Connie Berry--Mistletoe and Murder, a novella

DEBORAH CROMBIE: It's never too early for a Christmas treat, right? We have the perfect one for you today, just the thing to get you in the mood for the upcoming season. Connie Berry is here to talk about a new addition to her wonderful Kate Hamilton mystery series. But wait--this is Book 4.5?? What up with that? Connie will explain forthwith!

WHY A NOVELLA? My Top Five Takeaways

by Connie Berry 

Yesterday I published my very first novella, Mistletoe and Murder, Book 4.5 in the Kate Hamilton series. A novella is a form of prose fiction, usually between 20,000 and 40,000 words, putting it somewhere between a short story and a full-length novel.

Did you know that many of our best-loved works of fiction are novellas? The list includes A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens; Animal Farm by George Orwell; The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway; Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote; The Turn of the Screw by Henry James; and (my favorite) The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark.

Why write a novella rather than a novel? I’ll explain why I did, but first let me tell you about my story:

Kate Hamilton and DI Tom Mallory have finally set a date for their wedding—Christmas Eve. As Kate wraps things up at the Cabinet of Curiosities, Kate’s friend Sheila Parker brings in a coin collection for appraisal. Sheila is getting married, too, and plans to sell everything in preparation for her new life. Sadly, none of the coins are valuable, but Sheila claims to possess a £5 gold sovereign, minted in 1839 to celebrate the coronation of Queen Victoria—one of the most beautiful British coins ever struck. The coin, Sheila says, was presented by Queen Victoria to her great-great-grandmother, a laundress at Windsor Castle, along with a personal letter. That could change history—if Sheila can locate the coin and letter amongst her late mother’s boxed-up possessions. When Sheila vanishes, leaving behind a single bloody fingerprint, Kate fears her friend’s life is in jeopardy—along with her own wedding plans.

I became fascinated with novellas while reading Jodi Taylor’s rollicking time-travel series, The Chronicles of St. Mary’s. The series to date includes fourteen full-length novels and no fewer than thirty-two novellas. Good for her, I thought. Novellas are perfect for busy readers with short attention spans and a clever way to use those inevitable “outtakes,” scenes left on the proverbial cutting room floor. I began to change my mind when I read Nathan Lowell’s claim that he can write three novels in the time it takes him to write one novella. Really? I was reminded of Blaise Pascal’s famous line, “I would have written a shorter letter, but I didn’t have the time.” Obviously, there was more to writing a novella than I’d imagined. Then I read what Ian McEwan said about novellas: I believe the novella is the perfect form of prose fiction. It is the beautiful daughter of a rambling, bloated ill-shaven giant (but a giant who’s a genius on his best days). I love that image. So much is communicated in a mere two sentences.

Intrigued, I decided to try my hand. The timing was perfect because a plot line that had been floating around in my head for months wasn’t enough to fill a whole novel, and try as I might, all the subplots I came up with felt like add-ons rather than integral parts of a unified story. Would the plot line make a good novella? There was only one way to find out.

I loved writing Mistletoe and Murder. The 38,000 words were exactly enough to tell the story. And I learned a few things in the process. Here are my top five takeaways:

1.  1. Count every word.

In general, the more precise the language, the more powerful the message. This is true for all writing, but especially so in shorter fiction. Colorful, evocative nouns and strong, powerful verbs can do much of the heavy lifting without the need for adjectives and adverbs. Every word counts.

2.   2. Condense the elements.

Novellas have all the elements of full-length novels but in condensed form. There will be a main plot line and perhaps one or two subplots—no more. The cast of characters is smaller, and the time frame is shorter. In Mistletoe and Murder for example, the main plot is Sheila’s disappearance; the subplot is the wedding—will it happen or not? I kept the list of supporting characters to a minimum. The entire story takes place in the six days leading up to Christmas Eve.

3.   3. Clarify the conflict.

