{"id":5756,"date":"2025-02-23T09:46:27","date_gmt":"2025-02-23T17:46:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/?p=5756"},"modified":"2025-02-23T09:46:27","modified_gmt":"2025-02-23T17:46:27","slug":"author-interview-connie-berry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/author-interview-connie-berry\/","title":{"rendered":"Author Interview: Connie Berry"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was lucky enough to do interviews for the late, great\u00a0Mystery Scene<\/strong>, sadly no longer even accessible online.\u00a0 One of my favorites is this interview with Connie Berry, who writes a binge worthy series set in England.\u00a0 I’m publishing it here because Connie’s latest book, \u00a0A Collection of<\/strong> Lies<\/strong>, is nominated for an Agatha this year.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Connie’s Kate Hamilton books feature an American antiques dealer who has family ties in England through her British husband.\u00a0 As the series opens she\u2019s a recent widow visiting her Scottish sister in law, and she meets an English man who will change her life.\u00a0 He\u2019s a Detective, naturally.\u00a0 Berry\u2019s books are a wonderful combination of tricky plots, rich characters, and beautiful settings, and for anyone who adores a British village mystery, this is the series for you. Each novel focuses on a story in the past, often highlighting some specific antique element.\u00a0 In the latest novel, that element is lace making and fabric restoration.\u00a0 I binged the entire series this summer.<\/em><\/p>\n

Q: I am so sorry I haven\u2019t discovered this series sooner!\u00a0 I can\u2019t wait to catch up. I did notice, looking at your publication history, that your first book came out during COVID.\u00a0 Was that a challenge to promote?<\/em><\/p>\n

A: Actually, my first two books, A Dream of Death<\/em> and A Legacy of Murder<\/em>, were both published in 2019, before COVID. I remember feeling sorry for new authors whose big debut happened during those terrible, isolating months\u2014no launch parties, no book-store signings or library talks, no conferences. It\u2019s hard enough getting your name out there when you\u2019re new, but to do everything online must have been extremely discouraging\u2014and daunting. We were just learning how to use Zoom.<\/p>\n

However, having two books out in the same year was a challenge as well. Looking back, I wish I\u2019d lobbied for bringing them out in 2019 and 2020 respectively because Legacy<\/em> got overshadowed. A debut novel always gets more attention, and in terms of awards, I was actually competing against myself. But it is what it is\u2014and I\u2019m glad both are out there in the world.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Connie Berry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Q: I really love when an amateur sleuth uses their professional expertise to solve a crime, as is the case here. Kate\u2019s expertise lies in antiques, and I understand your does as well. Can you talk about the relationship between your own expertise and Kate\u2019s?<\/em><\/p>\n

A: You\u2019re right\u2014Kate and I share a similar background as both our parents were antiques collectors and dealers. Strange coincidence, right?<\/p>\n

New writers are often told to \u201cwrite what you know.\u201d That\u2019s not always sound advice, of course. Crime writers (thankfully) don\u2019t have to be criminals, and writers often write about worlds we wish we knew. But in my case, I did know the world of antiques. My parents began collecting almost as soon as they were married, and when the collection threatened to overwhelm our house, they opened a shop. From childhood, I attended auctions and shows. Every vacation was a thinly disguised buying trip. During high school, I worked in the shop on weekends.<\/p>\n

Kate, unlike me, had her own shop in Jackson Falls, Ohio. Now that she\u2019s living in the UK, she works with Ivor Tweedy at The Cabinet of Curiosities, an antiques and antiquities business in the fictional Suffolk village of Long Barston. Kate\u2019s professional expertise has proven helpful to the police several times. While this isn\u2019t true of me, I draw upon memories of stories I heard growing up (antiques dealers are a gossipy lot) and of my mother whose was a brilliant researcher. She documented as much of the history of an object as she could uncover and shared that information with buyers. \u201cThat way,\u201d she said, \u201cpeople aren\u2019t just buying an object; they\u2019re buying a piece of history.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: You describe Kate as a \u201cdivvy.\u201d Can you explain where that term came from? Is it a real thing? Do you know any divvys?<\/em><\/p>\n

