Death and the Sisters - An Interview, Excerpt & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Heather Redmond to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Heather writes the Mary Shelley Mystery series. DEATH AND THE SISTERS is the first book in the series and was released last month.

Kathy: I was so thrilled when I first found out about this book. I am a huge fan of Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley and have always found their relationship and history fascinating. Were you a fan before you had the idea for this series?

HR: I still have copies of Frankenstein and Shelley’s poetry on my shelves from back in the 80s. I became more familiar with Mary Shelley because of my research on Charles Dickens when I was working on my A Dickens of a Crime series. Their lifetimes overlapped and they knew each other. When I started reading about her and her family, I quickly became fascinated. What a brilliant, chaotic bunch!


Kathy: Why did you choose to use these real people for your mystery instead of creating purely fictional characters?

HR: I was pitching to an editor. I offered three ideas and he picked the Dickens one. I had just written a romance called THE PRINCESS DILEMMA (as Heather Hiestand) that had a Dickens-loving hero, so he was fresh on my mind. Since writing about Dickens moved my career in a new direction, I thought writing about another real-life literary hero would be a good idea. I really enjoy getting the history correct, while filling in the blanks with creative ideas for why these literary celebrities made the choices they did.


Kathy: Mary and her stepsister, Jane had a unique relationship that permeates DEATH AND THE SISTERS. What is it about sisters that creates these unique dynamics? As an only child, I don't have any first hand knowledge.

HR: It’s a fight for resources; a fight for love and attention. You never know anyone as well as a sibling, in those early years at least. You can push all the buttons of love and despair. It’s the best and the worst of relationships!


Kathy: The first Mary Shelley mystery starts when she's 16 years old. Why start at this young age?

HR: I love the idea of “becoming” a person who seems codified in our minds. We have the idea of Mary Shelley as this essentially spooky sort of person, but why was that? Is it even true? I start the mystery on the night she probably met Percy Bysshe Shelley. They are so intertwined it made sense to choose that day. He really set her life into motion.


Kathy: What first drew you to historical mysteries?

HR: I love history, nineteenth century British history in particular. Mysteries are a fun genre to write so it’s a good combination for me. I like puzzling out the motivations of my suspects.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

HR: I’ve been around nearly 20 years, so I’ve dabbled in a lot of genres. I have a cozy series, the Journaling mysteries, and I’ve written under other names as well. I’m currently working on a new historical romance for the first time in five years or so.

Tell us about your series.

HR: The tangled relationships between Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Mary’s stepsister Jane Clairmont form the backdrop for an intriguing historical mystery, set in London in 1814, that explores the complex dynamic between sisters and the birth of teenaged Mary’s creative genius.


Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

HR: I wouldn’t say favorite, but I have the most latitude with Jane, because she is seen as a supporting player, yet I give her half the page space in the series.

 

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

HR: The absolutely crazy wild youth of Mary Shelley!

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

HR: I was seven and wrote my first story. The next year I won a prize and attended a conference. I was hooked!

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

HR: At this point, I’d probably just choose to get my writer friends together, since I don’t live around many of them anymore. I’d love to see Eilis Flynn, Delle Jacobs, Jacquie Rogers, Judy Laid and others around a table again!


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

HR: I have ST. LEON by Mary’s father, William Godwin in progress at the moment. I can learn a lot about how Mary thought by seeing what her father wrote.

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

HR: I have been very arty for about six years, and paint in a number of mediums. My son and I have been trying out Zentangles, which is a sort of art journaling. I’m trying to relearn enough piano to teach him a bit.

Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

HR: Cashews, popcorn, toaster waffles, nut butters.

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

HR: There are two more Mary Shelley books in the pipeline currently with deadlines very soon. I also hope to finish a draft of my historical romance this fall. The second Mary Shelley is called DEATH AND THE VISITORS.


Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

HR: It’s allowed me to work from home and be a full-time mother.

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Death and the Sisters

by Heather Redmond

September 25 - October 20, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

The tangled relationships between Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Mary’s stepsister Jane Clairmont form the backdrop for an intriguing historical mystery, set in London in 1814, that explores the complex dynamic between sisters and the birth of teenaged Mary’s creative genius.

London, 1814: Mary Godwin and her stepsister Jane Clairmont, both sixteen, possess quick minds bolstered by an unconventional upbringing, and have little regard for the rules that other young ladies follow. Mary, whose mother famously advocated for women’s rights, rejects the two paths that seem open to her—that of an assistant in her father’s bookshop, or an ordinary wife. Though quieter and more reserved than the boisterous Jane, Mary’s imagination is keen, and she longs for real-world adventures.

