July 2023
Book blurb, origin story (part 1), and mystery recommendations!
Hi! I’m Katie.
Crooked Lane is publishing my debut novel in the summer of 2024! Yay! In my monthly newsletter, I’ll share updates about publication, sneak peeks into my writing process, and recommendations for great books and resources (plus occasional pet photos and tea commentary). Thanks for joining me.
My Book!
Coming summer 2024 from Crooked Lane
With the Nuremberg trials coming to a close, Maple Bishop is ready to put WWII and the grief of losing her husband behind her. But when she discovers that Bill left her penniless, Maple realizes she could lose her home next and sets out to make money the only way she knows how: by selling her intricately crafted dollhouses. Business is off to a good start - until Maple discovers her first customer dead, his body hanging precariously in his own barn.
Something about the supposed suicide rubs Maple the wrong way, but local authorities brush off her concerns. Determined to see “what’s big in what’s small,” Maple turns to what she knows best, painstakingly recreating the gruesome scene in miniature: death in a nutshell.
With the help of a rookie officer named Kenny, Maple uses her macabre miniature to dig into the dark undercurrents of her sleepy Vermont town, where everyone seems to have a secret – and a grudge. But when her nemesis goes missing and she herself becomes a suspect, it’ll be up to Maple to find the devil in the details – and put him behind bars.
Drawing on the true story of Frances Glessner Lee, whose own “nutshell” replicas of crime scenes are still used to train forensic investigators today, DEATH IN A NUTSHELL unites an intrepid amateur sleuth, post-WWII America, and a fascinating bit of criminologist history.
*Props to my amazing agent, Chelsey Emmelhainz, for this blurb
Maple’s Origin Story
Over the next few newsletters, I’ll share the story of how I came up with this story about Maple Bishop, a WWII widow with a strong moral compass, a unique skill set, and a need to reinvent herself.
Part 1: How I Started Stalking a Dead Heiress
It turns out mindless scrolling on social media *can* be productive.
Let me back up. I’d always wanted to write mysteries, and had even drafted an entire manuscript that had (gasp) a beginning, a middle, and an end! There was a crime that happened and some bad guys who eventually got caught… and it just wasn’t very good. I re-read it recently, and… it’s still not very good.
BUT… I will always be grateful to that mediocre story because that’s the one that showed me I COULD DO IT! I was capable of writing a novel-length manuscript. Go, me!
So, one afternoon in the fall of 2017 I was minding my own business, scrolling mindlessly, when suddenly I saw this story and stopped cold.
Take a second and read it. Really. Then, continue below to see my reaction.
…
…
Wait—there was an heiress who co-opted the traditionally feminine art of miniature-making and created tiny death scenes to train crime scene investigators?
And no one told me???
I immediately made plans to travel to Washington, D.C. to see Frances Glessner Lee’s “Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death” on display at the Renwick Gallery. I managed to schedule my visit so I could attend Corinne Botz’s book talk; she’d spent years photographing the nutshells and researching Frances Glessner Lee, and I was eager to learn from her experiences.
Next time: What it was like seeing the nutshells in person.
Recent Reads
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
I’ve been following Rachel on social media for ages, and you should, too (@ladyhawkins). She’s hilarious and insightful. This was the first book of hers I read, and it was dark, twisty, and fascinating—a dual timeline narrative about an infamous “murder villa.” Throw in allusions to Mary and Percy Shelley, some misbehaving wannabe rock stars, and several writers struggling with their art and dark secrets, and you’ve got an un-put-downable novel. Maisie gives it four paws up*.
*she wants me to clarify that her rating is based on the book’s quality as a pillow; she didn’t actually read it
The Punishment She Deserves by Elizabeth George
It’s been a long time since I immersed myself in a Lynley novel. This one had Elizabeth George’s usual intricate balance of rich setting, compelling protagonists, and robust secondary characters. I especially enjoyed the banter and relationship between Lynley and Havers as they investigated the death of a small-town deacon and navigated the politics of Scotland Yard. I respect the amount of research George does and her ability to continue developing the same main characters over dozens of novels (#goals)