Conflict drives the plot forward. What does your protagonist want? What or who is preventing it? What is he or she willing to do to achieve the goal? The central conflict in a novella must be clear, focused, and always in view.

4.  4.  Check the pacing.

The shorter length of a novella requires a faster overall pace with little time for back story, flashbacks, long passages of narration and description, or multiple points of view. The story’s trajectory begins early and moves forward without side trips and delays. Limiting the time frame helps.

5.    5. Create an emotional punch.

In this, a novella is no different than a full-length novel. You want your readers to connect emotionally with your main character and care about what happens to them. Writing Mistletoe and Murder was emotional for me. I hope that comes across.

So what do you think? Do you like novellas? Have you written one? If you have, what were your takeaways? 

Connie Berry writes the award-winning and best-selling Kate Hamilton Mystery series, set in the UK and featuring an American antiques dealer with a gift for solving crimes. Connie was raised by antiques dealers who instilled in her a passion for history, fine art, foreign travel, and all things British. She is a member of MWA, CWA, and Sisters in Crime, and she currently serves as President of Guppies. Her debut novel won the IPPY award for mystery, and her books have been nominated for the Agatha, Daphne, and Edgar awards. Connie lives in Ohio and northern Wisconsin with her husband and adorable Shih Tzu, Emmie.

DEBS: Okay, full disclosure here. I'm a huge fan of this series (you're going to be hearing that alot from me this week, but no apologies!) and I have to admit I was a wee bit disappointed when I realized it wasn't a full length novel. But I was thrilled have more Kate and Tom, at any length, and now after reading Connie's reasoning on the novella, I'm very intrigued and I can't wait to dive in.

READERS, how do you feel about novellas?

Ann Cleeves' THE LONG CALL on Britbox!

DEBORAH CROMBIE: British mystery fans will be thrilled to know that Britbox is bringing U.S. viewers the brand new adaptation of Ann Cleeves' THE LONG CALL, the first of her Two Rivers novels featuring Devon detective Matthew Venn! And I do mean brand new, as it just began airing on ITV in the UK this week. Silverprint Pictures has done such a brilliant job with both Shetland and Vera, their adaptations of Ann's other series novels, that I was looking forward to this with great anticipation. I read The Long Call as soon as it was released in 2019 and I think it's amazing that they've brought it to the screen so quickly. (If you haven't read The Long Call, it's available on Kindle Unlimited at the moment!)

Here's a peek at the show:

 

Inspired by the bestselling novel of the same name, this atmospheric crime drama brings to life a new deeply engrossing mystery from Ann Cleeves, creator of Vera and Shetland. Featuring Ann's signature chilling twists and starkly beautiful settings, The Long Call centers on its intriguing and flawed protagonist, Detective Inspector Mathew Venn. We first meet the reserved but intense Matthew at his father's funeral in North Devon with his husband, the small community he grew up in but walked away 20 years ago after being rejected by his family. Now he's back, not just to mourn his father, but also to take charge of his first murder case. Finding the killer is Matthew's only focus, and his team's investigation will take him straight back into the community he left behind - and the deadly secrets that lurk there. 

So gripping! And what a cast! That's Ben Aldridge as Matthew and Pearl Mackie as his colleague Jenn Rafferty. 

Declan Bennett plays Matthew's husband Jonathan. It must be so nerve-wracking for the author, waiting to see how her characters will be portrayed, but I think they've done a fine job here. It's a stellar cast all round, with luminaries like Martin Shaw and especially Juliet Stevenson, who is so good as Matthew's complicated mother, Dorothy.  

And the scenery is gorgeous! I don't know that part of Devon, but now I want to visit. Not to mention that I would move into Matthew and Jonathan's house in a heartbeat!

What could be more fun on a chilly Halloween weekend than to curl up with a good mystery on the screen and a cup of hot chocolate?

REDS and readers, how are you spending yours?

