Rhys on the Road

 RHYS BOWEN:  I know this is supposed to be my week to host Jungle Reds, but I am in the middle of traveling. On Thursday I flew to England, arriving on Friday.  I spent Friday night with family members in Hampshire, who live in a pretty cottage. (I say cottage because that's what it looks like from the outside, but it has seven bedrooms, eight acres, a pool and tennis court,  a guest house etc etc. Quite lovely.

One thing I love about old houses in England is the size of the kitchens.  Isn't this perfect.

Vier through the window when I woke up this morning.

The oldest part of the house

Today we drove up to London and I took a train up to a friend's house in the north-midlands. Here I am on the station. Yes, it's King's Cross. Unfortunately I couldn't find platform 9 3/4 so I guess I'm not headed to Hogwarts.

Now I'm happily in my friends house. On Monday to drive together to Lincoln where we're meeting up with more college friends. Lincoln is famous for its Cathedral, its castle that contains one of the few copies of the Magna Carta, as well as the Bomber Command museum, But mostly we'll be chatting, eating and drinking, I expect. I'll post pictures on my Facebook page, if you're interested.

Then back to London on Thursday for an important business meeting that I may be able to tell you about later.  It's a fleeting visit but very nice to be in what still feels like home to me.  Do you still have a place that feels like home the moment you get there?

A Chat with Elly Griffiths.

RHYS BOWEN: This is a fan-girl moment for me because Elly Griffith is a writer I admire. I blurbed her last year's The Stranger Diaries that won the Edgar best novel (deservedly so for once). And I was given this year's stand alone novel, The Postscript Murders, to read. Quite different in tone but still enchanting.

The book comes out this month so I had to have Elly as my guest.  We have only met once, at a loud boozy dinner at a Bouchercon, so I'm glad to reconnect by interviewing her today.  Welcome Elly:

 RHYS:  This book follows the incredibly successful The Stranger Diaries which won the Edgar award last year. It features some of the same characters, yet the tone is quite different. The Stranger Diaries had a brooding, gothic feel to it but this is more traditional cozy. Had you had enough of darkness for a while? 

ELLY: It's funny the way each book is different, isn’t it? I didn’t set out to write a lighter book but I suppose the subject matter – books, literary clues, writing festivals – did lend itself to a cozier, more traditional tone. As soon as I’d finished the book, the UK was locked down and everything became much grimmer. Certainly my next book, The Night Hawks, has a darker, more claustrophobic tone. I now look back to The Postscript Murders as a halcyon time of travel and adventure – even though it does include several murders!

 RHYS:  Your detective is again the young Sikh woman, Harbinder Kaur, whom we met in the Stranger Diaries. Are you intending this to be a long term relationship so that this may become another series for you? 

ELLY: I hadn’t originally intended Harbinder to be a series character but, after The Stranger Diaries, I kept thinking about her. So, when the characters in The Postscript Murders consulted a detective, I knew who it would be. I think there might be one more Harbinder book but not a long series.

RHYS:  What made you choose an Indian Sikh woman as your detective? Do you have connections and insight into the Sikh community? 

ELLY: Harbinder just suddenly appeared, the way characters do. I think it’s always a consideration, though, when you create a character whose cultural background is very different from your own. On one hand, I felt Harbinder deserved to be centre stage but I wanted to be sure that I was presenting her in an authentic way. I do have a good friend who is from a Punjabi Sikh background and she – and her mother – were invaluable advisors on the book.

RHYS:  This book features an ensemble casts with four points of view, each using their personal approach and experience to put together pieces of the puzzle. Was that something you wanted to try or did you find that you needed more than one person to tell the story? (And as an aside, it worked beautifully and I found it very refreshing) 

ELLY: Thank you! I have toyed with this structure before but this is the first time I have written each chapter from a different point of view. It was challenging, especially when I needed to drop in a clue that the narrator might not notice, but it was also a lot of fun. I liked describing the way the characters saw each other too – Edwin being irritated with Benedict’s slow eating, Natalka starting to see Benedict in a different light, Harbinder becoming increasingly irritated by the amateur sleuths. 

RHYS : Also you choose to use the present tense. Was that easy to do? Did you find limitations? 

ELLY: The Ruth books are also written in the present tense so I’ve had a bit of practice. I like the immediacy but it can sometimes feel a bit relentless – action following action without much respite. I did feel that it suited this book though, so that the reader could accompany the characters on their road trip.

RHYS: This is a story of the murder of an old woman who has made a career of helping writers to come up with brilliant, new ways to kill people. I loved it! Have you met such a person yourself? Have you used such a person? (Aside note: it may become my next career when I retire from writing!)

