Shortly after he completed a technological thriller called The Second Son, his first book, author Martin Jay Weiss was asked to reveal the secrets of his writing process. His answer:
- I wrote the book at Starbucks.
- I wrote the shortest chapters when I was most caffeinated.
- I spent a lot of time in the locations where my characters lived and did a lot of research about the kind of tech companies where they worked.
- I made a lot of shit up.
The “shit” Weiss has been making up, in The Second Son and his subsequent financial thriller, Flamingo Coast, has been drawing praise from many household names in the thriller genre.
It’s no surprise Weiss has a knack for engaging audiences with convincing copy. Before writing books, he was known for creating comedic and highly visual TV commercials, directing hundreds of national and international campaigns for blue-chip brands. Some of his commercials have premiered on the Super Bowl. He also has directed several feature films.
BookTrib once asked Weiss to provide us with his words to live by. “Characters don’t change,” he said. “They reveal themselves.”
We pondered this, but didn’t make much out of it at the time. Then it showed up again in The Second Son: “People don’t change. They reveal themselves.” Suddenly it had context.
STALKING YOUR EX? THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT
Weiss’ first thriller revolves around Stalker, the ultimate transparency app that uses advanced search technology to track down anybody’s whereabouts — making stalking easy, accessible and affordable. It is used, of course, when the “stalkees” don’t reveal themselves on their own. “To help people find resolve in their past, so they can find their future,” says Ethan, a young entrepreneur with his twin brother Jack. That’s an elegant way to say you can find out if your spouse is cheating on you.
Ethan was determined, writes Weiss, to make Stalker “a beacon of truth that could prevent deceptions and explain betrayals; the go-to site for anyone who has been bamboozled, double-crossed or inexplicably dumped. He believed wholeheartedly that the truth would set them free.”
Just in case people don’t “reveal themselves,” Stalker will do it for them — or to them.
The Second Son makes us ponder to the greatest extremes the effects of technology and a world with no secrets, in which our smallest white lies are there for the taking. Ask yourself whether this is a society you’d sign up for — or sign out from.
In an interview with The Big Thrill magazine, Weiss explains, “Almost every domestic thriller begs the question: how well do we really know the people closest to us? The Second Son answers with a portrayal of the most similar people in the world — identical twins. As the story unfolds, we see how truly different they are. They prove that even the slightest genetic variances make us all completely unique, and it begs an even bigger question: can we ever know anyone completely?”
“Ethan has a steadfast belief in the people he loves, which guides every decision he makes when his life turns upside down. … His unyielding faith wasn’t always justified, but it’s the reason he survives and thrives. That resonated with me. I hadn’t realized how much I depend on blind faith in my own life, and in my writing.”
HOW TO HEDGE FUNDS AND EVADE TAXES
Weiss sticks to the thriller genre but focuses on financial crimes in his more recent work, Flamingo Coast. Talk about changing characters and revealing themselves, Flamingo Enterprises of Grand Cayman Island comprises “the largest network of wealthy expatriate fugitives in the world, changing their identities, laundering their assets, helping them purchase property in impenetrable safe havens.” The organization is harboring Max Culpepper, a criminal hedge fund manager who — out on bail in Manhattan, awaiting trial — has escaped. Escaped and is being hunted by former IRS special agent Jennifer Morton.
“It dramatizes how financial crimes manifest, how government watchdogs combat them, and what can happen when law enforcement abuses its power in the name of justice. The tagline on the book cover comes from something the heroine’s father told her when she was young: “When it comes to money, people will do unthinkable things.”
The research on this book was tricky: “It’s hard to get people to talk for fear of exposing the innocent, the guilty or themselves. But some did talk to me. Most of the details about tax evasion and hiding money offshore came from confidential interviews with people who know how it’s done.”
Describing the book’s main character: “Jennifer Morton is clever as a fox and unabashedly aggressive when she goes after her suspects. She thinks of herself as the James Bond of financial crimes, and she has no issue breaking search and seizure protocol to prove her targets are guilty.”
Jennifer Morton originally was written as Geoffrey Morton, a male protagonist. “Making her female was an idea that came from some producers who are interested in making Flamingo Coast into a movie.”
Some of the authors who have inspired Weiss: Paul Auster, Peter Mayle, Tom Wolfe, John LeCarre, Michael Chabon and Nick Hornby. “The one author that has influenced me the most since I’ve immersed myself in thrillers is Harlan Coben. His writing style is delightful and his plotting is always clever. He often takes unresolved past events and puts his protagonists through hell to find the truth. And he’s not afraid of unhappy endings.”
His advice to writers: “I believe in the 10,000-hour rule, the amount of time it takes to learn any craft. Learning to write well takes years. My advice would be to read a lot and write every day. It’s all about discipline and persistence. Read, write, repeat.”
Thanks to BookTrib’s friends at The Big Thrill magazine for some of the content in this story.
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About Martin Jay Weiss:
Martin Jay Weiss is an award-winning filmmaker who has written, directed and produced a vast anthology of commercials, films and television projects. He has a BS in Journalism from the University of Illinois and an MFA in Film from New York University. Born and raised in Chicago, he now lives in California with his wife and two children. His novels are published by Rare Bird Books.