A BITTER FEAST Redux and a Little Armchair Travel

DEBORAH CROMBIE: A BITTER FEAST, the 18th Superintendent Duncan Kincaid/Inspector Gemma James novel is out in paperback today!!

And never have I wished more for a little bit of magic to transport me to another time and place! When the book came out in hardcover last autumn, I was already missing the Cotswolds. This part of England, encompassing parts of Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire (like the sauce), was one of the first places I ever visited in the UK, and those green rolling hills and golden villages cemented my lifelong love of everything English. The Cotswolds are idyllic, they are the Shire, they are "the green and pleasant land" of Blake's Jerusalem.

And the Cotswolds also seemed like the perfect place to set a mystery. But first I had to find the perfect village! This took me one research trip, then I had to go back twice more to really immerse myself. 

What a sacrifice that was! Not.

On that first trip, I chose a village I remembered from that very first Cotswold visit with my parents, Lower Slaughter. How could I resist the name? And there's an Upper Slaughter, too. The name doesn't mean what you might think, however, but is derived from "slough", referring to wetlands. The River Eye, a tributary to the Windrush, runs through the center of the village. (And aren't those names right out of The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings?)

So, if a year ago I was already pining for that green and pleasant land, it at least seemed within reach, a plane ticket away. I could imagine having afternoon tea at the fabulous Slaughters Manor House in Lower Slaughter. (Drooling...)

Or having a drink in the cozy bar of the Red Lion Inn in Long Compton. (One of my favorite pubs anywhere.)

Or walking through a beautiful English garden.

Now that all seems like a dream!

What to do??

Open the pages of the book, of course, and transport myself. I think we need a better phrase than "armchair travel," because that sounds so dull compared to the magic of visiting another place and time through a book. Suggestions, anyone?

And, REDS and readers, what favorite place would you revisit, if you could wave your magic wand?

In the meantime, you can travel with Duncan and Gemma to Lower Slaughter on a beautiful autumn weekend, eat amazing food, smell the English roses, and even try some Cotswold Dry Gin!

Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his wife Detective Inspector Gemma James have been looking forward to a relaxing weekend getaway in the beautiful Cotswolds. But after a tragic accident and unexplained deaths, things in the country take a deadly turn…

Duncan, Gemma, their children, and their friend Doug Cullen are guests at Beck House, the family estate belonging to Melody Talbot, Gemma’s trusted detective sergeant, in the picturesque village of Lower Slaughter.  The centerpiece of the weekend is a posh charity luncheon catered by rising local chef Viv Holland, a Glouscestershire native freshly returned from London. Attended by elites and critics, the event could make Viv a culinary star. But when things go terribly wrong, the detectives are pulled into the investigation, and each new piece of information makes it clear that the killer has a connection with Viv’s pub—or, perhaps, with Beck House itself.

New York Times bestselling author Deborah Crombie is a native Texan who writes crime novels set in the United Kingdom. Her Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series has received numerous awards, including Edgar, Macavity, and Agatha nominations, and is published in more than a dozen countries to international acclaim.

Crombie lives in North Texas with her husband, German shepherds, and cats, and divides her time between Texas and Great Britain. Her latest novel, A Bitter Feast, is now available from William Morrow in paperback.  She is currently working on her nineteenth Kincaid/James novel.

 

GARDEN OF LAMENTATIONS is out today!

A huge congratulations to Jungle Red's own Deborah Crombie!  Today marks the release of the 17th (!!) installment in her critically acclaimed Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series.  I had the pleasure of reading the book, and it's fantastic.  Readers old and new will not be disappointed; as the Minneapolis Star Tribune says "betrayal, sacrifice, and forgiveness.  It's all here."

The Reds posed some questions to Deb, but first, here's a brief synopsis to get you up to speed:

On a beautiful morning in mid-May, the body of a young woman is found in one of Notting Hill’s private gardens. To passersby, the pretty girl in the white dress looks as if she’s sleeping. But Reagan Keating has been murdered, and the lead detective turns to Gemma James for help. Gemma has a personal connection to the case: Reagan was the nanny of a child who attends the same dance studio as Toby, Gemma and Kincaid’s son.

