A. J. Finn
A. J. Finn in 2019
A. J. Finn in 2019
BornDaniel Mallory
1979 (age 44)
New York, U.S.
Pen nameA. J. Finn
Occupationnovelist
EducationDuke University, B.A.
Oxford University, M.Phil.
Alma materDuke University
Oxford University
Period2018–present
Genrecrime fiction, psychological thrillers
Notable worksThe Woman in the Window (2018)

Daniel Mallory (born 1979)[1] is an American author who writes crime fiction under the name A. J. Finn. His 2018 novel The Woman in the Window debuted at number one on the New York Times Best Seller list.[1] The Woman in the Window was adapted into a feature film of the same name, directed by Joe Wright and featuring Amy Adams, Julianne Moore and Gary Oldman.[2] It also served as an inspiration for the 2022 Netflix series The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window featuring Kristen Bell.[3][4] Mallory has spoken about his struggles with bipolar depressive disorder.[5][6] His second novel, End of Story, is scheduled to be published in early 2024.[7]

Early life and education

Mallory was born in New York City and moved with his family to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he attended Charlotte Latin School.[8] He went on to attend Duke University, where he majored in English[6] and acted.[9] He studied at Oxford University during his junior year and returned to Oxford after college for graduate work.[9]

Career

Before becoming a novelist, Mallory worked in publishing in New York and London for several years, including at Little, Brown and Company and William Morrow and Company, a division of HarperCollins.[6]

Mallory wrote The Woman in the Window, his first novel, in 2015 while living in New York.[10] The novel debuted in January 2018 at number one on the New York Times Best Seller list.[6][11] The novel was subsequently adapted into a feature film directed by Joe Wright with a screenplay by Tracy Letts.

Since the publication of The Woman in the Window, Mallory has spoken at several literary festivals, including Iceland Noir,[12][13] Hamptons Whodunit,[14] Sharjah International Book Fair,[15] Jaipur Literature Festival,[16] Christchurch,[17] and others.

The Woman in the Window

The Woman in the Window follows the life of Dr. Anna Fox who suffers from agoraphobia and lives a reclusive life at her large home in New York City, where she one day witnesses a murder across the street. The novel deals with themes of loneliness, isolation, guilt, grief, and resilience. In a review in the New Yorker, Joyce Carol Oates called it "a superior example of a subset of recent thrillers featuring 'unreliable' female protagonists who, despite their considerable handicaps [...] manage to persevere and solve mysteries where others have failed" and says the lead character "ultimately seems more a function of the plot than a fully realized person, not quite as interesting as her problems".[18] The Globe and Mail called it "an intelligent novel of psychological suspense."[19] Janet Maslin in the New York Times said, "A book that's as devious as this novel will delight anyone who's been disappointed too often" and that the it holds up "pretty well, but there are problems" with writing that "is serviceable, sometimes bordering on strange."[20][21]

A feature film starring Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie, Fred Hechinger, Wyatt Russell, Brian Tyree Henry, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Julianne Moore, and directed by Joe Wright, with a screenplay by Tracy Letts was adapted from the book. The film was originally set for a theatrical release on May 15, 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic was sold to Netflix, which began streaming it on May 14, 2021.[22][23][24] Time called it a "coolly tasteful psychological thriller."[25] The Hollywood Reporter described the film as a "neo-Gothic diversion with a strong central performance" whose "homebound protagonist has become that much more understandable to audiences."[26] The book was shortlisted for the 2019 British Book Awards in the "Crime & Thriller" category.[27]

Style and influences

A.J. Finn has cited classic film noir and suspense fiction as influences.[28] He has shared that The Woman in the Window takes cues from Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954) and has been influenced by genre classics such as Gaslight and Gone Girl.[29][30][31] Some of his contemporary influences include Andrea Camilleri, Gillian Flynn, Carl Hiaasen, and Fred Vargas because their "crime novels provide an experience beyond mere thrills" and "explore something bigger ... whether that's an exploration of mental health, personal traumas, or larger social issues."[32]

