There's a good chance you know Marian as Vera Prins from Baantjer. But acting isn't the only thing she does. Marian has several books to her name and this month her book Opium is coming out. A thrilling thriller and the first thriller she writes after several novels. How did that process go? You can read about it below. Oh yes, we were also curious about her weekend.

Hi Marian! Mid-May your first thriller is coming out: Opium. When did you think: it's time for a thriller?

I actually didn't think that at all. I did know it would be different from the other books I've written, but I wasn't planning to write a thriller beforehand. Only during the writing did it become a thriller because someone is murdered in the story. I hadn't thought of that in advance.

Did the whole process from idea to a tangible book take long?

All in all, I have been working on it for two years. I started by forming an image of the main character. Then I look for example in interviews or photos’of women I find interesting. I was inspired by thrilling movies in which strong, dangerous women play the lead role. In Opium, Swedish actress Lena Olin played a major inspirational role. You could actually say she was my muse while writing this book. But then Lena in her younger years.…

Can you already reveal something about what your book is about?

Of course! It's about a woman who starts a relationship with a man she suspects has committed a murder. To uncover the truth, she begins the relationship with him. She finds herself in a precarious balance because she doesn't trust him but also feels attracted to him.

From the classic ‘femme fatale’ I made a ‘homme fatale’.

Before this, you wrote several novels. What is your preference now when it comes to writing?

I wrote my previous books with a lot of pleasure, but a thriller is so completely different. While I was writing, I was really solving a puzzle. When the murder was committed in the book, I didn't know who the perpetrator was. It was something I had to figure out, and I enjoyed it!

And now busy with the launch?

Yes indeed. Also very busy with interviews, but most of it is already behind me. The launch will actually take place at the publishing house. With many friends I haven't seen in far too long.

Also important: do you have any idea what your outfit will look like?

Very coincidentally, I ordered something yesterday. It's a pink dress with a fifties feel. Actually a pink Mad Men dress. I still have to try it on, so I haven't decided definitively yet.

And now about the weekend. How do you welcome that Friday? With a snack and a drink?

Indeed with a snack and a drink. A friend of mine lives in Switzerland and is coming to Amsterdam for the weekend. On Friday evening we are going to eat at Toscanini. On Saturday I will show her the city. She is coming with a friend and they are staying at The Dylan and that hotel has a kind of boat where you can have breakfast. Of course with champagne. ’In the evening we will eat at The Dylan and on Sunday she is leaving again and then I will go to the gym and to yoga. So a busy weekend ahead.

What does your ideal weekend look like if you don't have to worry about money and time?

That depends on whether I am very busy. If I am, I actually prefer to stay at home. I'm quite a homebody, so I can easily stay home all weekend. Otherwise, I like to go out to eat and if I have a lot of time, I certainly won't say no to a weekend in Paris. And there too, I like to linger over meals. Always actually.

Does Saturday look different for you than Sunday?

Yes, very much. On Saturday it is always very busy on the streets. I live in the center of Amsterdam, so I experience a lot of that hustle and bustle. Then I also like to do some shopping and buy flowers and actually prepare for the coming week. Sunday is really my favorite day. Then I just feel that there is more peace. If the weather is nice, I like to sit in the sun with a book. And sometimes, and I don't mind at all, I clean the house.

Now we have unfortunately arrived at the last question. Is there an alarm clock going off on Monday morning and IF SO, for what?

Yes, but my alarm doesn't go off very early. I actually prefer not to set an alarm, because I wake up around 8 anyway. On Monday the alarm goes off for a photoshoot. But that doesn't start until 12 o'clock.