LEGALLY AN AUTHOR

Reese Witherspoon Releases Debut Novel

As a voracious reader and founder of Reese’s Book Club, the actress approached the thriller writer for her first novel.

Oscar-winning actress and Reese’s Book Club founder Reese Witherspoon has announced her first book, Gone Before Goodbye. The thriller, released Tuesday, was created in collaboration with New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben, who Witherspoon called “the greatest thriller writer there is right now.” The co-authors appeared on CBS Mornings to discuss how the Legally Blonde actress approached the thriller writer to bring her idea to life. “The crazy thing is, I’ve never had an idea for a novel. I’m always the actor that shows up and executes on someone else’s vision,” Witherspoon said. “I thought maybe I should take the big leap and try and build the whole world.” The pair brainstormed for hours to tell the story of an Army combat surgeon pulled into an international conspiracy while dealing with her personal life. “I can create characters, but he can create hooks,” Witherspoon said. The Big Little Lies star revealed that her idea came after reading Kirstin Chen’s Counterfeit. “I thought, does that happen? Do people do illegal things to get the surgeries they need? I started asking surgeons...and I finally got a yes.” The pair also discussed potentially translating the idea for the big screen: “It’s crossed our mind,” she said.