Delving into Regency Mystery with Andrea Penrose!

Nicola here and today it’s my huge pleasure to be interviewing our very own Andrea Penrose about her new Regency Set Historical Mystery, Murder on Black Swan Lane, which is released tomorrow! (And I'm loving the black swan in the photo!)

There was much excitement at Cornick Cottage when a copy of Murder on Black Swan Lane arrived for me to read. Not only do I love a historical mystery, I have been a fan of Andrea’s writing for years, so I knew I was in for a treat. I was not disappointed. This book was just what I needed to transport me back in time to a Regency world that was rich, vivid and atmospheric, where I spent time with a cast of characters who became as real as friends to me. You know that feeling of displacement and loss you get when you finish a really good book? Yes, that was how I felt at the end – but the good news is that this is the first in a new series. Hooray!

Andrea, welcome to the Wenches as a guest for a change! Please tell us about your new Regency-set historical mystery series and Murder on Black Swan Lane in particular.

As the title implies, a murder is the catalyst of the plot, but the plot threads also weave in the Regency’s fascination with the newly emerging world of science—as well as the era’s love of gossip and scandal, as fanned by the famous satirical cartoonists of the day. Combine the volatile elements of a sensational murder, a notoriously arrogant but brilliant aristocrat and London’s most popular—and scathing—satirist (who unbeknownst to all is a woman)  . . . and as the rules of chemistry will tell you, the mixture may threaten to explode!

It’s a great combination and indeed a volatile situation; you get that sense of danger and unpredictability throughout the book, which is very exciting, and that sense of mystery is heightened by the title and the cover too. What is it about a mystery that appeals to you?

 What I love about the mystery genre is how the process of unraveling a crime or conundrum gives you a chance to really explore what makes your characters ‘tick.’ In following clues, they have to make elemental, and often very difficult decisions that force them to confront their core beliefs—like basic concepts of right and wrong, and how far loyalty to a friend will stretch if that friend is guilty of some transgression. How they face these challenges, and the disappointment and disillusionment of seeing people succumb to the darker side of human nature, is something that resonates with me as an avid reader of mysteries, so it really intrigued me to try my hand at it.

Was there a particular reason you wanted to write mystery in a Regency setting?

To me, the Regency has so many parallels to our modern day world. Like our own time, it was an era of momentous upheaval in all aspects of life—society, art, music, politics—and science/technology. A basic plot thread in the mystery is how science/technology is creating frightening changes at a whirlwind pace. (I think we all can relate to that!) It was really fascinating to play with. I did a lot of research on the subject and found the real-life scientists (though they were called natural philosophers, as the term scientist wasn’t coined until the1830s) just as intriguing as any hero in a novel. My hero, Lord Wrexford, is inspired by men like Humphry Davy and Charles Babbage.

And then there is Charlotte Sloane, a smart, talented, independent woman who, like a number of real-life Regency females, is trying to forge a place for herself in a society that doesn’t allow women to flex their intellectual muscle. How she challenges convention and tries to be true to herself, is another theme I hope appeals to modern readers. (And hey, who can resist Men in Boots!)

Who indeed! You have created an intriguing pair of sleuths in the Earl of Wrexford and Charlotte Sloane. Were there any fictional crime-fighting duos who influenced you?

Well, as I write romance too, I love series that involve the emotional chemistry of a hero-heroine dealing with their personal relationship as well as using their intellect to solve a mystery. Head and heart. Ying and Yang—we all deal with conflicting pulls in our own life, so for me it adds a great layer to the story.  I’m a big fan of Deanna Raybourn, Tasha Alexander, Charles Finch, and C.S. Harris, who I think do wonderful characters as well as intriguing plots.

I can vouch for the fact that Wrexford is a very attractive hero and I love that Charlotte is so smart and talented. What would you say were their complementary skills? And their points of conflict?

