What can you tell me about your new historical mystery THE DEBUTANTE’S CODE?
THE DEBUTANTE’S CODE is the first book in a new mystery series that stars Lady Juliette Thorndike, an aristocrat, and Mr. Daniel Swann, a Bow Street Magistrate’s Court detective. Lady Juliette, newly returned from finishing school is eager to be reunited with her parents and begin her debut season in London Society, but upon her arrival finds her parents are missing. Lady Juliette uncovers the truth about her parents, a family secret they’ve been hiding for generations, and she determines to carry on their legacy. In addition to her parents going missing, artwork and valuables are also disappearing from the homes of the Beau Monde. As Juliette embarks on her new life, she must keep her secrets from the dashing Detective Swann, who is growing ever closer to discovering who is stealing the artwork, and who the Thorndike family really is.
From the book’s description, it seems like there might be a hint of romance in this book. Do you try and have a balance of mystery and romance?
In THE DEBUTANTE’S CODE, there is more mystery than romance, as the characters from this book will feature across three Regency mysteries in this series. The relationship between Daniel and Juliette will be revealed more in books two and three, MILLSTONE OF DOUBT and CHILDREN OF THE SHADOWS. While in the past I have written romances with a touch of mystery, the Thorndike and Swann series is mystery with a touch of romance.
What is your favorite time period to write about, and why?
I’m interested in many time periods throughout history, and I think great stories can be written across all of them. For myself, the nineteenth century is fascinating, whether in America with the pioneers and westward expansion, the Civil War, and the cowboys, railroad men, lumber barons, and lawmen of the west, or in England during the Regency and Victorian eras, with the Napoleonic Wars, Industrial Revolution, manor houses and estates, and the growth of the working class. I love any era I can really dive into and learn through research to hopefully bring that history to the pages of a novel and immerse the reader in a bygone world.
Are there any authors who were an inspiration for you becoming a writer?
Absolutely! From a young age, I read voraciously. Laura Ingalls Wilder, L.M. Montgomery, Walter Farley, Marguerite Henry. Then I graduated to Zane Grey, Louis L’Amour, Essie Summers. I love a good mystery, and enjoy Elizabeth Peters Amelia Peabody series, Sarah Graves’ Home Repair is Homicide series, and Ellis Peters’ Cadfael mysteries.
What are some of your favorite stories?
I love stories that feature a hero or heroine who has a strong moral compass, where right and wrong are clearly defined, and where wrong-doers receive the justice they’ve earned. I love stories of hope, with a touch of humor, with a rich vocabulary and quick-paced plot. At the moment, I’m reading Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey and Maturin series, which absolutely makes you feel as if you’re aboard a naval warship during the Napoleonic Wars.
Are there any settings or types of characters that you haven’t written about yet, but you’d like to in the future?
I’m playing with the idea of a story set in twelfth century Scotland. I have quite a bit of Scots heritage, and I enjoy researching the tumultuous history of the Highland clans.
What are you currently working on?
I’m writing the third book in the Thorndike & Swann Regency Mystery series, Children of the Shadows, and I’m working through the final stages of edits on the second book, MILLSTONE OF DOUBT, which releases in September, 2022.
How can readers learn more about your books?
My website is the place for basic info and can be found at www.ericavetsch.com, but if you want more real-time interactions, I spend a lot of my online time at https://www.facebook.com/groups/inspirationalregencyreaders a fun group I manage with fellow Regency authors Michelle Griep and Julie Klassen. We have games, giveaways, Regency info, book talks, and more. I share all my book news there, as well as news about other Christian Fiction Regency authors’ work.
THE DEBUTANTE’S CODE by Erica Vetsch
Thorndike & Swann Regency Mysteries #1
Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in this new Regency mystery series
Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn’t spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love. But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They’ve been living double lives as government spies–and they’re only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family’s legacy.
Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spy craft. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors–not to mention nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner Daniel Swann, who suspects her of a daring theft.
Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents’ last mission? Or will it lead her to a terrible end?
Best-selling author Erica Vetsch is back with a rollicking, exciting new series destined to be a hit with Regency readers who enjoy a touch of mystery in their love stories. Fans of Julie Klassen, Sarah Ladd, and Anne Perry will love the wit, action, and romance.
Mystery Historical | Mystery Woman Sleuth | Mystery Amateur Sleuth [Kregel Publications, On Sale: December 7, 2021, e-Book, ISBN: 9780825447136 / eISBN: 9780825477607]
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About Erica Vetsch
Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. She’s a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota, and she married her total opposite and soul mate! When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. You can connect with her at her website,where you can read about her books and sign up for her newsletter, and you can find her online on her Facebook page where she spends way too much time!
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