ELLY:  Hahaha. Peggy is based on my Auntie Marge (happily still with us) who often comes up with gruesome murder ideas for me. Like Peggy, Marge lives in a seaside apartment and seems to know everything that is going on around her. She even has a good friend who runs the nearby Coffee Shack…

RHYS: Brilliant!  You also write a successful series, featuring forensic archeologist Ruth Galloway. What did you find different about writing a stand-alone? Which do you now prefer? Are there more stand-alones in the works?

ELLY:  I find that the stand-alones help with the series and vice versa. I enjoy the freedom of creating a new world in each stand-alone book but I do miss the familiar world of Ruth or the Brighton Mysteries and go back to them with added vigour. I will certainly continue to mix the series with stand-alones.

RHYS : And lastly something more personal. How has the pandemic affected your writing? Have you found yourself more productive/less productive? 

ELLY: I consider myself very lucky. I have friends and family who are doctors, nurses and teachers and I have seen how tirelessly they have worked during the pandemic. Also, I’ve seen friends with young children struggling with home-schooling. I can work from home and my children are grown-up. All I have to do is walk a few yards to my garden shed and make stuff up! I’ve written three books in lockdown so I certainly haven’t been less productive. Having said that, I have struggled at times. I miss seeing friends and family. I miss Norfolk and Italy. I feel very lucky to be able to travel in my books. Th

RHYS: Oh travel to Italy! How I miss that too. And there have been times, cooped up with John, when I would love a garden shed, or as it is called these days A She Shack!  It was lovely having you come to visit, Elly. I'm sure the new book will be a great success

 and I have good news for our readers:

Elly's publisher will give a copy of the POSTSCRIPT MURDERS to a commenter Elly picks! 

A Sunday Reflection on England

DEBORAH CROMBIE: On Friday, a friend I hadn't seen since before my trip to England in September asked me what was the highlight of my trip. I was speechless. Life has been so hectic in the month since I flew back from London that I haven't even had time to process everything I did. But I kept thinking about the question, and this photo was what kept coming to mind.

So I share with you the view of the apple trees in the garden at Lords of the Manor, in Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire, for a little Sunday meditation.

Happy Sunday, and I hope that your day is as peaceful as this!

Tell us what you're doing today to get a fresh start on the week ahead!

P.S. And what is it about paths so that is so alluring?

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.

A Nice Cup of Tea

RHYS BOWEN:

I couple of weeks ago my favorite stationary store closed. It was my go-to place for a whole range of things—the best selection of greeting cards, any size of envelope, any kind of pen, amusing little gifts for friends’ birthdays and even a tempting display of scarves, bags, jewelry. At Christmas it had crackers—the type that go bang, not the ones you eat with cheese. I’d always find what I needed and also something to surprise and tempt me.  But it couldn’t complete with Staples and Office Max where I have to buy twenty-four envelopes when I want just one.

So I find myself lamenting the last of a way of life I grew up with. The main street of small shops, each individually owned by people I knew. Granted it took longer to go to the grocer for sugar and then have to go next door to the dairy for milk. But the butcher would tell me which cuts of meat I didn’t want to buy and which I did. The fishmonger had fresh fish, delivered from that boat that morning. And the little haberdashery—well, they had everything from elastic to sewing thread to woolen undergarments. If you asked for it. They had it. And with each shop one stopped and passed the time of day.

                I still find that in some parts of England. When I visit relatives in Cornwall I love walking down the main street in Falmouth, gazing with longing at the fishmonger’s slab of lovely fish freshly caught. And the pasty shop with the smell of just baked pasties. And everyone calls you “My lovey” and has time to chat.

                It’s definitely one of the things I miss about England, although every town now has a huge hypermarket there too. But one thing that does seem to be vanishing from jolly old England is the cup of tea. It has always been the symbol of hospitality. Go to visit and the first thing the hostess used to say is “I’ll put the kettle on.” In many working class homes the tea pot sat on the hob, hot and full, all day in case somebody stopped by for a chat. And the tea stewed stronger and stronger!

                If someone was in an accident, suffering from shock, they were given a cup of tea. If someone was upset in any kind of disaster—the bombings of World War II, floods or fires,  they were given a cup of tea. It was a symbol that everything was going to be all right.

                But today’s generation doesn’t drink tea. Drive around Britain and you’ll see Starbucks and Costa’s Coffee on every corner. When we stay with people it’s coffee at breakfast. Those with leisure still have their afternoon cuppa at four, but it’s mostly older folks like us. The young have no time for leisure, or cuppas.

