Abhiroop Das
Created by Megan Gallagher, Peacock’s ‘All Her Fault‘ chronicles the disappearance of Milo Irvine from a playdate that seemingly never happened. With their child missing, Marissa and Peter Irvine begin a slow descent into a downward spiral, with each new chapter in the mystery revealing the case’s connections to their past. On the other hand, Jenny Kaminski, a publishing agent and the mother of Jacob, Milo’s friend, finds herself becoming an unwilling participant in the saga, but that doesn’t stop her from providing Marissa with the support she needs. Adapted from Andrea Mara’s eponymous novel, this psychological thriller series offers a deeper insight into the inner workings of Jenny’s publishing company, Blackhorn, which not only enhances the overall worldbuilding but also brings out Jenny and her unique struggles within the narrative.
Blackhorn is an Up and Coming Publisher Potentially Informed by Real Life Agencies
Blackhorn is the name of a fictional publishing house penned by writer Megan Gallagher purely to serve the story of ‘All Her Fault.’ While Blackhorn doesn’t feature in Andrea Mara’s eponymous book, the changes in the television version of the story likely stem from the new approach by the show’s creative team, which introduces a professional front to make the story more dynamic. As a publishing house that has yet to make its mark on the industry, Blackhorn occupies a unique position within the narrative, with Jenny constantly being overworked to keep the company afloat. Although Blackhorn doesn’t appear to have any direct reference point in real life, its name bears a partial resemblance to publishing companies such as Blackthorn Books and Blackthorne Publishers. However, this is largely where the similarity ends, making them an unlikely source of inspiration.
What makes Blackhorn stand out from its competitors within ‘All Her Fault’ is its emphasis on targeting younger audiences and award-winning books, so as to generate buzz around a book and let that translate into sales. To that end, the company’s modus operandi aligns with modern publishing houses, which utilize social media and other interactive platforms to introduce a new reader base to popular books. To that end, some similar publishing agencies that might have served as a potential model for Blackhorn include Europa Editions, located at 27 Union Square West in Suite 302 in New York and Grove Atlantic, situated at 154 West 14th Street on 12th Floor in New York, both of which are known for their viral media campaigns and emphasis on bringing mature fiction to a broader audience.
Lee Logan Bears Strong Parallels With a Real-Life Thriller Novelist
While the majority of ‘All Her Fault’ deals with Milo Irvine’s kidnapping, a chunk of the story is also dedicated to Jenny’s professional venture as one of Blackhorn’s lead agents. As such, her meeting with the enigmatic novelist, Lee Logan, serves as a significant turning point in the story. Unlike Blackhorn Publishing, Lee Logan appears to have a singular source of inspiration in the form of British thriller novelist Lee Child. Although this link has not been confirmed as of writing, numerous details about Logan connect him to his real-life counterpart, the most apparent of which is his name. Beyond sharing the same first name, the writers also employ a similar typographic style for their book covers, where their names are often as prominently featured as the titles of the books themselves. In Logan’s case, this points to the brand value associated with his body of work, which further strengthens his overlap with Lee Child.
During her first interaction with Logan, Jenny recalls that the majority of his readership is women, and that fact also holds true for Lee Child, with over 60% of his readership being reportedly comprised of women. However, beyond this point, the commonalities begin to fade, as the plot takes on a purely fictional trajectory. To begin with, Lee Logan is portrayed as an American novelist, unlike Lee Child, who is British. Furthermore, the plot largely centers around Logan letting go of his old publishers to sign a deal with Blackhorn, and this beat has no real-life parallels with Lee Child’s publishing history, as the writer has expressed no interest in signing up with a new publishing house or agency. As such, it is likely that the creative team of ‘All Her Fault’ uses the parallels between Lee Logan and Lee Child as a means to make the arc more believable.
Read More: Is All Her Fault Based on a True Story?
