Isabel Booth
Author Interview - Isabel Booth
Author of Then He Was Gone
When attorney Elizabeth English and her husband, Paul, catch up to their sons at the end of a hike in the Rocky Mountains, they expect to find Henry and Nick waiting by their car at the trailhead. But Henry, age six, is gone, and all Nick can say is that he saw a truck leaving the parking lot shortly after Henry went to the bathroom.
Gritty park ranger Hollis Monroe launches a massive search and teams up with a local detective to investigate the possibility that Henry was kidnapped. The search drives Elizabeth and Paul to their breaking point, and secrets they have been keeping from each other are revealed for Henry's sake. With every hour that passes, finding Henry becomes less likely, and Elizabeth becomes ferocious in her determination to find her son.
Author Interview - Isabel Booth
Author I draw inspiration from:
There are so many. Lately I have been particularly inspired by Jayne Anne Phillips, whose novel Night Watch was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2024. I admire her meticulous attention to detail, her poetic imagery, and the courage with which she writes about events that are sometimes difficult to read. Her memoir Small Town Girl is next on my stack of books to read.
Author Interview - Isabel Booth | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
The bay window in my second-floor home office. It's very large, with ample space to stretch out, and lots of pillows to prop up on.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser (Jamie Fraser) from the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. He would tell me stories of 18th century Scotland to pass the time, and I would be so entranced by his accent that I wouldn't care how long it might take to be rescued.
Author Interview - Isabel Booth | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
I have a letter that I wrote to my grandfather at age seven, in pencil, informing him that I wanted to be a poet. I'm not much of a poet, but the seeds of wanting to be an author were always there. I wrote stories, read constantly, and was an English major in college.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I prefer hardbacks and paperbacks; I like seeing the words on paper. Paperbacks are easier to handle when stretched out in my bay window. I became a fan of ebooks some years ago after spending two weeks in a small town in Norway for work. I took half a dozen paperbacks with me and had read them all two days before it was time to go home. There was not an English book to be found in the town. So I like ebooks for travel, particularly international travel. I don't listen to audiobooks but I have friends who do, and I'm happy they enjoy that experience.
The last book I read:
I recently re-read Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout when I was thinking about a book character I'd like to be friends with. Her stories of ordinary people, their relationships, and the complexity of the human condition are so insightful and moving.
Author Interview - Isabel Booth | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
My years as a trial lawyer, and the sheer volume of written material that I had to produce, taught me to compose on the computer, then print out the draft and edit it with a red pen. That is the method I still use for writing fiction.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
I think I would be good friends with Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge. Probably not best friends, but good friends. Olive is blunt, perceptive, exasperating, funny, wicked, and kind. It would not be an easy friendship at times. But the moment that did it for me is when confronted with a young girl, a stranger, who is starving herself to death, Olive begins to weep and says, "I don't who you are, but young lady, you're breaking my heart."
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
I was a trial lawyer before becoming an author. It was an intellectually challenging, demanding career with sometimes incredibly long hours and stress. I enjoyed it, but I would never go back to it. Being an author is my dream career.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
The 2000s, when women lawyers became liberated from the skirt suits, panty hose, and high heels that we were required to wear in court. What a difference pantsuits and flats made!
Place I’d most like to travel:
I have traveled extensively but have not yet been to Africa. I'd like to go on a safari to see all the magnificent creatures in the wild.
My signature drink:
Coffee in the morning, water the rest of the day, and a splash of bourbon over ice in the evening.
Favorite artist:
I love music and art of all types, but one favorite artist who comes to mind is Claude Monet. Having seen his paintings many times in museums, my husband and I visited his house and gardens in Giverney, France, an unforgettable experience. Monet, a self-taught botanist, created these beautiful flower and water gardens, and then painted them. Masterpieces in nature and on the canvas.
Number one on my bucket list:
Watching my three-year-old granddaughter grow up.
Anything else you'd like to add:
Thank you for the opportunity to do this interview. It was really thought-provoking.
Find more from the author:
About Isabel Booth:
Isabel Booth is the pen name of Karen Jewell, a former trial attorney and now a writer. She holds an undergraduate degree in English, a master's in business administration, and a juris doctorate degree. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with family. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband.
