Like I Can Love

Like I Can Love

A haunting and terrifying domestic noir that combines the psychological suspense of The Girl on The Train with the poetic poignancy of Anita Shreve.

On a hot February afternoon, 26-year-old Jenna kisses her sleeping son, runs a bath and takes her own life. You win - I win. With a loving husband, an adorable son and a stunning estate, Jenna's charmed life is a stark contrast to that of lifelong best friend, Fairlie Winter. So when Jenna's husband Ark calls to tell her that Jenna has committed suicide, Fairlie is driven crazy with unanswered questions.

Should she have seen this coming? What did Jenna's mother, Evelyn, do to drive them apart all those years ago? And what is Ark hiding?

Until a letter arrives in the mail. In Jenna's handwriting. And a key.

Led on a search for answers, Fairlie discovers a horrifying past, a desperate mother and the deepest secret kept by those she loved the most.

Both heartbreaking and terrifying, Like I Can Love explores different kinds of love, from the most fragile to the most dangerous, and the unthinkable things love can make us do.

Kim Lock lives in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, with her partner and their children, a dog and a couple of cats. She has worked around Australia as a graphic designer and volunteered as a breastfeeding counsellor. Her non-fiction has appeared in The Guardian, Daily Life, and The Sydney Morning Herald. Her fiction explores the stories that shape people's lives, but that they hide from society. Like I Can Love is her second novel.

Like I Can Love
Macmillan Australia
Author: Kim Lock
ISBN: 9781743538630
RRP: $29.99

Interview with Kim Lock

Question: What inspired the story of Like I Can Love?

Kim Lock : It's hard to answer that question without spoilers, but I can tell you that the idea for Jenna was sparked when someone close to me ended a long-term relationship.

Question: There are several issues raised in this book. Was this deliberate or did the story evolve this way?

Kim Lock : Much of this story evolved organically. Often, I don't even know what is going to happen to the characters until it happens on the page right in front of me! But considering how individually complex relationships are, it felt inevitable that several themes would become entwined within this story.


Question: Can you talk about the research you conducted for Like I Can Love?

Kim Lock : The most interesting – and at times gruelling – research was talking to police officers about police procedure. Some of the questions I asked were very difficult, and it really struck me that while I was asking questions about a fictional character, they were answering based on real-life situations.


Question: How much of your inspiration comes from real life and real people?

Kim Lock : I am often inspired by people I meet and stories I hear. News stories, snippets of gossip, following people's lives on social media – humans are complicated and extraordinary creatures, with endlessly fascinating lives.


Question: What did you enjoy most about creating the character of Jenna?

Kim Lock : Exploring the depth of her emotions, and her reactions to certain situations.


Interview by Brooke Hunter