Thriller author Christopher Reich takes murder to new heights in ‘Matterhorn’ – Orange County Register

You could say that former stockbroker turned spy thriller author Christopher Reich knows how to make a killing.

Since leaving a successful career in finance, the Encinitas-based Reich has written 15 novels and is no stranger to the New York Times bestseller list. His latest opus, “Matterhorn,” hit shelves on April 1. We had the chance to sit down with him for a Q&A session about his latest release, some of his past work, and his writing process.

Q: Many writers in the thriller genre tend to “stay in their lane,” following Mark Twain’s old adage “write what you know.” Some stick to the spy/espionage thriller, courtroom thriller, or cop/law enforcement characters. You come from a banking and finance background, a common thread in many of your books. However, you often veer off your path with characters ranging from doctor to ex-thief. What inspires you to come up with such diverse characters and what research do you put into portraying these characters realistically?

A: I agree with Mark Twain. My first novel, “Numbered Account,” was a financial thriller based on my work at the Union des Banques Suisses, in Geneva and Zurich. But I quickly discovered that, for me, what is most enjoyable about writing is the research, the possibility of discovering other professions, other lifestyles. After all, how many stories can be told with a Swiss banker as the hero?

One of my heroes, Jonathan Ransom, is a doctor working for Doctors Without Borders, an organization I have always admired. Right off the bat, he fulfills many of the requirements for a fictional hero: intelligent, accomplished, responsible, with a specific skill set. Simon Riske, another of my characters, is an expert mechanic who restores and sells vintage Ferraris for a small fortune. Again, he’s really good at something. He is capable, he is independent and he commands respect.

For these two guys, the fun part was digging deep to learn everything about their work as best as possible in two to three months. I visited the headquarters of Doctors Without Borders in Geneva. I visited their field hospitals. For Riske, I spent time with Joe Macari, one of the world’s leading Ferrari experts, in London. It’s the juice. You need that excitement when you sit down for nine months to write the book!

Q: In your upcoming standalone release “Matterhorn,” we see an aging former CIA agent living an isolated life as a dairy farmer in Switzerland. Much of your youth was spent in Switzerland, and as the title suggests, we see aspects of mountaineering incorporated into the plot. How have your past experiences influenced the new book?

A: I spent a large part of my youth in Switzerland. I am a Swiss citizen. My father, Willy Reich, was from Zurich and emigrated to the United States in 1956. After my studies, I worked for eight years in Zurich and Neuchâtel, first in banking, then in watchmaking. Almost every weekend I took the train to the Alps to hike or test my skills on some of the smaller peaks.

More specifically, I have always been fascinated by the Matterhorn. It is the most iconic and recognizable peak in the world. I first visited Zermatt when I was a teenager. I will never forget my first observation of the Matterhorn. It dominates the valley. He has a presence of his own, sometimes benevolent, sometimes threatening. In any case, it’s captivating. It’s a force of nature looking at you. I think even then I imagined writing a story centered around this majestic peak.

Q: You have two series with recurring characters, Jonathan Ransom and Simon Riske, as well as eight standalone novels. When you started both series, did you write them knowing they would be a series or initially as a standalone series that evolved into a series?

A: I started both books thinking I would create a series. Readers love revisiting their favorite characters year after year. I loved the Tom Clancy novels with Jack Ryan and, more recently, the Gabriel Allon novels by Daniel Silva. As a writer, it’s fun to build the world of these characters, to create a new alternate reality.

Q: Matterhorn’s main character, Mac Dekker, has a daughter who seems to have followed in his footsteps into the world of the CIA. Is there a future for Mac’s daughter in your writing? Could another series be developed?

A: Absolutely. Mac’s daughter, Jane, is a little piece of the old neighborhood. She’s a climber. She’s a spy. And she’s tough as nails. She will be back in a big way in my second Mac Dekker novel, “The Tourists”. It begins at the Michelin-starred restaurant Le Jules Verne, in the Eiffel Tower… and then it’s hell.

Q: All of your books have varying locations. This question is sort of a “chicken or the egg” question: do you start with a location because of past familiarity or do you find a location and then travel there to become familiar?

A: I always have a certain familiarity with a place that inspires me to build a book around it. In “Matterhorn,” it’s the mountain itself. I have been to Zermatt several times and trained to climb it. My first attempt was cut short by a severe snowstorm in July that closed the mountain for days. I’m going back this summer to take care of my unfinished business. Regardless, I always thought it was necessary to tell a story that began and ended on the face of the Matterhorn. It’s so exciting up there.

Today, elite climbers can ascend and descend in two hours, without any ropes. Of course, one mistake and they will fall to their death. Imagine two spies, both world-class mountaineers, chasing each other to the top of that mountain, guns in hand! My palms are already sweating!

Q: Let’s answer the last question “If you were stranded on a desert island” – or, in your case, if you were snowed in during the winter in a small cabin in the Alps. You can only have one book, one film, one record and one bottle, what would they be?

Book: “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” by John Le Carré.

Movie: “The Bourne Supremacy”. It’s the gold standard.

Disc: The “Emperor Piano Sonata” by Beethoven. It’s the soundtrack to all my novels!

Bottle: Passugger mineral water, from Switzerland of course!

Christopher Reich will speak about “Matterhorn” on Thursday, April 18 at 6 p.m. at the Cypress Branch of the Orange County Public Library. The event is free and open to the public.