HALLIE EPHRON: Leslie Karst is an author after my own heart. There's homemade PASTA on her web site! She came to writing culinary mysteries by way of a career in law, of course, that forked into culinary arts. Reviewers call her Sally Solari mysteries sharp and smart and spicy. Murder From Scratch is the fourth in the series.
LESLIE KARST: Those of you familiar with my Sally Solari mysteries know
that they all share a culinary theme, as Sally’s family runs two restaurants:
Solari’s, her father’s old-school Italian seafood joint, and Gauguin, the
trendy French-Polynesian place she inherits from her aunt in book one.
But what you might not realize is that the series has a secondary subtext as well (perhaps so very “sub” that you would miss it if I didn’t tell you), in that each book also concerns one of the five senses. The first, Dying for a Taste, concerns (duh) taste; the second, A Measure of Murder—in which Sally joins a chorus singing the sublime Mozart Requiem—involves the sense of hearing; and the third, Death al Fresco, which has Sally taking a a plein air painting class, deals with the sense of vision.
In the fourth book, Murder from Scratch, I decided to
address the sense of touch. But, I wondered, how could I make “touch” an
important part of the story or, better yet, a key to how Sally solves the
murder?
It so happened that while I was musing on this question and
coming up with the plot for this latest book in my series, I spent the
afternoon with a blind friend, Herman. While hanging out with him at his house
that day, I was struck by how easily he located whatever he needed in his
home—be it that jar of orange marmalade in the fridge, a specific CD he wanted
to play for me, or the right colored shirt to match his green slacks.
How much more reliant on their other senses a blind person must be to get along in the world, I realized. And how very organized their life needs to be, compared to someone who can simply rely on their vision to get by. And then it hit me, what a perfect setup this would be for my new mystery—a blind character who, by virtue of her heightened sense of touch, is able to discover clues the sighted sleuth, Sally, misses.
And so I created Evelyn, Sally’s estranged blind cousin, who comes to stay with Sally after Evie’s mother is found dead of an overdose. Or was it murder?
When the police appear convinced the death was an accident, the two cousins set out to learn the true story and discover the identity of the killer. But along the way, they discover also how very much they share in common—including a love of food, cooking, and hand-rolled pasta.
How much more reliant on their other senses a blind person must be to get along in the world, I realized. And how very organized their life needs to be, compared to someone who can simply rely on their vision to get by. And then it hit me, what a perfect setup this would be for my new mystery—a blind character who, by virtue of her heightened sense of touch, is able to discover clues the sighted sleuth, Sally, misses.
And so I created Evelyn, Sally’s estranged blind cousin, who comes to stay with Sally after Evie’s mother is found dead of an overdose. Or was it murder?
When the police appear convinced the death was an accident, the two cousins set out to learn the true story and discover the identity of the killer. But along the way, they discover also how very much they share in common—including a love of food, cooking, and hand-rolled pasta.
Nothing Beats Your
Nonna’s Homemade Pasta
I was
initially a little nervous about including a blind side-kick in my book. After
all, how could a sighted person possibly create a realistic character who has
gone her entire life without the ability to see? So I asked Herman if I could
come stay with him for a full weekend, in order to hang out with him, pick his
brain, and try to get a better understanding of his life. Not only did he
happily agree, but he informed he that he now had a roommate—a thirty-year-old
blind gal who was also excited to spend time with me and to help breathe life
into Evelyn.
Then, after finishing the manuscript, I asked several beta readers who were blind to provide me with comments and advice as to the story and my rendering of a blind character, and I revised it accordingly. The early reviews of Murder from Scratch are approving of my portrayal of Evelyn, which makes me very glad. Because—like Sally—I’d come to think of her as a close friend by the time I finished the book.
HALLIE: So brave, writing a character whose experiences, day to day, would have to be so different from your own. Have you ever had to go, even for a short period of time, without one of your senses?? I get why Leslie started with taste... for a culinary mystery series.
Today Leslie is giving away a copy of MURDER FROM SCRATCH to one lucky commenter.
Then, after finishing the manuscript, I asked several beta readers who were blind to provide me with comments and advice as to the story and my rendering of a blind character, and I revised it accordingly. The early reviews of Murder from Scratch are approving of my portrayal of Evelyn, which makes me very glad. Because—like Sally—I’d come to think of her as a close friend by the time I finished the book.
HALLIE: So brave, writing a character whose experiences, day to day, would have to be so different from your own. Have you ever had to go, even for a short period of time, without one of your senses?? I get why Leslie started with taste... for a culinary mystery series.
