Where did you get the idea? It started life as a story about a hit man with no one to kill, something that came to me out of nowhere. So the original idea was for a story of introspection and soul-searching. The next layer to develop was meeting the family of one of his victims. The plot that drives the book came last, a response to the realization that you needed to see what JJ was capable of if his introspection was going to mean anything. See, I never intended to kill anyone - things just got a little out of hand. Why is he called JJ? I liked the idea of him having a nickname that didn't make sense and didn't have anything to do with his real name. There is a tortuous literary conceit behind the choice of "JJ". If you can work it out you clearly have too much time on your hands and should probably consider becoming an author. Why is the plot SO complicated? Labyrinthine is the word one reviewer used. I think he also accused it of not always adding up. Well, it does add up, in every detail, and in fact it isn't that complicated. It is confusing though and that's intentional because I wanted the reader to feel the same disorientation that JJ experiences. Interestingly, female readers tend to blame themselves for their confusion, male readers blame me. Read into that what you will. Are any of the characters based on people you know? No, not really. Jools was very loosely based on a friend I'd visited not long before writing that section. The mysterious Lo Bello appeared in the plot only because my friend Juan Antonio Lo Bello told me I was welcome to use his name if I needed it for some mysterious super spy. I suppose JJ is loosely based on me - except I'm taller, funnier perhaps, certainly less charming, oh, and I don't kill people. What do your friends think of the book? One didn't like it at all. We miss him terribly. A few liked it but said it wasn't the kind of book they would normally read (i.e., without pictures). The rest were very enthusiastic. Most of the comments (excluding "Will you get me a part in the film?) have centred on the way the book ends, the different opinions too varied to cover here. But whatever they think of the ending, I'm happy that they're left dwelling on it afterwards. Will there be a film and can I be in it? Watch this space. A lot of people have said they can see it making a great film, which I take as a big compliment. But it's not a particularly easy plot to adapt so I'll want to make sure I'm happy that it's going into the right hands. Keep an eye on this site for news of when I sell-out on that principle - everyone has a price. Who would you want to play JJ? I don't have a strong opinion. A few people have suggested Jude Law or Christian Bale and I could imagine both of them doing a great job. I don't think he necessarily has to be English though. Or even a man. Clare Danes perhaps? Why do you leave so many questions unanswered at the end of the book? Because life is like that. I also think it's good to leave these blank spaces where the reader has to imagine what might happen beyond the confines of the book. I don't even have the answers myself - they're all up for grabs. Will there be a sequel? PEOPLE KEEP DYING. No Who's the one who got away? Mind your own business.