We chat with author Claudia Gray about The Late Mrs. Willoughby, which is the suspenseful sequel to The Murder of Mr. Wickham, which sees Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney reunited, and with another mystery to solve: the dreadful poisoning of the scoundrel Willoughby’s new wife.
Hi, Claudia! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi there! I’m the author of more than 20 books–mostly science fiction and fantasy for young adults, including some Star Wars novels, but I am now indulging my longtime loves for Jane Austen and cozy mysteries with my Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney Mysteries series, including the latest: THE LATE MRS WILLOUGHBY. I live in New Orleans with my husband, Paul, and a small dog who rules us both.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I honestly can’t say–it goes so far back I can’t recall the beginning. But I learned to read very early, and that became one of my favorite pastimes throughout my whole life.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
That first book is lost to the mysteries of time, though it was probably a Little Golden Book of some sort. I do remember a Bambi scratch-and-sniff book very vividly–however, I have heard that smell is one of the most powerful cues of memory, so that may be why it sticks in my mind so, not because it was first. (The sage underbrush scent–what I would give to inhale that one more time!) My dream of being an author also goes that far back, so I can’t attribute it to just one book. However, I can say that the novel A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeline L’Engel greatly expanded my idea of what a story could be. That book obeys no rules but its own, shifting from teen drama to science fiction to dystopian to surrealist humor and back again, all while feeling like one organic, powerful narrative. As for a book I can’t stop thinking about: Two years later, I am still sitting with what I felt while reading PIRANESI by Susanna Clarke.
The Late Mrs. Willoughby is the sequel to The Murder of Mr. Wickham and it’s out May 16th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Regency-era murder and romance!
What can readers expect?
Young sleuths Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy are reunited in Devonshire, transporting readers back to the world of Sense & Sensibility, where the peaceful village of Barton is roiled by a murder only they can solve.
Did anything in particular inspire The Late Mrs. Willoughby?
S&S is one of my very favorite Austen tales, so revisiting those characters–actually getting to write Elinor, Willoughby, Mrs. Jennings–was an absolute thrill.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?
How do I do this without spoilers? Well, the death scene is a favorite. (Should I admit that? Kind of macabre.) I enjoy Jonathan’s memories of his school days, though Jonathan himself does not. And I got the chance to show something with Edward Ferrars that Austen only told us of, which felt like a privilege.
YA was the first published genre you delved into (I remember reading Evernight when it published back in 2008!) and explored paranormal and sci-fi. Was there anything that led you to shift into the mystery genre with this series?
Fifteen years ago? How can I have a book that’s 15 years old? And yet I do. In some ways, it still feels like I first got published yesterday, even though that is now ridiculously untrue. I still love YA, paranormal and scifi very much, but in some ways that’s tied up with my fascination with pretty much any genre of fiction that allows the reader to escape from the here and now. Austen made me fall in love with the Regency period; Agatha Christie brought me into cozy mysteries. So while this is new ground for me as a writer, it isn’t for me as a fan.
What’s next for you?
I’m looking forward to several events to promote THE LATE MRS WILLOUGHBY: Here in New Orleans, we’ll have a release-day party at Garden District Bookshop, then in June and July, two Regency-themed murder mystery parties at Blue Cypress Books. (We had two in honor of THE MURDER OF MR WICKHAM, and I can promise, they’re so much fun.!) I’ll also be doing events in Scottsdale and Houston, along with a few book festivals and comic-cons later in the year.
August brings my YA novel set in the Disney ride of the same name, THE HAUNTED MANSION: STORM & SHADE. Somehow it’s my first-ever book set in New Orleans. This was tremendous fun to do, and I hope readers will enjoy exploring the potential “true story” of the mansion as much as I did.
