Victor Methos
The Silent Watcher
The bestselling author of A Killer’s Wife delivers a haunting legal thriller, plunging the reader headlong into the search for a deadly stalker―and a quest to bring a young victim peace.
The Writer’s Dossier 12/1/2024 – The Victor Methos interview
Getting chased by bigfoot
DOSSIER: You immigrated to the U.S. with your family from Afghanistan when you were nine years old, and you wrote your first story in English at age ten. Do you remember what that story was about? Were you a natural storyteller back then?
METHOS: It was a story about a bigfoot chasing me out of a cave, and I had to choose—run or turn and face it. I’ve pretty much just written that same story over and over. I’m not sure if I was a natural storyteller back then; I think it grew over time. A ton of reading every day helped make up for a lack of experience.
Life in America
DOSSIER: Many of your bestselling legal thrillers, like A Gambler’s Jury, show the system as a place where the little guy might not get a fair shake unless they have the right person in their corner. How has your experience as a defense attorney or an Afghan immigrant shaped your perspective on the legal system and the way you write about it?
METHOS: I can’t tell you how grateful I am, as a refugee, to live in this country. There’s nowhere in the world quite like it. Here, I can call myself an American, and nobody blinks an eye. If I went to France and said, “I’m French,” I might get challenged to a duel—or whatever they do over there. Sure, the U.S. legal system has some massive flaws, but it’s a marvel of human thought. I’ve caught myself in court, in between cases, calculating the cost of everything—the judge, bailiff, clerks, the lights, the building—all just so someone can contest a traffic ticket. The Founding Fathers embedded an incredible focus on individual liberty that echoes through the entire system, so it’s not all doom and gloom. That said, if you’re rich, you’re going to get a lot more out of it than if you’re poor.
Writing for Ramen
DOSSIER: When and where do you like to write, and what environment works best for you? Is there music playing in the background? Do you have an amazing view there in Southern Utah?
METHOS: I can write anywhere. I started selling short stories to magazines in college to help make ends meet, so if I let a bit of background noise stop me, I might’ve gone without Top Ramen for the week. I learned to shut out the surroundings and get into flow, which I think anyone can learn to do. Meditation has been a game-changer for focus, and I’d recommend it to everyone. It really helps when you need to dial in and ignore distractions.
Painful memories vs serial killers & monsters
DOSSIER: Given the deterioration of life and the freedoms of citizens in Afghanistan after the U.S. withdrawal, have you considered writing a legal thriller with an Afghan nexus? If so, call me—I’d love to help with the development!
METHOS: I haven’t thought much about writing on Afghanistan, partly because I don’t remember much of it and because a lot of painful memories come with the place. I’ll stick with serial killers and monsters for now. But I did hear a story from an Afghan war veteran—a Marine stationed at an old cemetery in Afghanistan who swears he was attacked by a ghost. The way he told it gave me chills, and it’s been bouncing around in my head. Maybe one day…
Don’t miss The Silent Watcher
DOSSIER: Do you have any breaking news or special announcement you’d like to disclose in your Dossier?
METHOS: “Yes! My new book, The Silent Watcher, is out December 1st! I hope readers enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
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