I'm pleased to welcome Samantha Larsen to Cozy Up With Kathy. Samantha writes the Lady Librarian Mystery series. A NOVEL DISGUISE is the first book in the series and will be released later this week.
Kathy: The Lady Librarian Mystery series is set in London in 1784. What made you choose this location and time period?
SL: I had the craziest idea—a woman burying her dead brother in the back garden and stealing his identity. I needed to choose a time period where I believed it could be plausible. 1784 works so well because men wore wigs, makeup, high-heeled boots, skirted coats, and put padding in all sorts of places!
Kathy: Historical mysteries require an extra special brand of research. What's your favorite method to research this time period?
SL: I majored in History in college and mostly I read about it. I try to read contemporary fiction for the time as well as historian’s viewpoints. I am obsessed with historical fashion and highly recommend the V&A Clothing in Detail series. I love looking at the pictures.
Kathy: In A NOVEL DISGUISE Miss Tiffany Woodall assumes her brother's identity in order to keep her home. Have you ever had to pretend to be someone you weren't?
SL: I used to pretend to be my sister Stacy, but never for long! I am six inches taller than her.
Kathy: What first drew you to historical mysteries?
SL: When I was eighteen, I fell in love with Tommy and Tuppence mysteries by Agatha Christie and I have been addicted ever since! I particularly enjoy reading Rhys Bowen, Sherry Thomas, Deanna Raybourne, BR Myers, and Clara McKenna.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
SL: Yes. Check out my historical romances under Samantha Hastings. Learn more at: www.SamanthaHastings.com
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
SL: Miss Tiffany Woodall has a “middle-age” coming of age at forty when she embraces life and becomes a librarian and an amateur detective. In each book, Tiffany solves a murder but also highlights different 18th century literature. In A NOVEL DISGUISE, it is gothic mysteries. In the sequel, ONCE UPON A MURDER, it is fairytales.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
SL: I absolutely adore the constable, Mr. Samir Lathrop. A bookseller + a librarian is the perfect match. He is kind and thoughtful, but not without his own struggles being a man of color in 18th century Britain.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
SL: Several women in the Civil War dressed as men so that they could fight. They even received pensions after the war. Although uncommon, I knew that women in the past had impersonated men to allow them more freedom in their actions. Also, several female characters in Shakespearean plays masquerade as men.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
SL: From the time I was in elementary school, I’ve always wanted to be an author. Getting here has certainly had many ups and downs, but telling stories is the dream.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
SL: Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer, Agatha Christie, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
SL: MURDER IN POSTSCRIPT by Mary Winters.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
SL: I love to make jewelry and I design themed pieces to match my books!
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
SL: Diet Dr. Pepper, popcorn, bacon, and s’mores ingredients.
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
SL: Book 2 is ONCE UPON A MURDER and it comes out February 2024.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
SL: Wearing my pajamas all day long.
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Review
The First Lady Librarian Mystery
We're introduced to a variety of
people in the first Lady Librarian mystery, most of whom have secrets and few are what they seem. People
hide behind titles, be they aristocratic or by virtue of their job. Set in 1784 A NOVEL DISGUISE deals with issues relevant to society today. While progress has been made in some areas, it's a bit distressing to see many of the problems still exist. White men of privilege hold all the cards. Prejudice towards people of color and women remain. At least, as spinster myself, I can own my own home, read what I like, and don't need to be overly concerned about weevils in my flour!
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A Novel Disguise (A Lady Librarian Mystery) by Samantha Larsen
About A Novel Disguise
Historical Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - Imaginary English village, 1784
Crooked Lane Books (May 16, 2023)
Paperback: 320 pages
When Miss Tiffany Woodall assumes the identity of her half-brother after his death, she realizes she isn’t the only one with a secret to hide in this historical series debut, perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Sherry Thomas.
1784 London.Miss Tiffany Woodall didn’t murder her half-brother, but she did bury him in the back garden so that she could keep her cottage. Now, the confirmed spinster has to pretend to be Uriah and fulfill his duties as the Duke of Beaufort’s librarian while searching Astwell Palace for Uriah’s missing diamond pin, the only thing of value they own. Her ruse is almost up when she is discovered by Mr. Samir Lathrop, the local bookseller, who tries to save her from drowning while she's actually just washing up in a lake after burying her brother.
Her plan is going by the book, until the rector proposes marriage and she starts to develop feelings for Mr. Lathrop. But when her childhood friend, Tess, comes to visit, Tiffany quickly realizes her secret isn’t the only one hidden within these walls. The body of a servant is found, along with a collection of stolen items, and someone else grows mysteriously ill. Can Tiffany solve these mysteries without her own disguise being discovered? If not, she’ll lose her cottage and possibly her life.
About Samantha Larsen
Samantha Hastings met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. They live in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she spends most of her time reading, eating popcorn, having tea parties, and chasing her four kids. She has degrees from Brigham Young University, the University of North Texas, and the University of Reading (UK). She's the author of: The Last Word, The Invention of Sophie Carter, A Royal Christmas Quandary, The Girl with the Golden Eyes, Jane Austen Trivia, The Duchess Contract, Secret of the Sonnets, The Marquess and the Runaway Lady, and A Novel Disguise. She also writes cozy murder mysteries under Samantha Larsen.
Author Links:
Website https://www.samanthahastings.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/samanthahastingsauthor/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaHastingsAuthor/
Twitter https://twitter.com/HastingSamantha
Library Thing https://www.librarything.com/profile/Samantha-Larsen
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/samantha-hastings
Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Books A Million - Powells Books - IndieBound - Bookshop.org
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