Behind the Title: More Than Us

Some writers find their titles easily—sometimes, I do too. But with More Than Us, the title was the hardest part. It came last, after I had tested countless candidates, none of which felt quite right. The story had flowed, but the title was stuck.

The inspiration (if that is the right word) for the story itself came from true crimes and criminal patterns. The more I researched, the more I came to an awful realization: none of the actions I wrote about were without precedent. Nothing in my book was too far-fetched to be true. In fact, I toned down some elements compared to real life. And not just the violence— the toxic cultures that allow such criminals to thrive. Control, belittling, grooming, undermining—predominantly, but not exclusively, with women as victims.

By the time I finished the book, I still didn’t have a title. But what I did have was a sense of sadness. Because while More Than Us is fiction, its themes are not.

And then, while re-reading my manuscript, I stopped at this passage— one I didn’t even remember writing:

This was about more than us. He was one man, and we were his victims, but neither he nor we were the first, the only, or the last.

That’s exactly it. The story is about More Than Us. More than the victims in the book, more than the book itself. It’s wish fulfillment—the idea that silenced victims can have voices.

That’s why it’s a ghost story.

I didn’t set out to write about the supernatural, but I wanted to give agency to the victims—to bring their loss to life. So many books and films about serial killers focus on the killer, reducing the victims to ‘bodies’ — nameless and voiceless, a riddle to be solved. This is not that kind of story.

And so, I chose a title that carries weight, but doesn’t overburden a story that is already dark enough. A title that reflects its themes, while leaving space for something more. Reflection, and honouring victims.

More Than Us is a thriller, a ghost story, a reckoning, and – I hope – a book that lingers beyond the last page (it certainly has for me).