One evening, an opportunity arrives in the form of a dinner guest, Percy Bysshe Shelley. At twenty-one, Shelley is already a renowned poet and radical. Mary finds their visitor handsome and compelling, but it is later that evening, after the party has broken up, that events take a truly intriguing turn. When Mary comes downstairs in search of a book, she finds instead a man face down on the floor—with a knife in his back.

The dead man, it seems, was a former classmate of Shelley’s, and had lately become a personal and professional rival. What was he doing in the Godwins’ home? Mary, Jane, and Shelley are all drawn to learn the truth behind the tragedy, especially as each discovery seems to hint at a tangled web that includes many in Shelley’s closest circle. But as the attraction between Mary and the married poet intensifies, it sparks a rivalry between the sisters, even as it kindles the creative fire within . . .

Praise for Death and the Sisters:

"Death and the Sisters is a terrific blend of gritty history with a mystery that will keep readers turning pages. Impeccably researched and imaginative, Redmond’s first Mary Shelley Mystery immerses readers in the drama of young Mary Godwin and her family, as well as her budding romance with Percy Shelley, as they work together to solve a wonderfully bookish murder. I thoroughly enjoyed this series kick-off and can’t wait for the next story!"
~ Susanna Craig, author of The Lady Knows Best

"Death and the Sisters is a rip-roaring murder mystery with twists and turns that introduces teenaged Mary Godwin, not yet the author of the immortal work Frankenstein, as an amateur detective. Redmond's foray in the world of rational atheists in early 19th century London is a mesmerizing, forceful delight."
~ Eilis Flynn, author of The Riddle of Rym

"Crafted with vivid historical detail, an artfully twisted plot, and engaging characters, Death and the Sisters is an excellent start to what I hope will be a long-running series."
~ Dianne Freeman, author of the award-winning Countess of Harleigh Mysteries

"It might be the way London comes to life in all of its dark and gritty complexities, or the dynamics between Mary and her step-sister, Jane, as they set out to find the killer of the man who they discover dead in the bookshop. Everyone is a suspect—even Percy Shelley who has caught the eye of the women in the household. Propulsive and immersive, Heather Redmond is at the top of her game until the intense and satisfying end."
~ Mary Keliikoa, author of Hidden Pieces

"An intrepid cast of characters, a stunningly atmospheric 19th-century London, and a riveting murder… Highly recommend."
~ Melissa Bourbon, bestselling author

Book Details:

Genre: Historical mystery
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: September 2023
Number of Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781496737991 (ISBN10: 1496737997)
Series: Mary Shelley Mystery, 1
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Kensington

Read an excerpt:

“Come, Mary.” Jane flopped onto her bed. “Tell us a story about the prisoner ghosts wailing.”

“I’ll have to think it up,” Mary said and then began to quote. “‘This relation is Matter of Fact, and attended with such Circumstances as may induce any Reasonable Man to believe it.’”

“What’s that?” Jane asked. The floor creaked as she kicked off her slippers and knocked them to the floor.

“Defoe, I think,” Mary said, already considering the form of her story. If only Mother had written such fanciful tales, to give her ideas on how to construct them. “I’ll consult his works in the bookshop for further inspiration. It seems like quite a good start to a ghost story.”

Mary placed her slippers next to Jane’s and walked down in her stocking feet, hugging the wall so as not to set off the worst of the creaking stairs. If Mamma heard her, she’d be set to mending something. Her stepmother never thought about the cost of candles when she could make her daughters work themselves into exhaustion after dark.

The bookshop’s interior door hung open. Very odd, as Mamma was particular about making sure that the smells of domestic life, particularly cooking odors, did not damage the books.

Mary shrugged, glad she had come downstairs, because if Mamma had been the first to notice, she’d have no doubt blamed Mary. She lit the lantern kept in readiness for customers who wanted to browse in the dark corners.

While she knew exactly where Defoe was kept, she first went to a back corner of the shop and dropped to her knees, then pulled out a much-loved volume that Mamma kept in stock because she knew that it sold, even though it was anything but highbrow or philosophical. Ann Radcliffe’s The Romance of the Forest. Feeling a little breathless, like a Gothic heroine about to swoon, she opened the book to her favorite page. With the lantern held over the engraving, she examined the bare legs of the man removing a blindfolded girl from a house.

She bit her lip as she looked over the engraved musculature, feeling a familiar shiver dance up through her body. Did Shelley have legs so magnificent? He certainly possessed the broad shoulders and narrow waist of the figure on the page. She set down the lantern when it shook in her hand.

“Oh, to see a form like that,” she whispered to herself. None of her Scottish suitors had possessed a body she wanted to caress. As such, none of them had enticed so much as a kiss from her. After a last heated glance, she closed the book and tucked it away again.

