Lou Kemp Interview

Lou Kemp had some great questions in her Celwyn Series interview

Check out her web-site at: Celwyn Series Link

Newsletter 17 Sept 2024

Karen Haden's debut novel Paying in Blood was published by Sharpe Books in March 2024.

How would you compare Paying in Blood to other styles of mysteries? 

Set in England, during the last years of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, Alexander Baxby’s quest to solve the mystery of a young woman’s suspicious death leads him into the murky world of Tudor politics and court rivalry.

More unusually, the novel shows their impact on ordinary people’s lives, as powerful statesmen and bishops exert increasing control through espionage, surveillance and limiting access to books. Baxby tells his story from gaol, so the precarious nature of early 17^th century life is never far-away.

Of all your characters, which is the most like your personality? 

Baxby shares character traits and life events with my late father and myself. Like many working in Defense and Security, we understood the need to keep secrets, even from closest family and friends, and the resulting tensions that can bring. I am glad to have retired from that environment to write.

Who is your favorite villain of all time and why?

Disney villains such as Cruella de Ville and Snow White’s wicked Queen remain strong favorites. Growing up, I was closer to my father than mother in a competitive home, which may explain my on-going fascination with the complexities of female malevolence and power.

Can a villain be sympathetic, or do good deeds to be redeemed?

In my childhood and whilst working as a consultant, I saw how minor differences can spiral into major conflict. Issues were rarely black and white. People with different perspectives often saw different parts of the whole.

As a result, my heroes and villains are more nuanced. Although courageous, loveable and loyal, Baxby has multiple weaknesses. Antagonist Archbishop Bancroft does what he deems necessary to protect national security, with lethal consequences.

Will there be a sequel to Paying in Blood, and if so, what will it focus on? 

The next Alexander Baxby mystery will be published in the autumn of 2024, in which his attempts to start a new life in Amsterdam will be shaken by a series of unexplained deaths. Suspecting Bancroft’s spy-network has spread beyond England’s coast, Baxby’s own life will be threatened as he pursues the truth.

                    Celywn Series Newsletter No 17 September 2024