                Of course one can still find tea at the Ritz (for fifty pounds or so), at Brown’s and other very posh hotels. And in Devon and Cornwall they still serve the famous cream teas with local clotted cream. Yum. I’m sad to see tea dying out—both as a drink when one needs a pick-me-up and as a meal in the afternoon. To me it was the most civilized of meals—tiny cucumber sandwiches, home made scones with jam (and sometimes cream), little cakes, slices of rich fruit cake. All extra calories, I confess, but such pleasant calories with time for chatter and reenergizing. We sometimes serve tea as a treat to family and friends, but mostly they are too busy—rushing off to swim practice or karate or with too much homework. We live in a world that is too busy, too rushed, and that’s a great pity.

So what do you miss about our current lifestyle? Any nostalgia to share?

Home, Sweet Second Home

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: This is going to sound strange coming from someone who is going to be paying college tuition through 2022 (!) but lately I've been thinking about second homes. It might have been prompted by my next-door neighbors, who have relocated to a beautiful modern condo with  fabulous view of the Rockies, but who still own their historic country house in Maine - a future summer home. 

Maybe it was seeing pictures of Marcia Talley's new beachfront  Bahamas cottage. Or it could have started last November, when I fled Maine's gloomy, chill weather during my book tour and landed in Scottsdale, having dinner poolside with Rhys and totally envying her for being able to relocate there every fall. I have a Maine friend who's just purchased a house on the Big Island of Hawaii and a Florida cousin considering a place in Vermont. If I could afford it, I would definitely jump on the bandwagon. My grandmother used to say land was the only thing worth investing in - they weren't making any more of it. (Of course, she was a farmer's daughter, and didn't live to see the crash of '08. She might advise differently now.) The big question would be: where? How to decide?

Living in a cold climate, someplace warm - Hawaii, Arizona, Florida - sounds very tempting. On the other hand, maybe a place with four seasons would be more fun. I've long thought a four-season lakefront cottage in Maine's Lake region, with swimming and skiing all within easy reach, would be ideal.

Someplace isolated, where I could be alone with my thoughts and writing, like a rustic Adirondack lodge? Or plunge into the social and intellectual life of New York City in a pied a terre? Near my family in northern Virginia in a Wisconsin Avenue, D.C. apartment? Or near my family in Alabama, in a waterfront home in artsy Fairhope? Or maybe Ross and I could have a traveling home - a restored Airstream trailer or a forty-foot sailboat. So many choices!

How about you, Reds? If money and travel time were no object, what would be your dream second home? If you already have one, like Rhys, is it as sweet as it appears? Do you have another place you'd consider going?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Paris.




JULIA: A woman who knows her own mind. Rhys?


RHYS BOWEN: I really enjoy escaping from the brutal California winters to Arizona, Julia. We love being out in the desert and the fabulous sunsets and the fun life in Scottsdale (having Barbara and Poisoned Pen close by is a huge plus). But a third place? It's complicated enough remembering which items we left where right now, although we have pretty much equipped both places to be self sustaining. What I love about the condo is it's light, modern, 16 foot ceiling,uncluttered,  lovely landscaped grounds (that someone else takes care of), pools and spas. It's like an extended vacation for me. 

But I do secretly hanker after a little cottage in an English village, so that I can put my basket over my arm and go to buy eggs from the farmer. Or maybe a house in the  South of France, overlooking the Med. I do love beaches.... but not Hawaii or Mexico. Maybe a Greek Island? All to myself? Next to Onasis's one? I'd better write harder and faster.....

JULIA: I Mentioned to my daughter that you had a place in Arizona. She said, "Wait - doesn't Ms. Bowen live in California?" I pointed out it does get foggy and damp. Reared in Maine, she was extremely dubious.

LUCY BURDETTE: We are lucky dogs already to spend half the year in Key West and half in Connecticut. But that doesn't stop me from imagining a little place in New York City. Greenwich Village maybe, where I could step outside and grab a bite to eat any time of night or day. And attend a lot of shows and even an occasional opera. And wander around getting to know the nooks and crannies. But then I read the real estate section in the Sunday New York Times and realize I've lost my marbles:). I would however, definitely visit Hank in Paris. And Rhys in England or the south of France. Standing by for the invite...


SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Do any of you lovely Reds need a caretaker for your already existing second homes in the off season? With a husband, a son, a mother-in-law, a new foster son and two cats, I volunteer!

JULIA: Susan, my philosophy is that if you don't own a vacation home, you need friends who do!

How about you, dear readers? Are you second home owners already? Or do you have the perfect spot already picked out?