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Being Nefariously Inclined
Falling in Southport follows a young woman from a prominent Chicago political family who falls for a charming yet manipulative athlete she meets in college, who is hiding dangerous secrets. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I actually built the story around the coat. I myself had been living in the same Chicago neighborhood and realized that wherever I went, women were wearing my identical jacket, albeit in different colors. Being nefariously inclined, I then thought, how would one use this to commit a crime? The premise for the murder was created and I built the characters around it.
What were the morals you were trying to capture while creating your characters?
A big part of this story is about the resilience of family and that sometimes, no matter how much you try not to rock the boat, bad things happen to good people. It’s in the most trying situations you realize who you can count on in your life, and for me, that has always been my family. I wanted Abigail to have that same solid foundation that she could turn to when her life fell apart, no matter if they had condoned or condemned her previous choices.
How do you balance story development with shocking plot twists? Or can they be the same thing?
I try to plan out the kind of plot twists I’d like to see and the spacing within the novel. I then build the scenes in between. I like doing it this way because I’m always surprised at the way the scenes unfold, with characters doing unexpected things to take us into the next phase of the novel.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
I am busy editing my new novel. The working title is The Arrow’s Reckoning. It’s about a young woman, Lizzie, who moves back home to a small resort town to take care of her dying mother. She meets a wealthy, new family who’s built a mansion nearby and gets swept up in their family dynamics, particularly the intrigue involved in holding on to their company. This book is near and dear to me. A lot of the novel is about coming to terms with her mother’s impending death and finding your place in a world that’s changing. I started writing it after my own mother’s sudden passing and it was a cathartic way for me to examine my own feelings. Hopefully, it will be out in the early half of 2027.
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Abigail Lethican’s world unravels when her husband admits to infidelity. Reeling from his betrayal, she follows him—only to become the prime suspect when he turns up dead. With her trial looming and the media circling, she finds an unexpected ally in her handsome and enigmatic neighbor. As they search for the truth, Abigail discovers her husband’s polished facade concealed a maze of dangerous secrets. Sometimes, the deadliest lies hide in plain sight.
Falling on Southport
Falling on Southport tells the story of Abigail Lethican, a young woman from a prominent Chicago political family who falls for Jim Hardy, a charming yet manipulative athlete she meets in college. What begins as a picture-perfect romance quickly turns into a psychological descent through love, control, and deception. As Abigail becomes entangled in Jim’s world, author M. J. Slater pulls readers through the emotional wreckage that follows, layering suspense with the ache of self-doubt and the slow unmasking of lies. It’s part love story, part psychological thriller, and part study of how ambition and trauma can twist even the most romantic beginnings into tragedy.
I was hooked from the first chapter. The writing is tight and cinematic, with vivid scenes. Slater’s dialogue feels alive, the kind that crackles between people who think they know each other but really don’t. The pacing caught me off guard. It lulls you with sweetness before snapping like a whip. What hit hardest wasn’t the murder mystery, but the way Slater captures how smart people still fall for manipulation because they want to be seen. I felt angry, then sympathetic, then exhausted in the best way. There’s something painfully real about watching Abigail rationalize her own unhappiness. It reminded me of the small compromises people make in relationships that turn, inch by inch, into submission.
The story digs into the quiet violence of control, and that’s not easy to read. But it’s worth it. The characters aren’t neatly likable. They’re messy, relatable, and raw. I liked that Slater didn’t try to explain every emotion or tie up every question. The writing has a pulse. It’s not polished to death, and that makes it better. There’s beauty in the cracks. By the end, I felt both gutted and weirdly hopeful. The kind of hopeful that comes from realizing survival is its own kind of victory.
I’d recommend Falling on Southport to readers who love dark relationship dramas, who appreciate strong yet flawed female voices, and who can stomach emotional honesty without flinching. It’s not a breezy read, but it’s powerful, heartfelt, and painfully true.
Pages: 225 | ASIN : B0FMS6K2YC
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