Gemma soon discovers that Reagan's death is not the first tragedy in the exclusive London park, and when still another of the garden's residents meets with violence, it becomes clear that there are more sinister forces at play.

While his wife is consumed with her new case, Kincaid finds himself plagued by disturbing questions about several previous—and seemingly unrelated—cases involving members of the force. If his suspicions are correct and the crimes are linked, are his family and friends in mortal danger as well? Kincaid’s hunch turns to certainty when a Metropolitan Police officer close to him is brutally attacked. There’s a traitor in the ranks, and now Kincaid wonders if he can trust anyone.

As Gemma begins to see a solution to her case, she realizes she holds a child’s fate in her hands. Can she do the right thing? And can Kincaid rely on his friends, both inside and outside the Yard, to stand beside him as he faces the deadliest challenge of his career?

On to the questions!

HALLIE EPHRON: Debs, this one grabbed me by the throat, really. Your characters are real and sympathetic, so much so that when they're in danger I really feel for them. This book is really complex. It's got (at least!) three separate plots swirling around one another, all of them exploring trust. Do you write them separately or alternate, the way it lays out in the novel? And do they all come to you at once?

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Hallie, this book gave me a headache, I have to say. (A long headache!) I started out with a very rough idea, then did my usual outline/story-boarding. I eventually ended up outlining three separate timelines because I had to make sure that all the pieces of the puzzle fit together in the right order. The actual writing I did pretty much in the sequence it appears in the book. And of course things changed from the outline a good bit along the way. For instance, I had no idea when I started Denis Childs' backstory exactly what had happened to him in the past. But I was very aware that all the stories dealt with trust in one way or another.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: We know you do a lot of on-site research in England (lucky you!) to get the details of Duncan and Gemma's world right. Where did you go and what did you explore to get the real feel of Notting Hill?

DEBS: Julia, I've stayed in flats in Notting Hill for extended periods over the years, and no matter where I'm staying, I always spend time there. And I ALWAYS go to Portobello Market on Saturdays. I have a huge sentimental attachment to the market. I suppose it sort of embodies London for me. I usually try to visit all of Duncan's and Gemma's usual spots, too, and in this case I peeked into as many private gardens as I could!

JENN MCKINLAY: This series has had a special place in my heart, like its setting Notting Hill, since the very first book. Because I adore Gemma and Duncan, I have to ask what have been some of the challenges of writing about two lead characters, both detectives, who are married with children? Also, have you ever considered killing either of them off (please say no or lie to me)?

DEBS: I was told that if I married off my characters, it would kill the series. Boy, did that make me nervous. But, I thought it would be really tiresome to put Gemma and Duncan in a perpetual will they/won't they situation, and I've always tried to be more true to real life than that. And I thought that a married couple with their jobs and a family would present endlessly interesting and dramatic possibilities. I think that's been true so far, and it has certainly been fun for me to write about.

And, no, don't worry dear Jenn! I have no intention of doing away with any of my major characters. I couldn't bear it.

HALLIE EPHRON: One of my favorite characters is Jess, a boy who's an aspiring dancer. He felt so authentic, I have to ask is he based on anyone?

DEBS: I have a good friend whose middle son was the inspiration for both Toby and Jess, at least in part. He was a very active and very athletic kid without much impulse control. When he was about Jess's age (Jess is almost eleven in the book) he visited a ballet class and he was instantly hooked. He went on to become a very talented and accomplished dancer, although he eventually had to give it up due to knee problems. It's a punishing discipline, and it takes great dedication to achieve success. I think I'm always fascinated by people who are driven to do something difficult.

