Barbara Gayle Austin

Barbara Gayle Austin writes crime fiction. She grew up in Houston, Texas, but has spent most of her adult life in the Netherlands and the UK. She now lives in Amsterdam with her two children and her dog.

What You Made Me Do is Austin’s debut novel, a thriller set in Amsterdam and a Dutch island in the Wadden Sea. The novel was longlisted for the esteemed Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger award (under the title Lowlands). Her short stories have been longlisted in the Margery Allingham short mystery competition and in the Aestas 2022 competition.

My Q&A with Austin:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

My novel is a dark psychological thriller. The original title, Lowlands, doesn’t say what kind of book it is or what it’s about.

The publisher wanted a title that would appeal to readers of thrillers, so I brainstormed with my daughter, and we suggested ten options. What You Made Me Do is a variation of one of those suggestions. The title is brilliant—it works on multiple levels. As the reader delves into the book, they will wonder which character(s) the title refers to.

What's in a name?

The novel is set in the Netherlands, and the characters are Dutch. But I wanted to avoid names that are difficult for native English speakers to pronounce. If I had known that there would be an audio edition of the book, I would have picked names that are even easier. Fortunately, Andy Arndt, who narrates the audio book, has studied Dutch. So her pronunciation is spot on.

Part of the novel takes place on Wexalia, a fictional island inspired by the real island of Terschelling—one of the barrier islands off the northern coast. Wexalia is the medieval name for eastern Terschelling. I didn’t use the real/modern name, because I changed the geography of the island to accommodate the story.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your novel?

My teenage self dreamed of writing mysteries, but she never…ever… imagined that she would be living in the Netherlands and set her debut novel there.

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

I love writing both beginnings and endings. One isn’t harder for me to write than the other. But I end up changing the endings more than the beginnings because sometimes the characters take on a life of their own and defy my original plans for them. For example, in the thriller I’m writing now, there’s a murder near the end of the book. In the current draft, the character I had originally intended to be the killer becomes the victim, while the supposed victim turns into an accomplice.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

There’s a little of me in each character. I can step into their shoes and pretend to be them. I imagine how they feel and how they would react in a scene, but I promise I have never committed a murder!

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

My adopted city of Amsterdam has deeply influenced my writing. The rich history, the mix of nationalities, the canals, and the crooked houses all play a part. Not to mention the unstable wooden poles supporting the older parts of the city—a constant reminder of an invisible threat beneath the surface.

Visit Barbara Gayle Austin's website.

The Page 69 Test: What You Made Me Do.

--Marshal Zeringue