1–What is the title of your latest release? WHO CRIES FOR THE LOST. It’s #18 in my Sebastian St. Cyr series (and yes, I can’t believe I’m at #18!) 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? I’ve never been very good at these, but here it goes: When the mutilated body of an earl’s son with a treacherous past and ties to anatomist Paul Gibson’s mysterious French lover is pulled from the Thames, Sebastian St. Cyr must plunge into a sinister world of espionage and ancient folklore in order to save his best friend from being hanged for murder. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? In my former life as a history professor, my area of specialty was the French Revolution and Napoleonic Period. But when I thought about setting a mystery series in, say, Paris during the revolution, I quite frankly decided it would be too depressing. So I moved across the Channel to Regency England. Same general period, much more pleasant. This particular book takes place against the backdrop of the days leading up to Waterloo, as the population of London waits anxiously to hear the results of what everyone knows…

What inspires you to write mysteries, as opposed to any other type of novel? When I was young, I had grandiose ideas of writing The Great American Novel, only I hadn’t written much at that point, and I hadn’t gone through much formal training (no MFA here!). So I thought, quite naively, let me try writing a mystery novel first. Those are easy. Right. Not so much, as it turned out. My first attempt took over three years, and will never be seen, nor should it. But I learned much in the doing of it, especially as to what I needed to know in order to write. The second mystery novel involved much more research, took three and a half years to finish — and sold. I’ve stayed with mysteries primarily because I enjoy being in a world where problems can actually be solved. I’ve also written one werewolf book, and a non-genre novel that we are sending around.   Your Sparks & Bainbridge series is set in the 1940s. Why this time period? The actual marriage bureau started in 1939, but I thought the post-war period was fascinating for all of the changes that were happening in London, and…

Your new “Electra McDonnell” mystery series is set in the 1940s. Is that a favorite time period for you? I know you’ve had mysteries set in the 1930s before. Is there another time period you’d be interested in having as a setting for your mysteries? The 1940s is such a fascinating time period. There was, obviously, so much going on globally, and there were so many significant factors at play, on both small and large scales. Ordinary people did extraordinary things in the face of insurmountable odds, and that aspect of life during World War II has so much potential for storytelling. As for other time periods I’d enjoy as settings, I do love a good Victorian murder mystery, and the Roaring Twenties has a lot of potential for mystery as well. Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll venture to those eras!   Your female protagonist and sleuth, Electra McDonnell, seems like a complex character. Do you prefer writing more complex and complicated characters rather than ones who are very rigid or immovable? Electra—or Ellie, as she’s known—is a really fun character to write because there’s the contrast of her being a thief and safecracker with the very noble and…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Victoria Thompson! Writes: Victoria Thompson writes historical mystery, notably the Gaslight Mystery Series, which has been nominated for an Edgar Award and 6 times for an Agatha Award.  The 25th book in that series is MURDER ON MADISON SQUARE! If you enjoy complicated mysteries with a lot of human interest and a really slow-burn romance, this series is for you! About: Victoria spends long hours at her computer thinking of creative ways to murder people at the turn of the last century in New York City. In her spare time, she watches true crime shows on TV and matches wits with her scary-smart grandchildren. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: My ideal reader for MURDER ON MADISON SQUARE would: Love being misled Enjoy witty dialogue Revel in watching characters develop over the long haul Crave learning obscure historical facts Be determined to guess the killer but not mind if they are fooled! What to expect if we’re compatible: Falling in love…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE BANGALORE DETECTIVES CLUB 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? If you’re interested in historical mysteries with feisty women protagonists, this is the book for you! 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I grew up and live in Bangalore, India, which is my favorite city. I’ve lived in many parts of the world, but always chose to return here. My academic research (in my day job as an ecologist and university professor) is also focused on Bangalore, and I have fifteen years of research to draw on, plus my own family’s rich personal experience. With such a wealth of information, there was nowhere else I would have located the book! 4–Would you hang out with your sleuth in real life? Absolutely. Kaveri is such a mold-breaker. She lives in colonial India, in a time and place when ‘good’ women were expected to conform to societal norms and expectations that kept them in their place, i.e. mostly within the home. But she’s a budding mathematician who loves swimming and driving cars, gets involved in solving a murder, and blazes her own path. What’s not to…

