We chat with author Claudia Gray about The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, which is the third book in the Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney Mystery series and finds the amateur sleuths facing their most daunting challenge preventing the murder of the imperious Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
Hi, Claudia! Your latest novel, The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, is out June 18th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Only five words: Secretive, Sinister, Sincere, Scary and Surprising!
What can readers expect from the new installment in the Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney series?
Readers can expect to revisit some of the most beloved–and amusing–supporting characters in the Austen canon, including Mr. Collins, his wife the former Charlotte Lucas, and of course Lady Catherine herself. There’s also a deepening of the friendship between Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney, during which a few misconceptions maybe, possibly, get cleared up? And the book is also my favorite thus far in terms of the actual mystery itself.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?
Everyone should get the joy of writing Lady Catherine de Bourgh at least once in life. She’s so unbearable, and yet we can’t resist her! Probably the character that most intrigued me, though–the one that I got to really explore in a whole new way–was her daughter, the former Anne de Bourgh. (You’ll learn her married name in the book, because she did indeed find a husband after Mr. Darcy didn’t work out according to her mother’s plan.) Anne never even gets a single word of dialogue in Pride and Prejudice, and she’s mostly characterized according to Elizabeth Bennet’s perceptions…but as we all know, clever though LIzzy is, her first impressions are not infallible! In this book, there’s more going on beneath the surface with Anne…
What was your process for plotting out The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh?
Honestly, my mystery plotting process continues to evolve with each book. For some reason, though, it was during the outlining process for PERILS that one of the core truths of mystery writing finally came clear for me: In every investigative scene, someone is lying–and every suspect lies at least once. Sounds basic, right? But it’s one thing to know that about mysteries, another to have your creative imagination begin to flow that way and naturally create the story in accordance with it.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing this installment?
The biggest challenge in writing this installment was not becoming overly self-indulgent. The temptation to have Mr. Collins blather on about anything and everything is very great! But only certain blatherings fit the moment and the story. Beyond that, there were the usual questions about the Regency era that even history sometimes finds it difficult to answer. I was very unsure about the inclusion of muffins, for instance. (This worry proved unfounded–Jane Austen’s story fragment “The Watsons” includes muffins, so they were okay the whole time.)
What are some of the key lessons you’ve learned as a writer since your debut?
My debut was literally 18 years ago–staggering, unfathomable–it still feels like this just happened to me. Anyway, a lot of lessons have been learned, and it’s difficult to single out which few are the most critical: They all feel important. If I have to pick one thing, though, I’d say: Find your process, and trust it. I am still working on my process with every single book; outlining and text seem only slightly more efficient, but my editing has markedly improved in both speed and quality over the past few books (or so it seems to me). It’s a constant struggle to accept that certain amounts of downtime–butt very much not in chair, probably on the sofa watching “Bridgerton” or “Andor”–are in fact a part of my process, that putting aside a scene or a chapter or an outline for a few hours/days/even weeks and not thinking about it may actually be the smartest move. (Recently I went back to an outline I hadn’t tinkered with for about three months, and within an hour, I’d fixed three of the book’s major plot problems–two of which I hadn’t even realized were problems before.) You have to find what works for you, and yet have the curiosity and courage to still experiment from time to time, and see if there’s another way that works even better.
What’s next for you?
My next release is THE X-FILES: PERIHELION, coming in late July–which picks up where the last televised season left off, i.e., at a very interesting time for Mulder and Scully. I’m working on my next Star Wars novel, INTO THE LIGHT. After that, I have the honor and thrill of completing Austen’s “The Watsons” story fragment (it’s going to be SO FUN, y’all), and a couple of wholly original projects have waited in the queue long enough–I’ll turn to them before long!
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
What books have I enjoyed so far this year? HILD by Nicola Griffith came out a while ago, and I only just discovered (and devoured) it. Can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel! WE’RE NOT BROKEN by Eric Garcia helped give me more insight into some of what Jonathan Darcy must deal with every day. My brain was totally consumed by Jessica Knoll’s compelling, angry BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN. In terms of mysteries, there’s nothing Janice Hallett writes that I don’t adore. I’m eagerly awaiting Griffin Dunne’s THE FRIDAY AFTERNOON CLUB, Sarah Brooks’ THE CAUTIOUS TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE WASTELANDS, Claire Lombardo’s SAME AS IT EVER WAS, and Vajra Chandrasekera’s RAKESFALL.