A: Used in the context of antiques, the word divvy<\/em> (\u201cdiviner\u201d) refers to someone who has a near-supernatural ability to detect a valuable object when others can\u2019t\u2014and<\/u> to tell the real thing from a fake, like Lovejoy in the wonderful old British TV series (and the books by Jonathan Gash – ed.)<\/p>\n

Kate\u2019s father, who taught her about antiques, called her a divvy, an antiques whisperer, able to spot the single treasure in a houseful of junk, although Kate is quick to point out that it isn\u2019t always true. What is true is the fact that Kate experiences certain physical sensations in the presence of an object of great age and beauty\u2014flushed skin, dry mouth, racing heart. And sometimes a word or a phrase forms in her mind\u2014sadness, joy, fear, jealousy, danger\u2014as if the emotional atmosphere in which an object once existed had seeped into the cracks and crevices along with the dust and grime. Kate, who doesn\u2019t believe in the supernatural, chalks this up to her notoriously overactive imagination. She\u2019s never told a soul (even her new husband) because she doesn\u2019t understand it herself.<\/p>\n

Where did this come from? I had a similar but far less dramatic experience as a child. My parents had been to central America where a woman on the street offered to sell them a hand-carved wooden doll, folk art. Begged them, actually. The problem was they immediately saw that the doll had belonged to a small child, who was watching from a doorway. Not knowing what to do, they decided the family must have badly needed the money, and that if they didn\u2019t buy the doll, the woman would just sell it to someone else who might take advantage of them. So they bought the doll and paid the woman three times what she\u2019d asked. Nevertheless, it bothered them, and they left, not knowing if they\u2019d done the right thing or not. Hearing the story later, I held the doll in my hands and felt a tremendous sense of sadness and loss\u2014what I imagined the little child had felt. I still have the doll and often think of the little girl who had to give it up for the sake of her family. I use this experience and others in the Kate books.<\/p>\n

Q: I was fascinated by the character of Gideon. How did you come up with the idea for him to live as closely as possible to a Victorian gentleman?<\/em><\/p>\n

A: The best stories, in my opinion, are true\u2014or at least partly true. As a lover of history, I\u2019ve always been fascinated by the possibility of breaching the wall separating past and present. Years ago, I loved the BBC documentaries in which people volunteered to live for a time exactly as people did in the past (Living in the Past,<\/em> Turn Back Time<\/em>). Much later, I read about a young man in the UK who lives and dresses as a Regency gentleman. To make a living, he designs and sews reproduction Regency men\u2019s clothing. Turns out he isn\u2019t the only one. Another man recreates the life of a Victorian gentleman, and a married couple in the UK live as they would have in the 1930s. This time-travel angle really fascinates me, and I wanted to explore the reasons why someone would actually attempt it. Plus, Gideon has his own past to deal with, so his lifestyle becomes almost a metaphor.<\/p>\n

Q: I think the relationship between Tom and Kate grounds the book. I see looking back that you may have been slowly drawing them together through the novels.\u00a0 When you began the series, did you have an arc in mind for the characters, and if so, what\u2019s next for them?<\/em><\/p>\n

A: I\u2019m glad you like Tom and Kate. I do, too, and have enjoyed writing about their developing relationship. They didn\u2019t start out on the best of footings, and Kate\u2019s interest in Tom develops despite her determination never to marry again. Losing her first husband suddenly and unexpectedly was a trauma causing something like PTSD. And the relationship between Tom and Kate has been fraught with problems. They have two careers, two families, two sets of friends, two lives separated by an ocean. In A Dream of Death<\/em>, Kate reflects on the irony that of all the men her friends have tried to set her up with since her husband\u2019s death, Tom, an English policeman, is the only one she\u2019s ever really felt an attraction for. They\u2019ve had to deal with obstacles in the course of their relationship, including Tom\u2019s mother who\u2019s done everything she could to keep them apart. When I began the series, I had an arc in mind for them, which is still playing out in my current (as yet unnamed) WIP.<\/p>\n