The next shelves were in front of the bow windows. The Juvenile Library was shelved there, at the perfect height for children. Works of historical merit were on the other side. Mary rose.

Her foot twisted as she took the first step. She grabbed for the edge of the bookcase with one hand, the other gripping the lantern tightly. Her fingers were trembling by the time she righted herself. She reached down and swiped at her foot. Something sticky coated her fingers. What was on the floor?

“Honestly,” she muttered to herself. More cleaning. She set the lantern on the bookcase and walked past the windows. Slatted lines from the shutters were illuminated by the oil lamp that burned all night at the corner of the road.

Distracted by the sudden reflected light, she tripped again. “Blast,” she cried.

When she tried to take another step forward, her way was blocked by something solid. Confused, she prodded it with her foot. It felt warm, dry, and slightly yielding. She backed up to take the lantern in her hand again, then cupped the side of it with her hand to keep the illumination from the road. When she reached the mass again, she held the lantern out over the floor.

Her mouth dropped open when she saw what lay in front of her. A man, like something out of a painting of the French Revolution, was sprawled on the floor. Facedown. She swept the lantern over his body. Her hand shook as she saw first one knife, then another.

The first was impaled in his back. The other, in the mysterious recesses between his legs.

“Faith!” Wobbly, Mary blinked hard, then forced herself to kneel down beside the sprawled figure, to touch the man’s hand.

Still warm. She squeezed it, feeling that strange sensation of callused male flesh under hers, then dropped the hand. What was she doing? Molesting a corpse?

She scooted back, her eyes closed, then opened them again, feeling her lips tremble at the sight of the dark blue velvet coat, the dark stain around the knife gleaming wetly in the light. She knew that coat. Shelley! That fine figure of a man, ended so cruelly. They had just seen him leave not twenty minutes earlier. Had he been accosted in the street and dumped here?

“I could have loved such a being.” Tears sprang to her eyes, and she let them fall, keenly feeling her sensibility. Hadn’t he said he was a new father? And his poor young wife, not even twenty yet, a widow.

“Mary?”

Drat that Jane. Could she not offer up a moment’s solitude to anyone?

Her stepsister’s footsteps came closer, along with the bobbing of a candle flame.

“Don’t come any closer,” Mary warned. She set the lantern down.

Ignoring her, Jane came down the space between the bookshelves and turned in the nook in front of the windows.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

Mary scrambled to her feet, hoping to block her sister’s view. The candle wavered as Jane took in the scene. She gasped loudly.

“What,” Jane asked, “is that?”

“Knives,” Mary said. “Murder has been done here.”

“What?” Jane repeated, some frantic power coming into her voice. “Papa?”

“No,” Mary said, grabbing the candleholder before the candle dropped. “Shelley.”

She saw what was going to happen and held up her other hand, hoping to forestall it. But she failed, and Jane, coming closer, screamed. Mary bent under the onslaught and grabbed her sister’s hand.

“Hush,” she begged, pulling her away. “We have to tell Papa before the watch comes.”

Though Jane resisted, Mary pulled her through the bookshop, then forced her to sit on the steps and hold the candle while she went back for the lantern. She set it on the table in the hall.

“Stay here,” she commanded.

“But,” Jane whispered. “But the body.”

“Papa will know what to do.”

“But the watch.”

“Papa should call them, not us. Do you want him surprised?”

“The bookshop,” Jane said next.

“Yes, it’s very bad,” Mary agreed.

“It isn’t S-Shelley,” Jane stuttered. “He just left.”

Mary pulled the handkerchief from her sleeve and tucked it into Jane’s unresisting hand. “It must be,” she said. “Who else? Cry quietly, please.” Hoping her sister obeyed, she picked up her skirts and ran up the steps to her father’s library.

***

Excerpt from Death and the Sisters by Heather Redmond. Copyright 2023 by Heather Redmond. Reproduced with permission from Heather Redmond. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Heather Redmond is an author of commercial fiction and also writes as Heather Hiestand. First published in mystery, she took a long detour through romance before returning. Though her last British ancestor departed London in the 1920s, she is a committed anglophile, Dickens devotee, and lover of all things nineteenth century.

She has lived in Illinois, California, and Texas, and now resides in a small town in Washington State with her husband and son. The author of many novels, novellas, and short stories, she has achieved best-seller status at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other retailers. Her 2018 Heather Redmond debut, A Tale of Two Murders, has received a coveted starred review from Kirkus Reviews.

Catch Up With Heather Redmond:
www.HeatherRedmond.com
Goodreads
BookBub - @heatherredmond1
Instagram - @hiestandheather
Twitter - @heatheraredmond
Heather Hiestand Redmond's Reader Group on Facebook

 

 

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