LUCY BURDETTE: Debs, I have not finished and I refuse to rush through! But  really admiring your seamless transitions between Point of View characters. But that's a more technical discussion--maybe Hallie can lead us through us one day? I'll ask this instead...the title GARDEN OF LAMENTATIONS is so fabulous and elegant. And then as I read, I notice that everyone is gardening! So I wonder, did the title come first and then you worked the gardens in, or, were you writing about all these gardens and their meaning for each character and the story, and the title followed?

DEBS: Lucy, that is so funny. That's the first time it's ever even occurred to me that everyone is gardening! It must have been subliminal... And I'm not even sure I could tell you now where the title came from. I don't want to make the book sound gloomy, but for me the all the intertwined stories were permeated with a sense of loss, and "lamentations" seemed to echo that.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  I must know--How do you juggle all the characters' lives? Do you have a timeline,  or a history, or an incredible list of lists? There are so many wonderful puzzle pieces that you put together so beautifully… What is your thought process and procedure for doing that?

DEBS: Oh, heavens. I do have timelines and lists of characters and scads of notes. The viewpoint thing is especially tricky, to keep from repeating information when you are seeing roughly the same situation from different characters' perspectives. And trying to make the different timelines end up at the same place! But I want it to be seamless for readers, so that they are just carried along and don't think about those things--at least until the end.

HANK: And before I knew you, I really expected you were British! And even when we first met, I was so surprised that you did not have a British accent.  How does your brain work? How do you switch on "American "when you come back home?

DEBS: It's a very weird thing, and something I don't really have answer for. I've not only lived in England and Scotland and spent a lot of time there over the years, but I've read British books as long as I can remember (and watched British TV as long as we've been getting it in the US.)  So my brain just clicks over to British voice, and I'm not really conscious of it. Split personality! Or maybe Jekyll and Hyde!

If it's a gift, I'm very grateful for it, because it's given me an enormous amount of joy over the years.

INGRID THOFT:  Gemma and Duncan were navigating some difficult terrain in their relationship this time around, because of professional and family demands.  Did you enjoy writing that tension or do you prefer when it’s smooth sailing on the home front?

DEBS: I did enjoy writing it.  I think the fact that everyone—not just Duncan and Gemma, but Duncan and Doug, Gemma and Melody, and Melody and Doug—were all at cross purposes through most of the book really increased the story tension.  That said, for the next book, I want to put everyone together, working on the same case!

INGRID: I love the supporting characters in the series, and this time around, Doug and Melody played important roles.  Have you ever considered doing a spin-off with your secondary characters?

DEBS: I ADORE writing about Doug and Melody.  And it has been suggested to me that I write a spin-off series with them, but I really like the dynamic of all the characters together.  And as slow as I am, I don't thinking writing more than one series is on my horizon.  Especially as this book was original 650 pages in manuscript...

What do you say readers?  Any questions for Debs on the new release?

 

(And if you want to ask her in person, click here for her tour schedule!)

Deborah Crombie is a native Texan who has lived in both England and Scotland.  She lives in McKinney, Texas, sharing a house that is more than one hundred years old with her husband, three cats, and two German shepards.

Catriona McPherson and THE REEK OF RED HERRINGS

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Can I just have a little fan girl moment here??? If I could pick attributes out of a grab bag, I would be Scottish and funny and clever, and be a terrific writer of Scottish period mysteries AND spine-chilling standalone suspense novels... But, sigh, that not being the case, I'm thrilled to bring you Catriona McPherson, who is--and does--all of those things!

CATRIONA MCPHERSON: It was Chekov who said “If you draw attention to a revolver on the mantelpiece in Chapter 1, it must go off in Chapter 2 or 3”. But I like the way Wayne’s World put it too: “Aren’t we lucky we were there to get all that information? It seemed extraneous at the time.”

(Wayne’s world has lessons for life as well as art, if you ask me. Several oh-so-sophisticated post-divorce parties that drain the ex-couple and exhaust their friends could be avoided if people would just listen to Wayne telling Stacey that they can’t go out anymore because that’s what breaking up means.)