In 2019, the New York Times investigated and dismissed plagiarism rumors due to plot similarities between The Woman in the Window and another psychological thriller, Sarah A. Denzil's Saving April.[33] The Times reviewed original outlines of The Woman in the Window and concluded that the similar plot points "were all included in outlines for The Woman in the Window that Mr. Mallory sent to his literary agent at ICM in the fall of 2015, before Ms. Denzil began writing Saving April."[33] The Times reported that the detailed outlines it reviewed were dated September 20, 2015 and October 4, 2015, and that Denzil had not started writing Saving April until October 2015.[33] The Washington Post also reported that "there's no real suggestion of plagiarism" in the case of The Woman in the Window.[34] The trade publication Publishers Lunch reached the same conclusion.[35]

Unreliable narrator

In February 2019, an article in The New Yorker on The Woman in the Window alleged that Mallory had been "an unreliable narrator" about some of his personal biography, including falsely claiming to have had cancer and misrepresenting his academic credentials, amongst other things.[36][37] Fellow authors Karin Slaughter and Carlo Gébler criticised the New Yorker article, calling it a "hit piece" and reflective of an "extraordinary amount of animus" towards Mallory. [38] Irish author Carlo Gébler criticized it for its "extraordinary amount of animus" toward Mallory.[39][40][41]

Mallory admitted that he had repeatedly lied about having cancer.[42] Mallory attributed his behavior to his bipolar disorder, although psychiatrists disputed his assertion that the condition causes delusions, memory loss or deceptive behavior.[36][43] Mallory's psychiatrist disclosed that Mallory sometimes suffered from "somatic complaints, fears, and preoccupations" due to his bipolar depression.[36]

Bibliography

  • Finn, A. J. (January 2018). The Woman in the Window (First ed.). New York, NY: William Morrow and Company. ISBN 9780062678416. OCLC 1293226856.[39][19]

