What themes or questions were you most interested in exploring with this new instalment?
I wanted to return Canon Clement to the parish after the last book which was set in a monastery but I needed fresh blood - every murder mystery writer who deals with village life has to do this lest you run out of people available to be murdered. So there’s a period drama being shot at the big house and lots of interaction between Champton people and the cast and crew. I wanted to write about celebrities and why people want to be famous and what it does to you. And what happens when the Queen of Champton (Daniel’s mother Audrey) meets a Queen of Hollywood (who’s playing an actual Queen).
Your books are known for their vivid secondary characters—were there any new characters in this novel that were especially fun or challenging to write?
Yes, the star of the film, Gillian Smith and her PA, Carrie Palethorpe. Two very different people yoked together by expediency, one a diva the other definitely not that, but no less essential.
Can you tell us about your writing process—how does it differ between your fiction and your nonfiction work?
Fiction is all about creating an imaginary world and imaginary characters. Non fiction is surprisingly similar only you have a reference outside yourself to check them against.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of writing fiction for you?
Getting in front of new readers and I hope into temporary accommodation in their imaginations. Also having a novel turned into a telly is fascinating.
Finally, what can readers look forward to next—will Canon Clement return for more investigations?
I had such fun murdering a character at Christmas, the next one will also be a Christmas special.
