Matt Barrows and Jessica Beebe Bring Their Crime Thriller Muddy the Water to Life with Unstoppable Creativity

PHOTO: Matt Barrows and Jessica Beebe, the sibling duo behind the award-winning ‘Muddy the Water’, redefine crime fiction.

Behind the Scenes of Muddy the Water

Award-winning siblings Matt Barrows and Jessica Beebe discuss their acclaimed novel, Muddy the Water, highlighting their creative process, newsroom inspirations, sibling dynamics, and advice for aspiring co-authors.

Matt Barrows And Jessica Beebe Beebe are a formidable sibling duo who have taken the literary world by storm with their debut crime thriller, Muddy the Water. A gripping tale of deception, identity, and the complex interplay of truth and lies, their novel has already garnered critical acclaim, winning the prestigious Literary Global Book Award for Debut Fiction. While both come from accomplished careers in journalism, their shared passion for storytelling and their ability to weave vivid narratives have crafted a book that is as thrilling as it is deeply thoughtful.

Matt brings with him over two decades of experience as a sports reporter, covering the San Francisco 49ers, while Jessica’s work as a journalist, editor, and TV news producer has taken her from the fast-paced corridors of the White House to the chaotic heart of newsrooms. Together, they’ve transformed a long-standing idea from Matt’s early career into a meticulously crafted story that pulses with tension and intrigue. From the newsroom dynamics to the chilling journey into the mind of an undiagnosed psychopath, their collaboration is a masterclass in blending journalistic precision with creative flair.

In this issue, we had the privilege of interviewing with Matt and Jessica to delve into their creative process, the inspirations behind their unforgettable characters, and, of course, the behind-the-scenes moments that only siblings could bring to such a partnership. Their rich backgrounds, shared sense of humour, and commitment to authenticity shine through every page of Muddy the Water. For those who love a crime thriller where fact meets fiction in the most compelling way, this novel is not to be missed.

“Matt and Jessica masterfully blend journalistic expertise with storytelling brilliance, delivering a debut thriller that’s both captivating and authentic.“

What inspired you both to collaborate on Muddy the Water, and how did your backgrounds in journalism influence the story?

We both graduated from the University of Virginia four years apart and went into journalism, Matt in newspapers and Jessica in television news. We’ve known for years that we have similar tastes in books, TV shows and movies. When the pandemic grounded us to a halt and Matt was completely isolated and Jessica was trapped in her house with three teenagers and a loud husband, we needed an outlet for creativity and to regain our sanity.

In 1997 Matt had driven south from Virginia to Hilton Head, SC, to start a job as a reporter for a small newspaper called the Hilton Head Island Packet. It was a spooky night drive to an unfamiliar place. That’s when he started thinking: what if he got bumped off and the guy who showed up for work the next day at The Packet was an impostor? After all, he’d been hired over the phone. No one had any idea what he looked like. 

That kernel of an idea rattled around in Matt’s head for decades. But it never went beyond that until February 2020, when he relayed the rough idea to Jessica during a family dinner. She loved the story outline and suggested the two write the novel together (Matt was lukewarm on the proposal). Soon after, she was on the phone with a coroner from Jasper County, SC, confirming that a dead body can, n fact, travel 75 miles from an inland river to the ocean largely intact. There was no going back and Matt agreed to co-author the crime thriller with his sister. 

The novel explores themes of identity and deception—how did you approach crafting Ben Broome as such a complex and charismatic character?

We did a deep dive into psychopathy, a personality disorder that involves a lack of empathy, antisocial behavior, and manipulative tendencies. Ben Broome is an undiagnosed psychopath. He does not relish killing but will do what it takes to achieve his goals. If that requires him to become a charming, charismatic colleague in a newsroom, he can become that person. But you don’t have to be a psychopath to don a mask and change your personality. In fact, does anyone ever show their true self?

“Does anyone ever show their true self?” – Matt Barrows and Jessica Barrows Beebe

Jessica, as a former journalist and documentarian, how did your experience shape the portrayal of investigative reporting in the novel?

I worked in newsrooms for a lot of my early career. Those newsrooms are tumultuous places – lots of sweat, stress and yelling. We wanted to show those aspects, and also the idea that reporters work very hard for very little but they are proud to bring important truths to their readers. 

Matt, you’ve covered the San Francisco 49ers for over two decades—did your experience in sports journalism influence any aspects of the book’s newsroom setting?

No, not really. We make a few references to professional sports but mostly stay away from it (Ben Broome definitely is not a sports guy). I mostly drew from my two years as a news and environment reporter at the Island Packet. It was such a small, intimate, lively newsroom – everyone was crammed together and there were no secrets. You knew exactly what your colleague was working on because he or she was yammering on the phone inches from you. It was my first full-time job, an experience I’ll never forget.

The book shifts between the perspectives of a killer, a detective, and a reporter—what were the challenges and rewards of writing from these different viewpoints?

We found that writing a crime thriller from different viewpoints is essential to keeping the readers on their toes. What one character interprets as a clue might be overlooked or played down by another. What one character thinks is a successful day on the job another believes is a total bust. Not only is it captivating to read these different perspectives, but it takes the reader a minute to decipher and think through what is really going on. 

The challenge, on the other hand, is making sure the reader knows from whose perspective their current chapter is told. Every chapter in Muddy the Water starts with the perspective – Ben, Grimes or Florence – but readers need to pay attention as they move along through the book.

With Muddy the Water winning the Literary Global Book Award for Debut Fiction, how do you both feel about the reception, and are there plans for a follow-up?

We are very proud to have received the Literary Global Book Award for Debut Fiction. As journalists, we care about solid, accurate writing and we took pains – and interviewed a number of experts – to make sure our novel was grounded in science and facts. It is really gratifying to be recognized for our work.

We have just begun plotting a sequel — stay tuned!

“It is really gratifying to be recognised for our work.” – Matt Barrows and Jessica Barrows Beebe

As siblings, were there any fun disagreements or moments of sibling rivalry during the writing process? Or did you find ways to work together seamlessly?

Overall, we worked well together but “seamlessly” is too strong. Our writing process initially worked like this: Jessica wrote the chapters from the perspectives of the two female characters (the detective and the reporter) and Matt wrote the chapters told by the male antagonist (Ben). Then we swapped our work and edited the other. 

The initial editing session was long and grueling because the FIRST SENTENCE that Jessica wrote in the whole book included the word “seagull.” According to Matt, who is an avid bird watcher, THERE IS NO BIRD CALLED A SEAGULL. He went on to explain in dry, boring terms that the category is “gull” and that there are herring gulls, laughing gulls, ring-billed gulls, etc., etc. Apparently, there are no seagulls. By this point Jessica had put a pillow over her head, knowing it was going to be a bumpy ride to the finish line – five years later.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors looking to co-write a novel, especially those coming from a journalism background?

Set the ground rules for your day-to-day writing life, such as who writes what, who edits what, can someone veto an idea or storyline, who makes research queries? Once the ground rules are set, dive in (and be patient with one another). There are lots of benefits to co-writing a book: it helps ideas flow freely, you presumably can finish faster and potentially double your readership (stay tuned on that last point)!

Oh, and definitely don’t use the word “seagull.”