Personal life

Mallory is openly gay.[5] He dedicated his first novel to his then-boyfriend.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 Weir, Keziah (January 19, 2018). "Your Book Editor Just Snagged Your Spot on the Best-Seller List". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  2. ↑ Wright, Joe (May 14, 2021), The Woman in the Window (Crime, Drama, Mystery), 20th Century Studios, Fox 2000 Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions, retrieved February 11, 2023
  3. ↑ Gariano, Francesca (January 30, 2022). "What is 'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'?". www.today.com. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  4. ↑ "The Woman in the House: How Did Elizabeth Die? | POPSUGAR Entertainment". www.popsugar.com. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  5. 1 2 "'Woman in the Window' takes long, strange trip to the screen". Boston Herald. May 13, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Weir, Keziah (January 19, 2018). "Your Book Editor Just Snagged Your Spot on the Best-Seller List". New York Times. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  7. ↑ Donnelly, Keryn. "The 10 Most Anticipated Books Of 2024 To Add To Your Reading List". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Alumni: Class notes". Latin magazine. Charlotte Latin School. Spring 2018. p. 54 – via Issuu.
  9. 1 2 "Dan Mallory's "Window" on success". Duke. April 17, 2018.
  10. ↑ Bliwise, Robert (April 17, 2018). "Dan Mallory's 'Window' on success". Duke magazine. Duke University. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  11. ↑ "The New York Times Best Seller List: January 21, 2018: Fiction" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved February 4, 2019 – via www.hawes.com.
  12. ↑ "Iceland Noir 2021 – it's so good to be back". Bookanista. December 9, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  13. ↑ "2022 Festival Programme". ICELAND NOIR 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  14. ↑ Sampson, Christine. "An East Hampton Weekend of Whodunits | The East Hampton Star". www.easthamptonstar.com. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  15. ↑ uaenews4u (November 5, 2021). "Ahmed Murad and A. J. Finn reveal their secrets to writing a successful thriller at SIBF 2021 session". Retrieved July 29, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ↑ "Jaipur Literature Fest: AJ Finn's journey to the bestsellers". The Times of India. January 25, 2019. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  17. ↑ devilstatedan (September 4, 2018). "A.J. Finn – WORD Christchurch Festival 2018". Christchurch City Libraries Blog. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  18. ↑ Oates, Joyce Carol (February 19, 2018). "The Domestic Thriller Is Having a Moment". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  19. 1 2 "Review: The Woman in the Window is an intelligent novel of psychological suspense". The Globe and Mail. January 5, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  20. ↑ Maslin, Janet (January 3, 2018). "'The Woman in the Window' Nods to Classics Old and New, From Hitchcock to 'The Girl on the Train'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  21. ↑ "11 New Books We Recommend This Week (Published 2018)". January 12, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Why Dan Mallory is grappling with the success of his author alter ego, AJ Finn". Noted. Archived from the original on January 27, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  23. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 3, 2020). "Netflix Negotiating For 'The Woman In The Window' With Amy Adams; Last Fox 2000 Elizabeth Gabler Project Will Be Let Go By Disney". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  24. ↑ @NetflixFilm (March 4, 2021). "Amy Adams THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW On Netflix May 14" (Tweet). Retrieved March 4, 2021 – via Twitter.
  25. ↑ "'The Woman in the Window' Is an Effective Agoraphobia Thriller with a Chilly Uptown Sheen". Time. May 13, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  26. ↑ Linden, Sheri (May 13, 2021). "Netflix's 'The Woman in the Window': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  27. ↑ Anderson, Porter (March 22, 2019). "The British Book Awards: 2019 Books of the Year Shortlists". Publishing Perspectives. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  28. ↑ DeSouza, Rachel Fogle (January 2, 2018). "A.J. Finn Takes the Classic Novel Noir to New Heights in His Debut, 'The Woman in the Window'". BookTrib. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  29. ↑ Yawn, Mike (January 2, 2018). "The Hitchcockian influence in 'The Woman in the Window'". Houston Chronicle.
  30. ↑ Vultaggio, Maria (March 13, 2018). "What Makes 'The Woman in the Window' Different". Newsweek. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  31. ↑ Neary, Lynn (January 20, 2018). "How The Man In The Apartment Hit Big With 'The Woman In The Window'". NPR.
  32. ↑ "A.J. Finn, author of 'The Woman in the Window', discusses his No. 1 bestseller and Long Island childhood". Newsday.
  33. 1 2 3 Alter, Alexandra (February 14, 2019). "Similarities in 2 Novels Raise Questions About the Limits of Literary Influence". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  34. ↑ "Opinion | Should readers care if novelist Dan Mallory lied about his life story?". Washington Post. February 13, 2019. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  35. ↑ Somers, Erin (February 21, 2019). "NYT Updates Dan Mallory Story With Details From Author's Outlines". Publishers Lunch. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  36. 1 2 3 Parker, Ian (February 4, 2019). "A Suspense Novelist's Trail of Deceptions". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  37. ↑ Halper, Jill; M.D (September 26, 2019). "When Depression Is Like a Cancer". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  38. ↑ "Karin Slaughter | 'I get gendered questions about the violence in my books'". The Bookseller. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  39. 1 2 "Carlo Gébler: 'Why would you damage a book? I just don't get it'".
  40. ↑ Alberge, Dalya (April 12, 2020). "Scholars hit back over New Yorker 'hatchet job' on Edna O'Brien". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  41. ↑ "J.K. Rowling grows up — and gets knocked down". Salon. September 26, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  42. ↑ "Dan Mallory: Best-selling author lied about having cancer". BBC News. February 6, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  43. ↑ Schaub, Michael (February 7, 2019). "Mystery author Dan Mallory admits lying about having cancer and family deaths". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
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