Oh, I had great fun with Charlotte and Wrexford. They are opposites—he’s a brilliant scientist who’s ruled by logic. She’s a brilliant artist who’s ruled by intuition and imagination. How they come to realize they have more in common than they think—creativity comes in many guises!—and how they both come to see that different perspectives open up a whole new view on things, was something I really enjoyed weaving into the plot threads. As for points of conflict—Wrexford is determined to force the satirical cartoonist known as A.J Quill to reveal how he knows so much about a recent murder—one which Quill’s cartoons are implying he committed. Charlotte is secretly wielding the pen—God forbid a woman satirize Society—and Wrexford interference can ruin her hard-won independent life. So there are, ahem, a few points of conflict to work through when circumstances force them to together. Here’s an excerpt from their first meeting:  

Stay where you are!” she warned, trying to regain some semblance of control. “Another step and I’ll scream.”

“By all means go ahead and shriek to the high heavens. Though I imagine it will be a prodigious waste of breath.” He placed a fist on his hip. “I doubt there are many Good Samaritans in this part of Town.”

She thinned her lips, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of being right. “How dare you invade my home! Whoever you are, I demand you leave at once.”

“How ungentlemanly of me. You’re right—I neglected to introduce myself.” A mocking bow. “I am Wrexford. I daresay you’re familiar with my name.”

Charlotte maintained a stony face. “No, I’m not. Now please leave, or . . . or . . .”

“Or you’ll cut out my liver with that dainty little penknife?” He made a tsk-tsk sound. “Yes, well, A. J. Quill is quite skilled in skewering my person. Let him fight his own battles.” Wrexford looked around the room. “Where is he?”

“I tell you, sir, you are mistaken—”

For a big man, he moved with feral quickness. A blur of wolf black, leaving the sensation of predatory muscle and primitive power pricking against her skin. 

Stop!” she began, the protest dying quickly as Wrexford leaned over her desk. And began to laugh. “Your husband has captured Prinny’s self-indulgent squint to perfection.” He looked up. “That is, I assume he is your husband.”

Charlotte didn’t answer. Like a helpless mouse, she seemed frozen by her fate, waiting for the paw to flash out and deliver the inevitable coup de grace.

“Or perhaps it is a more casual arrangement?” His lidded gaze lingered for a moment on her face.

Think! Think! But all that came to mind was the overwhelming urge to stick the knife into one of his eyes.

“Ah, I see you’re in no mood for pleasantries.” Wrexford hooked one of the stools with his boot and pulled it over. “No matter. I’ll wait.”

Panic seized her. Charlotte felt as if its unseen hands were crushing her ribs, squeezing the breath out of her. “You cannot!” she rasped. The knife slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor. Her hard-won existence shattering into a thousand tiny shards . . . Suddenly fury crested over fear. She flew at him, fists flailing. Be damned with the consequences. Her life was already over.

Wrexford caught her wrists, not before she landed a nasty blow to his cheek. “Tut, tut, there is no need for violence, madam. Your husband and I can—” He stopped abruptly, those infernal eyes now focused on the fingers of her right hand. One by one, he pried them open.She tried to pull away.“Bloody hell,” he breathed, studying the smudges of ink. “Let me guess—it’s not your husband. It’s you who are A. J. Quill.”

I loved that bit of the story! But it’s not just Charlotte and Wexford who are so compelling. One of the wonderful things about the book is the depth with which all the secondary characters are drawn. Do you have a favourite?

Oh, that’s a very hard question! Being a total pantser, I don’t always know what the characters are going to decide to do. In this story I expected them to stay more in the shadows. But they had other ideas! Each of them displayed very strong personalities—and patently ignored me when I politely asked them to shut up!

Ha! I can see that! But it all adds to the richness of the story. Tell us a bit about the next adventure that Charlotte and Wexford embark upon. I am looking forward very much to reading it!

Murder at Half Moon Gate will be out next spring, and it revolves around steam engines. It begins with the murder of a brilliant inventor and the disappearance of his technical drawings. And then... Well, let’s just say there are a lot of moving parts to the mystery! I hope readers will enjoy it!

That sounds intriguing! I’m looking forward to it so much already. Thank you very much, Andrea, for giving us an insight
into your world of Regency mystery! 

You can get hold of a copy of Murder on Black Swan Lane here!

Andrea is offering an e-book copy of Murder on Black Swan Lane to one commenter between now and midnight Tuesday! Her question: Do you enjoy historical mysteries? Do you have any favourite fictional sleuths? And do you like a little romance mixed in with the plot?  