Q: I was completely fascinated by the details of fabric restoration as well as the lace making details. Can you talk about your research on this part of the book?<\/em><\/p>\n

A: I operate on the principle that what sparks my curiosity will appeal to readers. I\u2019m glad to know it did in your case, Robin. I\u2019ve always been interested in antique clothing\u2014the past\/present thing again. Garments that people actually wore are a tangible and very personal link to the past. Several years ago I visited Greenway, Agatha Christie\u2019s summer home in Devon, which is now a National Trust property. The day we were there was quiet with few visitors. Fabric conservators were actually working on one of Dame Agatha\u2019s dresses, and they were kind enough to answer my many questions about their work. Later, at home, I did lots of research into the various methods conservators use. One of the big issues is the removal of dirt and stains. Some are historically significant\u2014blood on a fallen soldier\u2019s jacket, for example\u2014and must not be removed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Honiton lace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I learned about the lacemakers of Devon at a wonderful little museum in Honiton called Allhallows Museum of Lace and Local Antiquities. The day we were there a woman was demonstrating the process, which is so intricate and time-consuming that really only hobbyists attempt it today. Each part of England had its own distinctive style of lacemaking. Honiton lace from Devon, for example, is made by creating individual motifs which are then joined together in a dense overall pattern. I was fascinated, not only by the process but by the lives of the lacemakers, which were wonderfully presented. Again, I followed up with lots of research at home, and the woman I met at the museum agreed to answer any subsequent questions I had. I\u2019ve thanked her and others who helped me in the book\u2019s Acknowledgments.<\/p>\n

Q: Your books are set in England, but you live in Ohio. I\u2019m sure you travel to England, but how do you ensure you are getting the details correct?\u00a0 Do you have English readers vet your manuscripts?<\/em><\/p>\n

A: I am lucky to be able to spend time in England every year (we\u2019re going again in October), but as an American, I still need help getting the details right. That\u2019s where research comes in, but I also depend upon beta readers and various experts. For A Collection of Lies<\/em>, a writer friend, Marni Graff, introduced me to Joyce McLennen, long-time personal assistant and typist for P.D. James. She was kind enough to read the book, and she taught me something I didn\u2019t know: British people never use the past participle \u201chave gotten\u201d as we do in the States. Instead, they say, \u201chave got.\u201d I\u2019ve heard this, of course, but it never clicked until Joyce pointed it out. I\u2019ve also been fortunate to receive help from specialized sources such as the British police, the coroner\u2019s office in Suffolk, the National Trust, and various experts in medieval documents. People generally are happy to answer questions. If they aren\u2019t, I just thank them for their time and try someone else. For my first book, A Dream of Death<\/em>, I asked Val McDermid for a source in the Scottish police, and she introduced me to the senior officer on the Isle of Skye.<\/p>\n

Q: I also was fascinated by the history of the Romanis or Gypsies. When you have so many rich historical threads to follow, how do you winnow them and not head down a research rabbit hole?<\/em><\/p>\n

A: Trust me\u2014I\u2019ve been down a lot of rabbit holes! I love research and often have to remind myself that enough is enough. Readers don\u2019t need all the details\u2014just enough to fire the imagination. What ends up on the page is usually only a small percentage of what I learn. But you bring up the English Gypsies, the Romanichals.<\/a> They are a distinct ethnic group, only marginally connected with the Roma in the U.S. Knowing that I needed information, I contacted the Romany & Traveller Family History Society in the UK. They suggested I get in touch with Dr. Thomas Acton, a retired professor of Romani studies, himself a Romanichal. He turned out to be a fascinating and very kind man\u2014an OBE and one of the leading experts in the UK on the Romanichals. He agreed to read my manuscript and shared lots of insights. Actually, he was the one who explained that Romanichals don\u2019t consider the term gypsy<\/em> to be a racial slur as the Roma in the U.S. do. They are proud of the name as their forefathers died for it.<\/p>\n

