Why Mysteries? Why Winchester? And why, for that matter, a blog at all?
I love mystery stories. I also love history and historical novels, so it’s no surprise I now write Victorian mysteries. Why Winchester? It’s a lovely place, the ancient capital of King Alfred’s Wessex – it’s a perfect setting for my books.
I love mystery novels, the cosier the better. I practically cut my teeth on Patricia Wentworth’s Miss Silver stories, fell headlong in love with Albert Campion, Margery Allingham’s enigmatic sleuth, and – after a long courtship – took to Lord Peter Wimsey in a big way. Along the way I’ve been on nodding acquaintance with M Poirot and admired Miss Marple and a host of others, including Brother Cadfael, Deaconess Theodora Braithwaite (D M Greenwood’s clerical sleuth), and Ruth Dudley Edwards’ uproarious Baroness Jack Troutbeck.
If there’s a lot of history in a book or it’s set in a time gone by, I’ll give it a go, which is how I came to love and collect the Falco books by Lindsey Davis. If it’s also funny, that’s even better – take a bow one of my all-time most loved authors, Charlotte Macleod, author of the Professor Shandy mysteries, and the Sarah Kelling Boston stories.
Given the above, it’s no wonder that I took to writing cosy mysteries of my own, and that – so far – two of my published novels are set in mid-Victorian England. My leading lady, Charlotte Richmond, arrives in Hampshire in 1858, in ‘Murder Most Welcome’ (pub.Robert Hale Ltd) and continues her adventures in ‘Death is the Cure’. Readers have been kind enough to find Charlotte amusing, so I’m hoping to write more about her.
Why Winchester? It’s a lovely place, the ancient capital of King Alfred’s Wessex and the place where poor, doomed Prince Arthur was born to Henry VII and his Plantagenet bride, Elizabeth. Winchester is the home of the famous Round Table and the Hospital of St Cross which inspired Anthony Trollope to write ‘The Warden’, while Winchester Cathedral is at the heart of the city and numbers many famous ‘inmates’, notably St Swithin and Jane Austen; it also has a walk-on part in my novel, ‘Murder Fortissimo’.
I live about five miles outside the city and count myself fortunate to be able to potter round the ancient streets as Jane did, and John Keats, musing about autumn mists and mellow fruitfulness, let alone Trollope and the weather-wise saint. Alfred the Great has a statue here and later the famous and fearsome Henry of Blois, prince bishop and grandson of William the Conqueror, ruled the city. With all this history on my doorstep, setting my novels in and near Winchester seemed the most sensible thing to do.
My most recent mystery, ‘Murder Fortissimo’, is a contemporary novel: still cosy, still cheerful, still set not far from Winchester and again, the Cathedral itself has a part to play. And this brings me to the third Why at the beginning of this post. Why a blog? I’m slow to adapt to new technology but with the publication in paperback of ‘Murder Fortissimo’ by Harlequin’s Worldwide Mystery Library, I’m hoping to reach even more readers who love Cosy Mysteries as much as I do.
Nicola Slade's Winchester Mysteries 
Just read your blog roll….thanks so much for adding me there. So honoured and really appreciate it. Thank you Nicola. Made my day!
Another Cadfael fan here! Plus Wimsey and most of the others. But…. what happened to Sister Fidelma? Thought you were heading her way, Nicola. *grins*
Still on the TBR list, Mary, but life keeps getting in the way of more important things like reading!
Really enjoyed your blog about the Crime Writers Assoc. meeting and the archaeologist’s piece as well. Thanks.
Thanks, Jane. I’ve been to several RNA conferences but this was my first CWA one. Different, but very enjoyable.
I think it looked great fun and from what I gather the speakers were excellent. I shall have to get to one of the Crime Writers Association meetings at some point, because all my favourite writers seem to speak at these. Glad you had a good time.
I am glad you enjoyed it. I would love to go to the CWA as I am sure it is full of all my favourite authors and would be so enjoyable and informative. Now you can write romantic crime….there’s a thought!
Really pleased to hear Murder Fortissimo is in paperback – I hope you’ll reach lots more readers! Lovely pictures of Winchester, too, I look forward to reading more.
Glad you like it, Jodie. We (Keri – blogmeister and genius) & I, looked at loads of blogs and decided that yours was the one that we liked best. So we ‘borrowed’ your style!
Goodness, I’m very flattered – how nice!
Nicola, I love Poirot, but I haven’t heard of most of the others that you mention. I have been to Winchester, solely due to Jane Austen. I’d love to go again one day. I absolutely love England! I would love to explore places I have been before and new places as well. All the best on your blog adventure 🙂
Nice blog, Nicola. The Header photos are beautiful. Have you read any of JG Goodhind cosies, the Honey Driver mysteries set in Bath? I love stories that have some history in them, makes them more alive. Good luck with the blog and the books.
Hi Kit, nice to see you here. I know Jean from the RNA but haven’t read her Honey Driver mysteries. I love Bath so thank you for the recommendation.
Hi Cathy, great to meet another Jane Austen fan, thank you for dropping in.
I’m gearing up to do a giveaway any day now and after that I’ll be reporting on a really weird piece of local history that I’ve just discovered!
Hello Nicola! And what a fabulous intro to your cosy mysteries! I Oh and wow! You can’t get a more beautiful setting for your stories than picture perfect and gorgeous Winchester! Beautiful! Take care
x
That’s lovely of you, Old Kitty. I drop in on your blog frequently – I’m a great fan of Charlie’s and I do like to keep an eye on his exploits!
Thank you everybody for commenting, it’s lovely to see you all. I seem to have mislaid a few people but I’m sure I’ll find which corner they’re hiding in when I’ve talked to the very clever Keri who set this up.
hi Nicola, I too followed you from Andi’s place. Looking forward to reading you. Good luck.
Hi Nicola, I too followed you over from Andi’s. Looking forward to reading you here. Good luck!
Recognise quite a lote of your favourite authors…
Thought you would! Lovely to ‘see’ you, Jan.
Like Beverley, I shall check to see if this is available in Australia. Well done, Nicola!
Congratulations on Murder Fortissimo. It’s exciting to see one’s books in different formats. Is this your first paperback edition? I must see if we can get it in Australia.
Congratulations on Murder Fortissimo. It’s wonderful to have a release published in a new format. A paperback by Harlequin. I must see if we can get it in Australia.
How nice to see you, Beverley, I shall go and Follow you at once! The p/b is only available from the Harlequin website but it can be ordered from there and sent anywhere, I think.
Thanks, Nicola, on both counts. I like your new blog, BTW. It’s got a fresh, both contemporary and historical kind of feel which I think works well with both your contemporary and Victorian mysteries.
Hi Nicola – came over from Andi and Jim’s blog. Congratulations on the new blog! Looking forward to reading more. 🙂
Oh, lovely, thanks, Candis. I love your photographs. Do you have ‘followers’? Couldn’t see a button to push.
I do have a few – not sure how they did it though as I can’t find the button either, ha! I need to upgrade my blog template to allow for all the new changes blogger has done. I’ll have get on that next. 🙂