Comments

[Sheila McInerney]

I love historical mysteries. Two of my favorite characters/sleuths are Sebastian St.Cyr in the series by C.S, Harris and Lady Darby in the series by Anna Lee Huber, among others. I'm also a fan of books by Susanna Kearsley. Definitely a hint of romance mixed in is a good thing. I can't wait to read Murder on Black Swan Lane!

[Mary T]

In my younger days, my reading was much more varied. Now, most of my reading is for my own personal enjoyment. Romance is my favorite, but I also enjoy biographies and mysteries. So when you can join two of those together (romance/mystery) ... it's all good.

This book sounds great.

[Andrea Penrose]

You've named some of my favorite authors, Sheila! I hope you enjoy Murder on Black Swan Lane!

[Andrea Penrose]

Thanks, Mary! I hope you enjoy Wrexford and Charlotte!

[Tempest]

Oh yes, I do love historical mysteries with some romance woven in. Some of my favs have already been mentioned, so I'll add Ashley Weaver's Amory Ames (a little more current, but still historical), Darcie Wilde's Rosalind Thorne, and Deanna Raybourn's various detectives. (I also enjoyed the Lady Ariadne mysteries and wouldn't mind more of those . . . *wink, wink, nudge, nudge.)

I'm soooo glad that you asked about the next Charlotte and Wexford as well. I like to know that more are coming. :-)

Looking forward to Charlotte and Wexford!

[Tempest]

Oops. Wrexford.

[Janga]

I'm a fan of C.S. Harris, Jacqueline Winspear, Ellis Peters, Deanna Raybourn, and others. I loved Sherry Thomas's first Lady Sherlock book and eagerly await the second one. No surprise then that I also loved Andrea's Charlotte and Wrexford. As for secondary charactes, I was fascinated by Kit and his role in the novel and the suggestion of layers to his character that I hope we will see revealed in upcoming books. My review will be posted at the Romance Dish soon.

[Patricia Franzino]

I love historical mystery. I'm also a fan of Deanna Raybourn and Tasha Alexander.

The Lady Julia (Raybourn) and Lady Emily (Alexander) mysteries are a favorite of mine. I like the men who are partners with these female sleuths. Brisbane with Lady Julia is the stronger sleuth, and Hargreaves with Lady Emily are more equal sleuths, but each couple spark a more intriguing story together in their strong love relationship.

[Andrea Penrose]

Oh, I love the Amory Ames mysteries too, Tempest! And all of Deanna Raybourn's books.

And thanks for asking about Lady Arianna! It just so happens I have started a Book 4. So stay tuned!

In the meantime, hope you enjoy CHarlotte and Wrexford.

[Andrea Penrose]

Oh, so glad you enjoyed it, Janga! That means a lot to me.

And glad you found Kit interesting. He definitely develops in Book Two (whose final edits go in tomorrow!) . . . and have some plan on how really to challenge him in Book Three.

[Andrea Penrose]

I love both those series, too, Patricia!And Deanna's new Veronica Speedwell books are wonderful too.

[Sue McCormick]

This sounds like a very good read indeed! I am definitely hooked!. I will be buying this book

1

[Andrea Penrose]

Thanks, Sue! I hope you enjoy it!

[Teresa Broderick]

Lovely interview Nicola. I was very lucky to receive an ARC from Andrea of Murder on Black Swan Lane when she realised I wasn't eligible for a give away of the book. I LOVED it. I don't normally read murder mysteries but I enjoy anything set in Regency times. I was totally drawn in to the story and loved the two main characters. But who I really liked were Raven and Hawk, the two brothers Charlotte takes care of. They were a great addition to the story.
Now I just hate having to wait so long for the next one!!!!!

[Kathy K]

This sounds wonderful! I will definitely be looking for the book on Nook. I love mystery and Regency, so how could it go wrong?

[Andrea Penrose]

Thanks you, Teresa! I had great fun writing Raven and Hawk . . .and as I'm just finishing the edits on Book Two (Title reveal: Murder at Half Moon Gate) I can tell you Raven starts to spread his wings a bit!