Q: This was a very complicated mystery, with many threads to follow for the reader. Can you talk about your plotting process?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

A: I\u2019m what is sometimes called a \u201ctent-pole plotter,\u201d meaning that I begin a novel knowing the major plot points but not how I will navigate from one to the next. That\u2019s where the fun of writing comes in, and I\u2019ve often changed my plot to accommodate one of the characters who didn\u2019t want to cooperate with my plans. Plots often develop organically. The tricky part, as you say, is getting all those threads to untangle at the end. Antiques dealers who carry jewelry as did my parents often have to untangle huge knots in gold chains. It\u2019s time-consuming and meticulous work and can appear impossible. That\u2019s a little like untangling all the plot threads, one link at a time. One of my favorite parts of writing is handling all the plot threads, but I have a confession: in every book I\u2019ve ever written, there comes a time (usually when I\u2019m about \u00be of the way through) when I throw up my hands and say, \u201cNope. This isn\u2019t going to work! I can\u2019t do it!\u201d But there is a way, and I\u2019ve always found it\u2014so far.<\/p>\n

Q: Do you consider this series more of a cozy or a traditional series? I think the book has elements of both. I would call it cozy adjacent. What are your thoughts on this type of categorization?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

A: I like that term \u201ccozy adjacent,\u201d Robin. I\u2019ve called my books \u201ctraditional mysteries with cozy characteristics.\u201d Although I read and admire lots of different kinds of crime fiction, I\u2019m personally not interested in writing graphic language, sex, or violence. It just isn\u2019t my style. I like to think I\u2019m following in the footsteps of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. I love rich settings, fully realized characters, and interesting, twisty plots.<\/p>\n

Q: Finally, can you talk about a book that was transformational for you as a reader or as a writer?<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>A: Yes, I can! When I was around 11 or 12 (I think), I used to take the bus to the downtown library in my smallish town. I\u2019d spend the afternoon just wandering through the stacks and picking up random books that interested me. The librarians must have been very tolerant because they told me not to reshelve the books but to put them on the returns cart for them to reshelve. I admit I didn\u2019t always do that. Once I happened to pick up one of the Jeeves & Wooster books by P.G. Wodehouse. I read the whole thing right there and then. The kind of dry British humor he wrote I\u2019d never heard in my life. No one I knew talked that way. I really thought I had personally discovered a writer no one else had ever heard of, and I went on to read almost everything Wodehouse wrote. I still read his books every year and never get tired of them. They are just so much fun. They still make me laugh. Wodehouse was transformational for me in almost every way as I went on to major in English literature in both college and graduate school. I attended St. Clare\u2019s College, Oxford, where I studied the modern British novel. That\u2019s where I really fell in love with the British Isles, but I believe I became an Anglophile when I first read Wodehouse. And I\u2019ve never gotten over it. When I decided to write a mystery, it was going to be set in the UK\u2014that was a given.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was lucky enough to do interviews for the late, great\u00a0Mystery Scene, sadly no longer even accessible online.\u00a0 One of my favorites is this interview with Connie Berry, who writes a binge worthy series set in England.\u00a0 I’m publishing it here because Connie’s latest book, \u00a0A Collection of Lies, is nominated for an Agatha this … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[1724,724,1722,98,542,1723,68],"class_list":["post-5756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interviews","tag-a-collection-of-lies","tag-antiques","tag-connie-berry","tag-crooked-lane","tag-england","tag-kate-hamilton","tag-traditional-mystery"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5756"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5756\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6260,"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5756\/revisions\/6260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/auntagathas.com\/aa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}