But where does a writer draw the line between fulfilling the expectations raised by the revolver and getting stuck in hackneyed plotlines?

Depends a bit on the genre and a lot on the tone, I’d say. I don’t know what happens in serious crime novels, rich with social commentary, exploring important themes about the pressing questions of our age, but round my way The Gothick rules and the schlockier the better.

I do take seriously the long shadow of the Great War when I’m writing about Dandy Gilver. As we get into the mid-1930s, Dandy’s husband is increasingly disturbed by the news from Europe, while I’m increasingly on edge about the fact that she has two fighting-age sons. But, still, the review I treasure most was one that said “the plot is just this side of ludicrous”. What a challenge! I’ve been trying to prove there’s room to squeak in another plot “this side of ludicrous” ever since.

That colours my view of what I owe readers. Here, then, are my suggestions for unbreakable reader/writer covenants.

A ventriloquist’s dummy cannot contain a hollow that’s a hiding place for secret papers, or be made of solid gold so it can serve as a way of smuggling wealth across borders. No, it must (appear to) come to life, walking and talking and – most especially – swiveling its head and blinking. Readers should shiver every time they hear the phrase “the patter of tiny feet” for the rest of their lives.  I haven’t used this plot device yet, but how I long to!

If there is a butcher’s shop in a psychological thriller, and if an innocent young woman – far from home – is given free accommodation in the flat above the butcher’s shop, and if she finds out that several young women before her have disappeared from this apparently sleepy little town . . . the butchers must (appear to) be purveyors of some extra-special speciality-meats.

When a mystery novel takes place around a production of Macbeth . . . Actually, the check-list of schlock-gothic goings on here are unparalleled. Maybe The Rocky Horror Picture Show comes close, but nothing surpasses it. Witches! Blood! Madness! Ghosts! The overarching rule is that whatever happens onstage must (appear to) be mirrored off-stage too. My only worry when I decided I wanted a theatrical setting for a Dandy Gilver novel was that Macbeth had been used too many times already. I asked my publisher for a ruling.  “Tee-hee!” came the reply. “Oh, you’ve got to!” I love my editor. DANDY GILVER AND SPOT OF TOIL AND TROUBLE will be out next summer in the UK.

Taxidermists, in a mystery novel, must (appear to) harbour hopes of stuffing the entire animal kingdom. All the primates. You know what I mean. And that’s a wee bit too gruesome for me to base a whole book on. So the taxidermists in THE REEK OF RED HERRINGS are just a sub-plot/sideshow. I needed a big house for a village girl to have gone into service at. And I wanted a pair of eccentrics to be the householders. But what might their eccentric hobby be? Something in vogue in late-Victorian times. Something equally repellant and compulsive. Something they might display to unwary visitors who knocked on the cobweb-strewn door of their looming mansion and gulped as it creaked open . . . .

There are only a few scenes in the Searle Brothers’ Museum of Curiosities, but how I loved writing them!

That’s my list of Chekovian revolvers, then. Anything else is fair game to stick to, subvert, twist or throw out the window. What would you add to it or bump?

Catriona McPherson is the author of eleven novels in the Dandy Gilver series, featuring Dandy, her sidekick Alec Osborne, and Bunty the Dalmatian, set in Scotland in the 1920s and 30s. They have won Agatha, Macavity and Lefty awards and been shortlisted for a UK Dagger. The series is currently in development for television, at STV in Scotland. THE REEK OF RED HERRINGS is out this week in the US. She also writes contemporary standalones, including THE CHILD GARDEN and QUIET NEIGHBORS, which have won two Anthonys and been shortlisted for an Edgar and a Mary Higgins Clark award. Find out more at www.catrionamcpherson.com.

DEBS: I'm off to order my copy of THE REEK OF RED HERRINGS! Readers, tell us your take on Gothick Schlock! (I just wanted an excuse to type that again...)