[Andrea Penrose]

The Regency does seem to be a very good fit with mystery, Kathy. Intrigue was always in the air!

[Kareni]

Thanks for a fun interview. I enjoyed learning more about Murder on Black Swan Lane and am looking forward to reading it. I've enjoyed the Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries by Ashley Gardner as well as the John Pickett mysteries by Sheri Cobb South. KJ Charles has also written some enjoyable historical mysteries - some have a strong paranormal element while others do not. And, yes, I do like some romance with my mystery!

[Mary M.]

I think I love the history more than the mystery (or romance, as the genre may be), espacially when the history involves London and its vast evolution over the last 200+ years. That said, a novel still needs a great plot and character depth to carry it. The Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch is my idea of perfect in this regard. Sounds like Murder on Black Swan Lane has it all, too. Thanks for the peek, Andrea and Nicola. I'm really looking forward to reading the book and series.

[Lorraine M]

I do love historical mysteries, so much background and flavour of the times can add depth to the characters.
And I love that Andrea is a panster- makes my fledgling need to write a longer historical novel
easier to tackle!!!
I just finished reading 'The Tudor Secret' by Christopher Gortner and enjoyed that immensely and hope to read the next book in the series soon.
Thanks for a great interview!

[Nicola Cornick]

Me too, Teresa! I really don't want to have to wait to find out what happens next. And I loved Raven and Hawk too. They are great characters!

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you, Mary. I'm sure you will enjoy it - I loved the atmospheric way that the darker side of Regency London is depicted.

[Annette Naish]

Just recently found Blackstone by Richard Falkirk and I like the series by T E Kinsey. One of my favorites is the Magic series by Patricia Rice. Historical mysteries give the feeling of being drawn into another time and place and with a mystery it is all good.

[Linda Manwiller]

I have been in love with Ellis Peters Brother Cadfael for as many years as the series was written. They are still one of the few mystery series that I regularly re-read on a five year basis. English history and superb writing - what a combination! I've read most of the Lady Emily series and the first two of C. S. Harris (the rest are on my TBR shelf)...oh, and even though they are not Regencies, and are of their time period, I enjoy Georgette Heyer's mysteries as well.

[Nicola Cornick]

Oh, me too, Linda! Aren't they wonderful!

[Vicki L.]

I dip into mysteries occasionally (and totally love most of Georgette Heyer's mysteries.)

So I'm really very interested in reading this one. The more I hear about it, the more interesting it sounds.

[Karin]

I do love historical mysteries, including Andrea's, and everything from C.S. Harris to the Brother Cadfael series. My most recent discovery is "A Lady in the Smoke" by Karen Odden. Yes, to the romance subplot!

[Andrea Penrose]

More great historical mysteries, Kareni! The KJ Charles ones sound intriguing.

[Andrea Penrose]

Thanks, Mary! Another friend recommended the Ben Aaronovitch series lately and I just added it to my TBR pile. Sounds like great fun!

[Andrea Penrose]

Thanks, Lorraine! Um, yes—take heart. "Pantsing"" can be done! With some angst, perhaps. But somehow the characters help me figure out who is doing what!

[Andrea Penrose]

Thanks for the recommendations of Falkirk and Kinsey. They are new to me.

And yes, aren't Pat's Magic books magical!

[Andrea Penrose]

Oh, I love the Heyer mysteries too. Most people overlook them, but I think they're fun. And of course, the Peter Wimsey books by Dorothy Sayers.

[Andrea Penrose]

Ah, wonderful! Another heyer mystery fan!

[Andrea Penrose]

Thanks, Karin! I've seen "A Lady in the Smoke" and it looks very interesting. Now must give it a try!

[Patricia Rice]

oh such nice company to be mentioned in, thank you!

[Hannah]

I lapped this up in one sitting on a long plane ride yesterday; I'm SO glad to hear that there's another one forthcoming, and even MORE glad to hear that Arianna and Saybrook might get another chapter! Thanks for a great read - if I have a particular brand of catnip, it's serial historical mysteries with strong female characters and slow burn romances, so these hit the spot.

[Hannah]

And I'm loving the recs in the comments for a few things I've never read, so thanks, everyone.

[Martin]

Thanks for sharing