Today Leslie is giving away a copy of MURDER FROM SCRATCH to one lucky commenter.
Sally’s life is already plenty complicated, what with
running the popular and bustling Gauguin and dealing with irate cooks,
scheduling headaches, and other staffing issues. So when her dad convinces her
to take in a blind relative, Evelyn, whose mother has just died of a drug
overdose, she’s none too happy. Sally’s cousin, however, turns out to be not
only highly competent, but also lots of fun. And she’s a terrific cook, to
boot—taught at an early age by her chef mom, Jackie.
When moved objects around her house cause Evelyn to suspect that Jackie’s death was not the accident or suicide the police believe it to have been, she and Sally decide to investigate on their own. And Sally soon learns that Evelyn’s blindness makes her more attuned to her other senses, allowing her to discover clues that Sally would easily have missed. The cousins’ sleuthing takes them into the world of pop-up and Southeast Asian restaurants, macho commercial kitchens, and the cut-throat competitiveness that can flame up between chefs—especially when stolen recipes are at stake.
When moved objects around her house cause Evelyn to suspect that Jackie’s death was not the accident or suicide the police believe it to have been, she and Sally decide to investigate on their own. And Sally soon learns that Evelyn’s blindness makes her more attuned to her other senses, allowing her to discover clues that Sally would easily have missed. The cousins’ sleuthing takes them into the world of pop-up and Southeast Asian restaurants, macho commercial kitchens, and the cut-throat competitiveness that can flame up between chefs—especially when stolen recipes are at stake.
Congratulations on your new book, Leslie . . . I’m really looking forward to reading this story and meeting Evelyn.
ReplyDeleteI’ve had surgery on my eyes in the past, so that not seeing too well for a bit while your eyes recover is about as close as I’ve ever come to being without one of my senses . . . definitely not a great feeling.
I imagine how it would be to be blind when I wear a sleep mask sometimes, and it makes me truly appreciate my sense of sight!
DeleteLeslie, what a terrific idea! And it sounds like you really pulled it off! Definitely looking forward to reading this one.
ReplyDeleteI can't say I've ever had to go without one of my senses but when my son was still living at home I could usually tell what he was doing by the sounds he made: opening the refrigerator, then the drawer, putting something in the microwave. Now it's the cats I hear and usually I have no idea what they are doing that causes such a mighty racket!
Ha! Cats in the night--truly frightening!
DeleteI'm so excited about this book - I love your series, Leslie, as you know! Judge Thee Not, my fifth Quaker Midwife mystery, also features a blind woman who helps midwife Rose solve the murder. I based the character on my long time Quaker friend Jeanne, who read the manuscript and set me straight on a few details of living as blind no matter the era. (The book will be out this fall!) I've also been amazed watching my friend cook and navigate her condo. She raised two kids with a full time job as a social worker, now has grandkids, and is also an accomplished fiddle player. Impressive. I toured the Perkins School for the Blind, too, and learned about blind education and attitudes (they were considered morons by most of society) in the late nineteenth century.
ReplyDeleteWow, your new books sounds terrific, Edith!
DeleteMy roommate from college had barely any sense of smell, so her sense of food was totally off. Amazingly she was an excellent cook. And my dearest friend (Hi, Patty Jo) grew up with parents who were both profoundly deaf. She was take-charge from the age of two, since she helped them navigate the world.
ReplyDeleteIn my next book, Sally finds to her horror that she's lost her sense of smell as a result of a sinus infection she had. Not good for someone who cooks for a living. (This is based on a similar experience I had, which was horrifying. Luckily, my sense of smell--and taste--returned after over a month.)
DeleteTouches like a winner. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Margaret!
DeleteWelcome Leslie! I love this series too, but had no idea about the subtexts:). Yes I agree very brave to write this character and I'm impressed at how hard you worked to get it right.
ReplyDeleteI haven't lost any senses to that degree, though I did lose some hearing in the early days of having the Meniere's diagnosis. It reminded me sharply of how isolated a person can feel if one part of our human gifts has gone missing...
Yeah, the subtexts are pretty well hidden...
DeleteMy hearing isn't what it used to be. The conversation in our house between my wife and me tends to be, "What did you say?" then, "What?"
this is probably why I wasn't much good at dissecting literature in college--I'm pretty concrete:)
DeleteSo fascinating! And what a brilliant idea. Did writing the book change the way you “look “at the world?
