Q&A With Marshall Karp

Elyse Rosenberg and Emi Battaglia, both dear friends and publicists, have connected me with Marshall Karp!  Marshall is a #1 New York Times bestselling author who first made his mark with The Rabbit Factory (Publishers Weekly starred review), the novel that launched his critically acclaimed Lomax and Biggs mysteries. From there, he teamed up with James Patterson to create the bestselling NYPD Red series and now continues the high-octane thrillers on his own. In March 2025 he released a standalone, Don’t Tell Me How to Die—a story that begins as a poignant family drama and turns, quietly and ruthlessly, into a psychological thriller driven by buried truths and gasp-worthy reveals. In addition to his sixteen novels, Marshall is also a screenwriter, documentarian, and playwright!

Q: Welcome to Book Notions Marshall! What was it like co-writing the NYPD RED series with James Patterson, and then eventually writing the rest of the series by yourself?

A: My first collaboration with Jim was Kill Me If You Can. He handed me a tight outline (about 3,000 words) and I expanded it into a full novel. That’s his process with coauthors. But the NYPD RED series was different. I brought Jim the concept of a team of elite cops dedicated to solving crimes against (and sometimes by) the city’s rich and famous. He loved it, and I took the reins. I learned a lot from Jim over the years. He drives the story like a freight train—pressure-cooker chapters, each with a single idea, and a hook at the end that demands the reader turn the page. I obsess over the people on board that train. It’s a throwback to my time writing for TV and film. When Jim started partnering on high-profile projects with folks like President Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Mike Lupica, I stepped out on my own. By then I’d learned enough to fly solo, and I’m loving every minute of it.

Q: Without spoiling too much, what can fans both old and new expect in the latest sequel NYPD RED 8?

A: The full title is NYPD RED 8: THE 11:59 BOMBER. It’s written as a standalone thriller. New readers can jump into the series without reading the previous books. A bomb explodes in a crowded subway station at exactly 11:59 AM. The next day a second blast rips through a department store—again at 11:59. As the bombs go off with clockwork precision, the body count climbs, businesses shut their doors, and millions hunker down in fear. NYPD RED Detectives Kylie MacDonald and Zach Jordan race against the clock in search of a madman who has vowed to “destroy New York City the way it destroyed my family.”

There’s also a strong “B” plot. A screenwriter-director is murdered, and all the evidence points to Kylie’s long-missing husband, newly back in town. Kylie pushes her way onto the case, determined to track down the real killer. But Zach silently believes that the arresting cops got it right, and Kylie is blinded to the fact that her husband is a cold-blooded murderer.

Q: How long does it take you to write a book and what are any messages and emotions you hope readers learn & feel once they’re finished?

A: It took 40 years for the first one—thirty-five dreaming about it and five more to sit down and make the dream come true. Since then, a book takes me 12 to 18 months from concept to execution. With one giant exception: Don’t Tell Me How To Die took seven years from the time the character of Maggie Dunn came into my head until I finally knew I’d gotten her story right. Reader reaction was more positive than I ever could have hoped for. Many bloggers and Bookstagrammers have made it one of their top books of 2025, and for me, it is my proudest moment. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever written, so I’m giving NYPD RED fans a chance to see another side of me by including the first twelve chapters of Don’t Tell Me How To Die at the back of NYPD RED 8.

Q: Are you currently writing another sequel to the NYPD Red series or another standalone novel?

A: Having published two books this year, I was planning to take a break. But then I had an IDEA that was perfect for the next NYPD RED 9. So, no break. I’m having too much fun writing NYPD RED 9.

Q: What is your advice for anyone wanting to co-author a novel or series with someone else whether it’s with their friends, spouse or family members?

A: If James Patterson calls and says “Would you like to write a book with me?” say yes and hang on for the ride of your life. But if it’s a friend, family member, or God forbid, your spouse, think about how much baggage they will bring to the project, and then ask yourself this question: “What could possibly go wrong?”

When you get to page three of a very long list, drop me an email and thank me. 

Q: You are a screenwriter, documentarian & playwright as well as being an author. Since you are a screenwriter, have you written scripts for your books and does Hollywood have the rights to them? What documentaries and plays are you working on right now? How do you juggle writing books, screenwriting, being a documentarian and being a playwright?

A: For the last twenty years I’ve focused on books. Three have been optioned for TV. I’ve enjoyed the fact that Hollywood is interested, but so far we’ve only gotten to first base—okay, second base: Lionsgate shot a pilot of The Rabbit Factory. My coming-of-age film Just Looking hit theaters in 2000, and this year I reunited with the director, my good friend Jason Alexander, at the LBI (Lighthouse) Film Festival, where it was honored as an indie classic.

Squabbles, a family comedy I wrote ages ago, keeps finding stages—most recently in Budapest. When I watched the video, I couldn’t understand a word, but I loved watching a packed house laugh their fenéks off. My documentary, Bipolar Within: Who Am I?, was personal. So I decided to skip the festival circuit and put it on YouTube, where it’s quietly doing its job of bringing hope to those touched by bipolar disorder.

Bottom line: I don’t juggle much. I write books. When a script opportunity comes along, I pivot. Then I get back to the fun stuff—people to kill, bodies to bury, weapons to hide.