How did the idea of the story first come to you?ĭaniel: The idea came to me in pieces: I had a character, a female blacks ops specialist, who I was interested in exploring-how the job affected her, how it affected her life, how gender roles are arbitrary and artificial. It’s an examination of memory, of the consequence of lies we tell to try and protect those we love, of what it means to be a mother, and the amoral business of high seas piracy. And when her son shows up to try and negotiated her release, Sentro must not only overcome her own limitations but reveal to her children a version of herself they did not know existed. But when mercenary pirates attack the ship and try to take everyone hostage, one of the passengers Sentro has made a connection with dies, and Sentro goes operational to try and thwart the hijacking and rescue the passengers and crew. At first the trip is uneventful, and Sentro has time to reflect on how her work has impacted her life and her family. Her grown children, who are worried about her recent spaciness, have no idea what she really does for a living, but are glad she’s taking the break. To rest and regroup, she books a trip as one of a few passengers on a cargo ship headed to South America. Our reviewer called your debut, Water Memory, “a must-read for any thriller fan.” For those who haven’t read it, what’s the book about?ĭaniel: The book is about Aubrey Sentro, a former government intelligence field operative, now in the private sector, who learns that repeated concussions suffered during her work may be causing her early signs of CTE, particularly memory loss.

Water Memory by Daniel Pyne