SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. — There is a unique pleasure in reading a work of fiction set in a location you know well. The familiarity of the setting adds an extra layer of depth to the narrative, making the experience all the more immersive.
Christopher Mele, a former reporter at the Adirondack Daily Enterprise and The Press-Republican, taps into this unique connection with his debut novel, "Goodwill's Secrets," a mystery set in the Adirondacks.
For Mele, who has been a news reporter and editor for nearly 40 years, the idea of writing a novel once seemed completely far-fetched.
“I never thought in a bajillion years I’d try my hand at fiction,” he said. “Nonfiction has always been my turf, so I always felt allergic to the idea of inventing people, places, and events.”
Describing himself as an “accidental novelist,” Mele explained that he fell into writing "Goodwill's Secrets" somewhat haphazardly.
“I had a short piece of fiction that I was half-heartedly turning over in my mind during the height of the pandemic, but the more I thought about it and the more backstory I added, the more I realized that this could be a longer piece, possibly even a novel,” he said.
"Goodwill's Secrets" tells the story of Alex Provetto, a community newspaper reporter assigned to cover the sudden and unexplained disappearance of a teenage girl named Raven in the Adirondack village of Goodwill. Initially convinced that Raven is simply a runaway, Alex dismisses the story as a waste of time.
However, as he digs deeper, the idyllic facade of Goodwill cracks, and each lead he chases pulls him deeper into a web of danger and deceit.
Mele, who worked at the Adirondack Daily Enterprise from 1986 to 1988 and then at the Plattsburgh Press-Republican from 1988 to 1992, now works at The New York Times as a deputy editor on its breaking news team.
His career has also included stints in newsrooms in the Hudson Valley and as executive editor of The Pocono Record in Stroudsburg, Pa. He drew on his experiences as a newsman and his time in Saranac Lake and Lake Placid for the setting of his novel. Mele described Goodwill as a composite of localities that captures community life in the Adirondacks.
The novel also provides an insightful look into what it's like to work in a newsroom in 2024, adding another fascinating layer to the story.
It took 2.5 years, four drafts, and a good deal of reporting to bring the novel to fruition. Mele approached the novel as a work of “fictional realism,” striving to ground "Goodwill's Secrets" in real-world conditions.
Ideas often came to him during runs, prompting him to leave a notebook and pen by the front door so he could capture his inspiration as soon as he returned.
"Goodwill's Secrets" is available on Amazon (both in paperback and on Kindle) and at Barnes & Noble. It can also be ordered through independent bookstores.
On June 8, Mele will be at the 2024 Kickass Writers Festival in Saranac Lake, hosted by the Adirondack Center for Writing. He will be selling and signing "Goodwill's Secrets" from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Harrietstown Town Hall.
He plans other book-signing appearances in the region this summer and has already started working on a sequel.
“So far,” he said, “I’ve got the page numbering figured out.”
To learn more about Mele and “Goodwill’s Secrets,” go to chrismeleauthor.com.
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