For readers who may be new to your Daniel Pitt series, how would you describe Daniel?   I would describe Daniel as coming from a happy childhood, but with a father who succeeded to a degree that obliges Daniel to strive constantly to be not only professionally successful, but to live up to the same moral standards… and incidentally a mother who is brave and individual, which means that Daniel himself can be happy only with a brave and individual kind of woman.   What made you decide to have a barrister as your main character in this series? I wanted him to detect, with urgency, high stakes to win or lose, but not to be another policeman, and I love courtroom scenes.  A barrister gives me the chance to have lots of them, quite legitimately.   How much research goes into your books? Are any of the characters in THREE DEBTS PAID inspired by actual people in history? The amount of research varies from book to book. A lot of it is constant throughout the series. Most of the change comes from being a slightly different time. Different things are happening. No. Real people now, possibly.   The early 1900s is…

1–What is the title of your latest release? DANGER ON THE ATLANTIC 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Jane Wunderly and her handsome companion Redvers take a transatlantic cruise to uncover a German spy, and wind up embroiled in the disappearance from the ship of a wealthy socialite’s husband. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? When I started the series, I had a sort of mental list of fun places or things that were associated with the 1920’s, and a transatlantic cruise was one of them. It was a golden age for large ships like this, and it was fun to write as a setting. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Oh, absolutely. We would have a fantastic time laughing over a few cocktails. I’m a little sorry she’s not real, actually. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? I’m so tempted to write tall, dark, and handsome, but I’m going to restrain myself. Instead, I’ll say Redvers is mysterious, smart, and compassionate. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned that the ship I set this on—the Olympic—had actual Turkish baths on board for…

1–What is the title of your latest release? JANE AND THE YEAR WITHOUT A SUMMER 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Jane Austen stumbles over a body while vacationing in the spa town of Cheltenham, and solves the murder with the help of dishy painter Raphael West. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? This is the 14th book in the long-running Jane Austen Mystery Series, which follows the famous author’s life. We’ve reached 1816, which has gone down in history as the Year Without a Summer, because a volcanic eruption in Indonesia had a global impact on climate that caused relentless rain and worldwide famine. Eeek! It’s the same summer that Mary Shelley famously wrote Frankenstein because she was stuck indoors with Lord Byron, telling ghost stories around the fire in wretched July weather. Jane took a trip to the party town of Cheltenham in late May, 1816, so I set the book there. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely. I’ve been hanging with Jane for 26 years, now, sending her on all sorts of bloody and intriguing adventures. I love her viciously funny way with words,…

Last week, you learned about the first half the authors I met at The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, Arizona.  This week, I have the second group of fantastic books for you to check out. They are the perfect escape from the holiday bustle that seems to have started before Thanksgiving arrived! Just for you, these authors have created fantasy worlds through loads of research. If you’d like to attend the annual Birding Expo with J.R. Ripley, pick up a copy of A Bird Lover’s Mystery, it’s sure to capture your attention. Book #8, A Birder’s Guide to Murder released this month! If you want to travel to the wine country, JC Eaton has an intoxicating series, The Wine Lovers Mysteries. Book #2, Chardonnayed to Rest, released in October and is a perfect blend of warm-hearted community with secrets that will keep you guessing. Cheryl Hollon’s Shattered at Sea, A Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery, will open your eyes to the art of glass blowing and cast your imagination out to sea with the beauty and intrigue that occurs when a passenger disappears on a cruise liner. To round out my recommendations, a bit of historical noir will ground you with how…

A special treat: we have another lovely article from fresh fiction reviewer Miranda Owen, all about historical mysteries. Enjoy, and be sure to check back soon for more from Miranda and other reviewers soon! Nowadays I generally read contemporary cozy mysteries, but I have a fondness for Golden Age mysteries. Some of the first mysteries I ever read were set in England during the 1920s and 30s written by Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. Although it may not be what I usually read, I’ve recently enjoyed a crop of fascinating and incredibly varied collection of historical mysteries. THE MURDER AT MANDEVILLE HALL by Stephanie Laurens, AN ACT OF VILLAINY by Ashley Weaver, BRIGHT YOUNG DEAD by Jessica Fellowes, BLOOD IS BLOOD by Will Thomas, and NAUGHTY ON ICE by Maia Chance are all entertaining stories but with sleuths, settings, and tone that differ wildly from each other. I love a hint of romance in a mystery, so I adore Stephanie Laurens’ mysteries and the Amory Ames mystery series by Ashley Weaver featuring Amory and Milo Ames. These authors’ books are totally different but each does an exquisite job balancing mystery with a hint of romance. THE MURDER AT MANDEVILLE HALL…