Hello, Readers,
The fifth Hat Shop mystery ASSAULT AND BERET is on the
shelves now and since I wrote it a year ago, I had to go back and remind myself
of what happened in the book. It sounds crazy, I know, but after I finished that
book, I went on to write four more so you can imagine that all of those
characters, plots, and settings fill up the filing cabinet in my head and make
it very difficult to remember who did what to whom, when and where.
Which brings me to the best part of writing, at least for me, the research! I
love doing the ground work for a book. Usually, I learn so much more than I can
ever stuff into a story, but when the book is released, it gives me a chance to
revisit all of the facts that I learned and much like reacquainting myself with
the characters, it’s like visiting with old friends. I usually remember exactly
what I was doing when I learned a new fact or read and interesting story. That
is, when I take the time to revisit the book that is being released.
True story, funny story: I was once doing a book signing during a time when I
had a cluster of books coming out, like, every two months and even I was having
a hard time keeping up with them all. When someone asked me to tell them a
little bit about the book that I was there to sign, I couldn’t remember
ANYTHING. Finally, a writer friend bailed me out by chiming in and saying,
“There are cupcakes and people die.” Ha! Take that, Cliff Notes!
After that, I learned my lesson and now I go back and peruse the book that’s
coming out, so that when someone asks me a question, I have a chance of
answering it or at least I can reference the right book. This month I was
delighted to go back to Paris with Scarlett and Viv and the gang from Portobello
Road and revisit all that happened to them while they were there. It is the
series finale so quite a bit happens, actually.
While I was skimming it, I remembered that one of my favorite components of the
book was William Graham, Viv’s estranged husband, who is an insurance
investigator in the art world. His profession allowed me to research how
paintings are evaluated by authentication or attribution, which was fascinating.
I particularly enjoyed learning about the piece Red, Black, and Silver
possibly by Jackson Pollock. It was rumored to have been painted for his lover
who hired forensic experts who found a polar bear hair from the polar bear rug
he had in his studio at the time the piece was painted and they used that
information to argue that it was indeed a Pollock. Pollock’s wife, however,
hired the old school art connoisseurs, professionals who likely knew Pollock’s
work better than he did himself, and they argued that the piece was inconsistent
with his body of work. Both women have since died and the case has never been
resolved. The researcher in me loves this stuff!
Now don’t get me wrong, I love the word-smithing part of writing just as much as
the research, but there is no doubt that the more I research a time, place, or
profession, the more material I have to work from, which is always a good thing.
Now here’s a brief description of ASSAULT AND BERET, so you
can say you’ve done your research before you grab a copy of the book!
Allons-y to Paris for more hats and homicide from the New York Times
bestselling author of Copy Cap Murder!
London milliner Vivian Tremont and her American cousin and partner, Scarlett
Parker, tip their caps to their beloved shop on Portobello Road in Notting Hill
and set off for Paris, where Viv can’t wait to teach a hat-making class. But she
has another reason to travel to the City of Light: to find the man she
impulsively eloped with years ago and have their marriage annulled.
William Graham is not only handsome and charming, but he also has a glamorous
job as an insurance investigator who works with priceless pieces of art, most
recently a small Renoir that has been discovered in a junk shop. But when both
Will and the masterpiece suddenly disappear, it’s up to the ladies from London
to follow the trail of clues. They’ll need to hold on to their chapeaux,
however, because someone is a master in the art of deception...
THANKS FOR LETTING ME VISIT!
HAPPY READING!
Jenn McKinlay took her first decoupage class when she was twelve years
old. Since then, cutting and pasting have become a way of life. With two small
children at home, she finds decoupage a fun craft as well as a very handy tool,
especially when used to cover up doodles made in permanent marker on otherwise
lovely furniture. And yes, they know her by name at her local Michael’s Craft
Store. She is the author of three previous novels under the name Jennifer
McKinlay and lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with her musician husband Chris, their
two sons, two cats, one dog and one fish.
Hat Shop
Mystery
Allons-y to Paris for more hats and homicide from the New York Times
bestselling author of Copy Cap Murder!
London milliner Vivian Tremont and her American cousin and partner, Scarlett
Parker, tip their caps to their beloved shop on Portobello Road in Notting Hill
and set off for Paris, where Viv can’t wait to teach a hat-making class. But she
has another reason to travel to the City of Light: to find the man she
impulsively eloped with years ago and have their marriage annulled.
William Graham is not only handsome and charming, but he also has a glamorous
job as an insurance investigator who works with priceless pieces of art, most
recently a small Renoir that has been discovered in a junk shop. But when both
Will and the masterpiece suddenly disappear, it’s up to the ladies from London
to follow the trail of clues. They’ll need to hold on to their chapeaux,
however, because someone is a master in the art of deception...
Mystery Cozy [Berkley Prime Crime, On Sale: January 3, 2017, Mass
Market Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780425279595 / eISBN: 9780698187818]
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