Best-selling crime novel author Sebastian Fitzek: “Most people die between two and five in the morning.”

With his psychological thrillers like “The Calendar Girl,” Sebastian Fitzek looks deep into the depths of humanity. In an interview with blue News, he explains why his books are like therapy – and why he prefers to avoid true crime.

Mr. Fitzek, in your books you look directly into the souls of psychopaths, like in your book “The New Calendar Girl” (publication: October 23rd). How do you manage to look into these reasons? Do you go to therapy?

Supervision? No, my books are my therapy. When I hear about child abuse or see that in 90 percent of cases the perpetrators come from close surroundings, it worries me and I think of my own family. With five children you have to suppress such fears. But if that’s no longer possible, I’ll get these worries off my chest. I used to think I’d write them away, but that’s not true. I process it – it remains present. But by writing I give structure to my worries, so I feel balanced.

I read that you were traumatized early on by the program “File number XY… unsolved”. Are you now banning the TV format for your children?

My children are between two weeks old and 14 years old. “File number XY …” wouldn’t interest them, at least not the older ones. Otherwise she would find it too harmless. True crime or social networks are not an issue for her either. The eldest reads a lot and wants to become an author, but in the field of new romance. The boys read manga. What I was most afraid of was that they were watching true crime documents on Netflix – these days they are much more disturbing than “File number XY…”.

Do you watch the true crime documentary?

Rare, the last war about Jeffrey Dahmer. After each episode I asked myself why I was even watching this. With fiction, I know that everything is exaggerated and modified – I don’t have to worry about it being real. But a true crime documentary was – let’s not kid ourselves – created for entertainment purposes. To delight in real suffering and consume it for entertainment so I can have my problems.

Her last book “The Invitation” has some surprising twists at the end. Is there a risk of getting lost when writing?

At the beginning I take three to four months in which I work on the first draft every day – regardless of whether there are birthdays or Christmas in between. I read the last ten chapters over and over again to stay deep in the story. A psychological thriller is often complex because my goal is to let the confusion that the main character experiences also arise in the reader, so that you can still identify with the character. I realize this can be confusing, but I don’t feel that way since I’m in the middle of the story. When you read the thriller for the first time – and perhaps read quickly and skim over some things because it is so exciting – it can happen that you miss something. However, I see these as positive signs.

Your fans know that most people die at three in the morning. Why?

Statistics show that most people die between 2 and 5 a.m. because circulation is at its best at this time. The exact time has not yet been determined, at least not documented. Fortunately, most people die in bed and not in the clutches of a psychopath. My fans might know this because I did a podcast called “3:29 a.m. – Fitzek’s Hour of Death.”

Do you read a lot of statistics to research your books?

Statistics less so, although I know that psychology studies use them a lot. I’m more of a lawyer – it’s not the hard science that fascinates me, but the storytelling that lawyers also learn. My work often focuses on people, especially victims, who are unfortunately more likely to be affected as perpetrators. I am sure that everyone in their environment knows a victim – be it through a petty criminal act or a break-in that can leave psychological trauma behind. Abuse and domestic violence are also widespread. Mental disorders such as panic attacks or depression affect many people, but fortunately they are always talked about as perpetrators. It’s good that this topic is being removed from taboos

Almost all of your books are set in Berlin. Do you need familiar surroundings to let your stories take place there?

Nope. My very first version of “The Therapy” took place on the East Coast of the USA. My agent – ​​​​when he wasn’t even my agent yet – read the manuscript and said: “You can tell there’s a lot of talent, but also rookie mistakes.” Why is the story set in the USA?” Psychological thrillers should take place where the author is familiar. So I thought about it and moved the story to Berlin because I know my way around here.

Very interesting, thanks for the tip.

And authenticity is important, even in a fictional story. A fictional story is essentially a lie – and every good lie has a kernel of truth. The foundation is the author’s research and experience, and the reader’s intuition. If I were to set a story in Switzerland, I would have to tell it from the perspective of a non-Swiss person because I don’t know my way there. You would notice that. I make it easier for myself with Berlin, but Berlin is also a city where you meet all kinds of people. You have everything here – except the mountains and the sea. Berlin is a city where strange stories can happen without anyone being surprised.

Although you can certainly be surprised at the bad things that sometimes happen in small towns.

One hundred percent. My next book, “The Calendar Girl,” which will be published on October 23rd, is set in a little house in the Franconian Forest, and “The Invitation” was set on the German border.

Her books are all bestsellers. What do you do better than the competition?

At first I don’t see it as competition, and I don’t think I see the others that way either. We exchange ideas regularly, for example with Romy Hausmann, Marc Raabe or Bernhard Aichner in Austria. It’s often like this: When you read a thriller, you immediately move on to the next one. The more bestsellers there are, the better for the industry – and also for me. I would never have gotten a contract if my publisher hadn’t had the courage to print 2,500 copies of my book because they had just landed a bestseller.

These are interesting thoughts.

There are an incredible number of number 1 thriller authors. My luck was that my success was not planned. Looking back, I didn’t have a big PR or marketing campaign, no hype at the beginning. My first reading was to five people, three of whom worked at the bookstore. Today, at the end of my reading tour, I am able to speak to 155,000 people – that has grown over the last 20 years.

Do you feel pressure to succeed before a new book is published?

The good thing is that – unlike my brother, who is a doctor – it’s not a matter of life or death. When a book flops, it’s unpleasant and it hurts your ego, but it’s not existential. Nobody writes just for themselves, especially not if they want to tell stories. It was very fortunate that I was able to achieve relatively unnoticed success without anyone having any expectations of me. So I was able to write different books freely and at ease.

You have written over 20 books. You are a driven person. What drives you?

Death, your own mortality. I calculate in summers. I’m now 52 years old and I’m wondering: How many pain-free summers do I have left? 30 would be presumptuous, I don’t think so. Maybe 20 or 25 summers where I can still travel and do everything. That’s manageable. People are most active in summer. During this time, I won’t be able to write all the books I want or reach all the travel destinations I want to. My not this bucket list, which would be very long, drives me. She motivates me to live to the fullest and create as many memories as possible.

You will soon be on a reading tour and will also stop in Switzerland. Is such a tour strenuous?

Yes, it is physically demanding. We tour with eight trucks and two nightliners. The show starts at 8:03 p.m. because we realized that it never starts at 8:00 p.m. on time – so we printed that time on the ticket. Not only do I read, there is also a soundtrack performed by the seven-piece band Naturally 7, according to the Internet the best a cappella band in the world. To do this, I have to stick to the timing of the show, and I often sign for several hours after the reading. Afterwards I’m definitely a few kilos lighter.

Who is the best crime writer of all time?

Good question, I’ve never been asked that before. For me, the best horror author of all time is definitely Stephen King. When it comes to thriller authors, Thomas Harris and Michael Crichton are right up there with me. Crichton was incredibly versatile – from historical train robberies and pirate stories to dinosaur science and eco-thrillers and the TV series “Emergency Room”. I’ve always admired this versatility, coupled with a psychological depth that you often don’t expect in film adaptations.

More videos from the resort