRONG TURN, will be out in the US in 2025. It’s the story of Abi and Ben who are driving home late at night in foggy conditions when they come upon a family with a baby stranded by a breakdown. They agree to give the family a lift, little realizing the danger they have invited into their car. But if you can’t wait until then, and you can source a copy from the UK, I’d suggest either THE INTERVIEW or A WINDOW BREAKS. Or, if you’d like a book that is available in the States, you might like check out my thriller, SAFE HOUSE, which is set on the Isle of Man and has sold more than half-a-million copies in the UK.