Murder in Postscript, launches a new series by Mary Winters
Author Interview + Book & Author Info + Pet Corner!
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Murder in Postscript
When one of her readers asks for advice following a suspected murder, Victorian countess Amelia Amesbury, who secretly pens the popular Lady Agony column, has no choice but to investigate in this first book in a charming new historical mystery series.
Amelia Amesbury—widow, mother, and countess—has a secret. Amelia writes for a London penny paper, doling out advice on fashion, relationships, and manners under the pen name Lady Agony.
But when a lady’s maid writes Amelia to ask for advice when she believes her mistress has been murdered—and then ends up a victim herself—Amelia is determined to solve the case.
With the help of her best friend and a handsome marquis, Amelia begins to piece together the puzzle, but as each new thread of inquiry ends with a different suspect, the investigation grows ever more daunting.
From London’s docks and ballrooms to grand country houses, Amelia tracks a killer, putting her reputation—and her life—on the line.
To purchase Murder in Postscript, click any of the following links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, IndieBound, Audible.
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Murder in Postscript — Author Interview
Murder in Postscript is set in Victorian London. What drew you to writing about that era?
Thank you for having me on the blog, Elena! I really appreciate the invite. (Great to have you visit!)
I’ve always loved reading historical mysteries set in the Victorian era. I enjoy the tension the era provides between a sleuth and her setting. She must not only solve a mystery, but do so under the social constraints of the time period. As a reader and writer, I like the additional challenge.
Amelia Amesbury is a countess in Murder in Postscript, but she also pens an advice column under the name Lady Agony. Tell us about Agony Aunts and why Amelia chooses to write in secret:
In the Victorian era, the word agony included general problems, agonies.
Correspondents posed questions about their problems to various newspapers and inexpensive magazines. Some venues, such as the Times, simply repeated the question or quandary. But others, like the London Journal, dealt with the problem at length in an agony column, or what we call an advice column today.
Amelia works in secret because she’s a countess. As a member of the aristocracy, she would be condemned for having a job, especially one that caters to the masses.
Along with solving a crime, Murder in Postscript investigates the clothing, social expectations, and gender roles from England near the turn of the last century. How well would you have fit in with that place and time?
In all honesty, I probably wouldn’t have fit in very well!
I would enjoy teatime and some of the fashions, but I wouldn’t enjoy the gendered social rules, especially concerning work. I love learning, teaching, and writing too much to ever give them up.
What was the most challenging aspect about writing a historical set in England?
One of the challenges I faced while researching agony columns is that they were printed in popular, cheap magazines that weren’t always saved, archived, or digitized. This meant digging deeper when it came to agony columns themselves.
Material on the Victorian era in general, however, was abundant. The Times has a digital archive to which I subscribe that allows me to read about any particular day in the era.
You also write contemporary cozies, including the Professor Prather mysteries and the Happy Camper series. What are the common threads between your academic sleuth Emmaline Prather, Zo Jones, owner of the Happy Camper gift shop, and now, Amelia Amesbury a countess from another country so long ago?
Even though they live in different places and time periods, they are all strong, independent women who care about justice. They aren’t afraid to fight for what they believe in, even if it’s not popular.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the second book in the Lady of Letters series. I’m also working on a new short story.
Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:
Invest in good coffee, chocolate, and wine. But mostly wine!
Great advice! Congratulations on your new series.
Author Pet Corner!
Bosco, our “big cat.”
O’Malley, our kitten and “little cat.”
Brownie, the best dog in the world.
Mary Winters — Author of Murder in Postscript
Mary Winters is the author of the Lady of Letters mystery series.
A longtime reader of historical fiction and an author of two other mystery series,
Mary set her latest work in Victorian England after being inspired by a trip to London. Since then, she’s been busily planning her next mystery—and another trip! Find out more about Mary and her writing at marywintersauthor.com.
To learn more about Mary, click on her name, photo or any of the following links: Facebook & Instagram
Writing as Mary Angela: Website, Facebook, Twitter & Goodreads
Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell
All We Buried, available now in print, e-book, and audio.
Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator
Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery
The Foundation of Plot, a Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet!) guidebook. Amazon #1 bestseller
Header image by UrsaMinorArt on Pixabay
