Anticipating a review of her latest Lily Adler book next week, I had the pleasure of
interviewing mystery author Katharine Schellman. Don't forget to stop by next Tuesday for a giveaway and review of A Scandal in Mayfair.
Jodi: You've written about two eras: the Jazz Age and the Regency Era. Are there any other time periods you'd like to tackle?
Katharine: I’ve definitely thought about it! I don’t know that I’d want to do something more modern than the 1920s, unless it was completely contemporary. I’ve thought about doing something in the Victorian era—lots to play with in terms of new technology, changing social norms, and globalization. But there are already so many historical fiction and historical mystery writers doing the Victorian era so well; I’d have to come up with something really unique to think that it was worthwhile to pursue.
Jodi: Getting historical fiction just right must be difficult. Do people ever call you out
for mistakes in the details?
Katharine: I get emails from readers all the time questioning historical details. Funnily enough, though, the things they call out are always accurate. There are plenty of details that I do change or decide not to worry about, either for expediency or to make the plot work. But the things that are inaccurate usually slide under the radar.
Jodi: Agatha Christie was famous for hating her famous detective Hercule Poroit. Tell us
how you feel about your characters Lily Adler and Vivian Kelly - love them, hate them,
eager to shake things up for them?
Katharine: I love them both very much, and I’ve enjoyed writing about each tremendously—particularly because they are so different in how they see and interact with their worlds. But I can also tell it’s time to take a step back from each of them and work on something new. I never want to get bored with the stories I’m telling or write a book just for the sake of writing a book. That wouldn’t be enjoyable for me or for readers.
Vivian’s last book will come out next year. And my Lily Adler mysteries will, for now, pause with this one. I’d love to come back to them some day because I do enjoy this world and these characters so much. But I don’t know when that will be.
Jodi: Was that the plan from the beginning? When you started both your series did you have a certain number of book or plotlines in mind?
Katharine: I always knew that the Nightingale Mysteries, which are set in the 1920s, would
not be more than three or four books. I had a specific story I wanted to tell, and I knew it would take about that long. Plus, when you set a series in the Jazz Age, the Great Depression is always looming on the horizon. The whole feel of the series would change if I ever got to that point, so I knew I wanted to end it long before that would happen.
The Lily Adler Mysteries weren’t so planned out. Until book four, I never knew if I was going to get a next book in the series! I had to write each one to be satisfying on its own, though the characters also have some broader arcs that play out over the whole series.
Jodi: What's on your TBR list?
Katharine: A Lethal Lady, the third book in Nekesa Afia’s Harlem Renaissance Mysteries, just came out, and I can’t wait to pick it up! I’m also currently reading an advance copy of The Witch’s Secret by Stacie Murphy, another amazing historical mystery author who likes to include a touch of the supernatural in her books. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes very atmospheric fall reads! [The Witch's Secret was released August 6, 2024]
Jodi: Oh no! Now I have more books to add to my TBR list. Thanks for taking the time to give us a peek inside your writing life.
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