ReplyDeleteHurray! And congratulations…
Yes, Hank, I think it did. All the reading I did, and hanging out with blind people, made me very aware of how much of a visual person I am--and appreciate things like color, and being able to read text on a piece of paper.
DeleteThis series sounds delicious, Leslie! And yes, based on my experience with my own grandmother's made-from-scratch egg noodles, I'm sure there's nothing like Nona's homemade pasta!
ReplyDeleteLike the others who have commented, I don't have a lot of experience doing without one of my senses, but I have done a fair amount of informal reading on current research about how dogs experience the world. Their strongest senses are smell and hearing, but I'm amazed at how often scientists design experiments that rely on sight, then draw odd conclusions. The classic is the old "dogs don't recognize themselves in the mirror, therefore they have no sense of self" experiment. Turns out dogs know perfectly well who they are; mirrors confuse them because there's no scent. It's interesting, sometimes, to try to use our other senses to make sense of the world. Sounds like you've done a good job with your new book.
One question: you and Edith both mention having your blind consultants read your manuscripts to check for errors. How do they read your manuscripts? I'm going to guess neither of you have braille typewriters, so what was your process?
My friend listens to books on her iPhone. She evens speeds up the voice so it goes faster. She says listening to audio narrators seems way too slow. She reads a lot of books, and all of mine, but she buys the paper books for her daughter. There are so many more tools for the seeing impaired these days, although flat touch screens are worthless to them.
DeleteWhat kind of print-to-audio transfer do you use for an unpublished manuscript?
DeleteI just sent her either the Word doc or a pdf, I can't remember. Her iPhone does the rest!
DeleteAs Edith said, the blind have numerous apps and machines that can read printed text to them. I send a Word doc to them and they listened to a robotic voice read the book.
DeleteWow, Leslie. Just wow. I applaud your courage in writing a book with a blind main character and your commitment to getting the details right. Murder from Scratch just jumped onto my list.
ReplyDeleteThank you Brenda; you just made my day!
DeleteWhat a fantastic idea! I'm looking forward to reading this. Since I have a severe hearing loss, I need to read the A Measure of Murder first. That, of course, means I need to start with the first book. :)
ReplyDeleteHa! I like your approach, Cathy!
DeleteLeslie, I like that you combined two subjects that are near and dear to me. Both my son and my sister are teachers of the blind and visually impaired. The accomplishments of their students amaze me. Also, with Easter coming up our kitchen is filled with homemade pasta. I’m looking forward to the pasta and to reading Murder from Scratch.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ang! And yay to your son and sister!
DeleteMurder from scratch sounds captivating and intriguing. I had a ruptured eardrum which took 2 months to heal. During that time I was literally deaf and this feeling was unlike any I have experienced. Scary and very uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteYes, I can imagine it must be very scary not being able to hear--especially if you grew up depending on hearing and then suddenly lost it. So glad it healed!
DeleteCongratulations on Murder from Scratch.
ReplyDeleteThe way you describe it and your research makes it very appealing.
I never had to go without one of my senses. I recently watched a series about people with many kinds of limitations and it was very interesting.
I'm getting this book.
Thank you, Danielle! I hope you enjoy it!
DeleteHi Leslie! I'm a couple of books behind so I need to catch up on Sally's adventures. I especially want to read A Measure of Murder, as I'm almost completely deaf in one ear, due to complications from Meniere's Disease. Under ordinary (quiet) circumstances, I manage just fine. But when the ambient noise level is high (think restaurants, parties, etc.) it is miserable. I can only imagine how isolating it is to be more severely hearing impaired. I applaud your research for the new book--can't wait to meet Evelyn!
ReplyDeleteWhat's the series where the blind guy wins the lottery? I've read at least the first two books and really liked them, but I've gone blank on the name.
Deborah, with the amazing advances in technology, it is not as isolating to have a hearing loss as it used to be. With social media, you can talk to anyone. I have used Siri on my smartphone to translate what people say because some people talk too fast for me. A relative's husband has Meniere's disease and he works as a radio interviewer on a music channel. When the family get together, I sit across from him and I signal to him when I see the waiter behind him and is talking to him on his deaf side.
DeleteWe met at Bouchercon in Toronto.
Just discovered the Sally Solari books and I loved the first book. Just checked out the second book from the library.
Diana
Deborah, the second book (hearing) concerns music, rather than hearing loss--Sally joins a chorus singing the glorious Mozart Requiem, which plays a part in the murder mystery.
DeleteMy hearing has declined over the years, and I too find it very hard to hear in places like restaurants and bars. Bring back the quiet, white-tablecloth restaurants, please!
