Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Rhys returning to Roots

RHYS BOWEN : I've just started on my 14th book in the Royal Spyness series. Finally I'm able to set a book in Cornwall. I've been wanting to for ages as I spend part of every summer there and it is a part of England that has great childhood memories too. John's sister married into one of the old Cornish families. His cousin has the title and stately home. Tony inherited the manor house (which isn't too shabby either) so every summer I play at being lady of the manor.


I'm finally putting all of this into a book. The adorable Cornish people who call everyone 'my lovey'. Cornish pasties. Clotted cream. Smugglers. So much good stuff for Georgie to experience.  And as well as this I am making the book a homage to Daphne Du Maurier's REBECCA.  I've always adored that book--the great brooding atmosphere, the clever twists that punch the reader in the gut.
And having decided to do this, guess what? I learn that Netflix is going to be doing a Rebecca series. Perfect timing!  I've called it THE LAST MRS. SUMMERS.

Of course, being a Royal Spyness book, mine won't be all dark and brooding, but I'm hoping for some good twists of my own. Here is a snippet of a scene near the beginning.

“This can’t be right,” Belinda said. “I don’t remember this at all.” She slowed the car to a crawl. “Oh, look. An answer to prayers, darling. There’s someone to ask. Be an angel and find out, will you?”,
I tied a scarf around my head and stepped out into the full force of the gale. A man was leaning on a gate, watching us.  He didn’t seem to mind getting wet at all. I went over to him.
“Excuse me, but do you know a house called White Sails?”
“Ooo arr,” he said, nodding with enthusiasm. He was an older man with a weathered face and a mouth missing several teeth. He was wearing an old sack over his shoulders and a shapeless faded hat on his head. “Fish!”
“No, I don’t want fish. I want directions to a house called White Sails.” I tried not to sound too exasperated.
“That’s right. Err wants fish.” He had a really strong burr to his accent and he was grinning at me. Clearly only the village idiot would be out in rain like this.
“White sails” I said again, trying to be patient. “It’s a house on the coast near here. Could you tell us how to get there?”
He was eyeing me up and down as if I was a creature from a distant planet. “Round little rumps,” he said with great enthusiasm.
“Well, really.” I stalked back to the car.
“Disgusting old man.” I slammed the car door behind me. “He was leering at me and then he said I had round little rumps. The nerve of it.”
Belinda looked at me and then suddenly started laughing.
“It’s not funny. You might not mind having men comment on your shape but I certainly do. Especially when I’m cold, wet and hungry.”
“He was telling us the way, darling. I’ve remembered now. The headland is called Little Rumps. We’re on the right track.”
“Little Rumps,” I muttered. “What a stupid name for a headland.  Camels and Splatt and now Little Rumps. This really is a very silly place!”

If you love Poldark or Doc Martin then this will be for you. 


And next Tuesday, August 6, is the release date for the new Georgie book, called LOVE AND DEATH AMONG THE CHEETAHS. I'll be heading out on tour to lots of hot places. I hope to see some of you along the way! (There are giveaways right now on my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/rhysbowenauthor)

Kim Heniadis is the WINNER of THE MURDER LIST! Email Hank at hryan at whdh dot com with your snail mail address!

32 comments:

  1. I enjoyed this little snipped, Rhys . . . I’m looking forward to reading your story. Meanwhile, a new Georgie book is always good news!

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  2. Wonderful, Rhys. I still want to know - was "Fish!" part of the directions, too?

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  3. Rhys, we all are anticipating your new Lady Georgie novel. Look forward to reading your novel after surgery. The new novel, Love Among the Cheetahs, will be set in Africa? It made me think of when Prince William asked Kate to marry him and I thought of Alexander McCall Smith's Ladies No.1 Detective Agency set in Botswana.
    Will there be a character like Doc Martin in the novel set in Cornwall? I love that scene about asking for directions. I was reminded of when I was a student in college. Our campus often got visitors and it was funny how often strangers would approach me and ask for directions. I would get out a pen and paper so they could write and ask me what they needed to find. Unfortunately, once I was with a classmate who loved to abbreviate everything! Someone asked for directions to the Latin America Studies and my classmate said the person was asking for directions to Latimer and there was actually a Latimer building! I felt bad that I gave the wrong directions!

    Just bought the paperback edition of Four Weddings and Maybe a Funeral.

    Diana

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    1. Wishing you a safe surgery, Diana. Yes, Love and Death is set in Kenya.
      And what a hoot about the mix up directions

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    2. Thanks, Rhys. What a hoot about the mix up directions. Now I can laugh about it.

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  4. Love it Rhys! Wish I hadn't already devoured LOVE AND DEATH, but those of you who haven't read it yet are in for a treat! Safe travels on your book tour...

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  5. I really enjoyed the excerpt. I have never read any of the Royal Spyness series, and I just bought the first one a few weeks ago so I can begin to catch up.

    I can't believe no one has commented on the photos. Do I understand correctly that those are of the actual manor house that is in your sister's family? I find that amazing -- it is so alien to my life experience. It is hard for me to get my head around real people I know by less than six degrees of separation living there!

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    1. Yes. It's Merthen Manor, dating from the 1400s. And there is a haunted room.

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    2. I was amused at the thought the Merthen Manor is the second best place for the "spare," while the heir gets a stately home! I, along with most Americans, would think of the manor house as very, very posh.

      I suppose the manor is even better than the stately - I imagine its not such a trial to supply heat and hot water (thinking of Binky and Fig's dreadful castle.)

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  6. What a wonderful snippet. I can hear the accent. :)

    And what a lovely place to spend your summer!

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  7. In my head I heard Bert Large saying "My lovey". Cornwall, as seen on TV, is such a charming place. How fun, that you can finally use your intimate knowledge of the area and its people to build another world for Georgie!

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  8. You are too fabulous! This sounds wonderful. I have to say, Rhys, you are an absolute knockout.

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  9. This looks wonderful! I enjoy Georgie's adventures, and it will be nice to catch up with Belinda.

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  10. What beautiful photos, Rhys! Cornwall is a wonderful setting. Did you know we're very fond of pasties here in Michigan? Thank you to the Cornish miners who brought a traditional food to Michigan.

    I'm counting the days until Love Among the Cheetahs shows up on my Kindle.

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    1. I must look for pasties next time I'm in Michigan

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    2. I'll bring you some the next time you are in Ann Arbor!

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  11. I think everyone should have the opportunity to live as "lady of the manor" at least once in their life. I honestly didn't know Cornwall was on the coast, lovely. I got my notification from Copperfields yesterday, looking forward to seeing you again.

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  12. Sounds like fun. Looking forward to next year.

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  13. You know, I always pictured Darcy O'Mara as Aiden Turner (Poldark) so going to Cornwall is perfect. If you have Darcy take off his shirt and scythe grain bare-chested, Rhys, I will pay extra. :-)

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  14. So thrilled to hear that the rumors of no more Spyness books is false. Of course I am now anxiously awaiting the arrival of this one, even before this year's book arrives. I plan to be up reading early in the morning on the 6th with tea and scones!

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  15. Rhys, I cannot wait for the new Lady Georgie book. Each year I look forward eagerly to the newest one. With all the great JRW books coming out just in August, I won’t run out of anything to read! Like Diana, I have surgery scheduled, and I will be a captive audience for all the books. I might need someone to come to the store with me, to carry the books out to my car.

    And Edith Maxwell, I always think of you as a JRW relative, and I try to stay on top of your books, too.

    DebRo

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  16. Thanks for making me laugh first thing this morning, Rhys! Love the snippet, and can't wait for the Cornwall book!!

    And for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of reading Love and Death Among the Cheetahs, you are in for a treat. I've always been fascinated by that period in Kenya and you've captured it brilliantly. Those ex-pat Brits were certainly a naughty bunch!

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  17. YAY!!! I love Poldark and Rebecca is one of my favorite books of all time, plus Cornwall! I thoroughly enjoyed Love and Death Among the Cheetahs and can't wait for Lady Georgie's next adventure. What a wonderful Wednesday this is!

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  18. Two things to look forward to: the Kenya adventure and Cornwall! When we lived in Minnesota we were in a rural area. Some of the directions were entertaining. My favorite was you pass by an umbrella tree and when you get to the happy face turn left. Yes, there was a happy face painted on a shed. If anyone ever painted over that chaos would ensue.

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  19. Rhys,

    How absolutely delightful. I envy you. I've been an Anglophile since I was a little kid. Although I have made several trips to the UK, I haven't had a chance to visit Cornwall yet. I've always wanted to go through because I love the sea and rugged landscape. I, too, loved "Rebecca" as well as Daphne Du Maurier's "Jamaica Inn," "Frenchman's Creek" and "My Cousin Rachel." I also devoured all of Winston Graham's Poldark books. Cornwall was another (important) character in those novels. Graham vividly brought the area and its smuggling past to life.

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  20. Rhys, you know that I love and adore Lady Georgie and all of your writing. I'm so looking forward to reading Love and Death Among the Cheetahs, and the Cornwall book hits my target area of favorite places to read about.

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  21. When I watched the first Poldark series, I couldn't understand anything that the servants and villagers said. I seem to be doing better with the current series. Maybe not as authentic Cornish accents. Looking forward to both Georgie books.

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