Leslie! Welcome to Jungle Reds! It was great to see you again at Left Coast Crime. I met you years ago at Malice Domestic. I am glad I grabbed a copy of your first book and now I am hooked! I just got a notification from my library that your second Sally Solari book was on hold for me to check out! I requested ALL of your Sally Solari novels from the library.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of blind readers, I had a question.
Are your books printed in Braille? While it is wonderful to have audiobooks, there are some blind people who are also Deaf.
And happy book birthday on your newest Sally Solari novel.
Diana
p.s. a college friend and I tried to make pasta from scratch. The noodles were awful! All we could taste was the flour! LOL. We sat down to dinner with her family and her brother went to the kitchen and added lots of vegetables to the pasta sauce. The noodles were so bad that he added a lot of sauce to his pasta bowl.
DeleteNow there are many kinds of pasta, including vegetable based pasta, brown rice pasta, spinach pasta and other kinds of pasta.
Alas, my books are not on braille; I wish they were. So glad you've been able to find the books in the library, Diana, and hope to see you again at Malice this year!
DeleteCongrats, Leslie, on the new book! As you know, I’m a huge fan of Sally Solari! I love how organically the idea for the character came to you. I’ve gotten to the point where I know exactly what was happening in my life/who was in my life by the plot of my books. LOL! Looking forward to reading Murder from Scratch!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jenn! And I feel the same way about my characters--weird!
DeleteLeslie, what an original idea, to use each of the senses as a central focus of your books. Love this.
ReplyDeleteAnd it resonates with me, because I actually did lose one of my senses, and for quite a long time, three or four years. I'd had a horrible experience with a wisdom tooth extraction that left me with a badly broken jaw and severed nerve endings in the left lower quadrant of my face and jaw. The nerve that was severed apparently controls the taste of salt and sweet, so I could not taste either of those for years.
The taste for sweet came back first, about three years in, and around a year later I could taste saltiness. During the first few years the thing I most craved was nectarines: they tasted like nothing, so disappointing.
Up until that time I'd been in the habit of having an English muffin with raisins and peanut butter for breakfast, along with orange juice. None of that had any taste, so I started having black coffee and a square of dark chocolate, which I could actually enjoy. That was 32 years ago, and it's still my morning ritual. On the plus side, my good cholesterol is through the roof, and my bad cholesterol is almost nil. I credit the dark chocolate. Wouldn't you?
Ugh, that sounds awful, Karen! I completely lost my sense of smell once for about two months, so I can understand what you had to go through. SO glad it finally returned! (And yes, I absolutely credit the dark chocolate!)
DeleteWonderful and unique novel Leslie. I know this would be memorable. When I had to undergo treatment for breast cancer the chemo made it impossible to taste anything, nor did i have any desire to eat at all.
ReplyDeleteChemo is so hard on the body. Glad you're past it now, and hopefully can taste and enjoy food once again!
DeleteGood luck with the new book! One of my best friends from college days is partially sighted. Is so true that other senses are fine tuned. You should see her navigating the London Underground!
ReplyDeleteOh, boy, the London Underground is a monster--good for her!
DeleteFor all of you authors, libraries that provide books for sight-impaired or blind readers are a godsend. Our book club had two blind readers, including one who wrote a weekly column on disabilities for the Cincinnati Enquirer for many years. Whenever we chose our future books we always checked the library to make sure copies of either Braille or audio versions were available. Now the columnist moved to Florida, and the other lady rarely joins us for book club, but we still check for audiobooks first.
ReplyDeleteFunny story: when it was Joy's turn to pick she often ended up choosing books that were far longer than our usual 300 or so page limit. The 600-page book was the last straw for her very busy daughter-in-law, so she started helping Joy with her choices from then on.
Ha--love that story, Karen! And thank goodness for libraries!!
DeleteI so loved Murder from Scratch. It is a wonderful read. Not sure which restaurant I would choose for a lovely experience ...probably both.
ReplyDeleteI think most of the JRW's know my hearing is at 16% in my left ear, and 23% in my right ear. Fortunately hearing aids can get me back to about 80%. What I wanted to share, tho, was a time
when I had an accident that pinched the nerve on the back of my rotator cuff. My left arm was paralyzed. I was about 15 years old at the time. The nerve was 'off line' only for about 30 minutes. Some of the longest 30 minutes in my teen age life.
Whoa, that sounds scary, Coralee! So glad it only lasted that long! And thanks for the kind words about Murder from Scratch!
DeleteWow, what an interesting post and what a unique approach to your stories. And I am impressed by the research. Now I need to go back and reread looking specifically for the sense in that book.
ReplyDeleteHa! Love it!
DeleteI am always amazed at what people can do with what they have to work with. An acquaintance of ours just finished running the Boston Marathon; she is legally blind and runs with a sighted partner. She loves running and has won so many medals over the years. My dad was very deaf at the end of his years and I hated seeing how isolated he became. He would pretend to hear what people said to him, unless it was family. He wouldn't engage people in conversation because he suffered from aphasia after a stroke. It was so frustrating and a real trial to my parents. My husband was a real angel. His voice could penetrate that deafness; when it didn't he constantly wrote notes to Dad so he wouldn't be left out of the conversations.
ReplyDeleteYour husband sounds like a peach.
DeleteIt's true how isolated those with hearing loss can feel. Your husband sounds like a dear!
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat concept for a mystery! I have an aunt and uncle who are deaf, and I appreciate when there are characters included who are differently-abled. I look forward to reading this series!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Emily!
DeleteI love clever themes in stories, and attaching the themes of different senses is brilliant, Leslie. The blind character relying on sense of touch is especially impressive. Catherine Lea's Last Seen Leaving has a blind main character, and, quite frankly, I wasn't sure I would like it, as it seemed so much of a detective's job would be or should be sight. I was thoroughly impressed by it, so I'm eager now to read another book with blindness at the forefront. Murder from Scratch sounds like a perfect read to further my interest in the amazing capabilities of the blind. And, the previous Sally books need my attention, too.
ReplyDeleteMy sense that is impaired is my hearing. It's getting bad and I know I need hearing aids, but I'm being stubborn. My family is used to repeating things, but I'm sure it's an aggravation. Trying to keep up with a conversation in a group is almost impossible. I should really do something about it before the next Bouchercon. Too much to miss there.
I think a lot of us women "of a certain age" are in the same boat, Kathy. "What?!" is the most common word spoken in my household these days.
DeleteMuch respect for really digging into what life is like for differently-abled people, Leslie. It points out that yes, an author can write characters of a different race/sexuality/ability than him or herself, if actual, real people are allowed input on how they're portrayed.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Julia. But one must truly do the research--and have people as beta readers who understand the type of character written.
DeleteI guess I was an odd child (if my sister is reading this, don't laugh too loudly!). I thought about what sense I would be willing to give up if I had to choose one.
ReplyDeleteA hard decision to make.
My sister (Yes, the same one as above) raised Seeing Eye guide dogs for a 4H project.
The bizarre but true fact is that if I had to give up one sense, it would be taste--even though I'm obsessed with food! But to lose any of the other senses would make life so very difficult! Good for your sister!
DeleteI had a friend who was legally blind. If you didn't know her, you would never have known she was blind. She did have some sight, but I admired how she was able to do things that we take for granted. Looking forward to reading "Murder From Scratch" and read more about Sally and Evelyn.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dianne. It is so true how much we take our senses for granted.
DeleteThis book sounds delightful as it combines so many things that we all love: mysteries and food. I also like to learn how others experience life and work with challenges such as being blind. It helps us all to be more supportive of others as they are navigating their life path.
ReplyDeleteNothing like food and murder, right? :)
DeleteCongrats on your new release! This is a fascinating post & I like how you were able to really research Evelyn by learning from & staying with your friend & his roommate.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jana!
DeleteI have myopic degeneration so reading things on colored backgrounds is hard, especially if they are dark. When I was working, I had to complain because they were sending building-wide announcements with pictures behind the words. When I was a child, I had my hearing tested. They didn't find anything but I've always had trouble hearing if there are other loud noises.
ReplyDeleteI already read your book and look forward to seeing Evelyn again in the sequels. Nice to expand Sally's family.
So glad you liked it, Sally!
DeleteCongrats on this new release, I love how much research you do to write this book, it sounds absolutely amazing. Thanks for your generosity.
ReplyDeleteThank YOU, Linda!
ReplyDeleteI’d love to read this! Legallyblonde1961 at yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteWould love to read Murder From Scratch ALWAYS LOOKING for a new author to brighten my world.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great series and I would love to win the latest book!!
ReplyDeletelindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com
Thank you, Linda!
DeleteThanks for the chance to gain information about Leslie Karst and her latest book. I don't believe I have read any books by Ms. Karst and am looking forward for the chance to do so. My fingers are crossed. robeader53(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDelete