I have Hannah Dennison here today to talk about her first book in a new series, Murder at Honeychurch Hall.  This is a fun and exciting mystery and a great start to the series.  Take it away, Hannah. 🙂

A special thank you to Books-n-Kisses for hosting me on Day One of the Great Escapes Blog Tour for the first book in my brand new series, “Murder at Honeychurch Hall.”

I’m having so much fun writing this new series because it gives me the chance to incorporate everything I love and miss about England—Agatha Christie’s beloved Devon (and where my family still lives), the beautiful English countryside, and grand country houses stuffed with antiques and steeped in history—including an odd ghost or two. Of course, I’m also a great fan of Downton Abbey, and although “Murder at Honeychurch Hall” is set on a country estate in the modern day and times have definitely changed, the class system still exists—particularly in small rural communities.

My novel is a murder mystery at heart, but as the pages materialized what also came to the surface was the emotional undercurrent of a mother-daughter relationship that also clearly had a story to tell. My protagonist is former TV celebrity and antique dealer, Kat Stanford who is all set to launch a new business with her newly widowed mother, Iris. But to Kat’s horror, she discovers that Iris has secretly purchased a dilapidated carriage house on a crumbling country estate several hundred miles away from London. Of course, Kat sets off to ‘save’ her mother only to discover that she harbors an even bigger secret. For years, Iris has been secretly writing best-selling, steamy romance novels under the pseudonym of Krystalle Storm.

Needless to say, as new arrivals on the estate, Kat and Iris are treated with great disdain by those upstairs and down. So, it’s no surprise when the family nanny goes missing that suspicion falls on the outsiders. And that’s all I can tell you without giving too much away!

The old adage “write what you know” should really be “write what you pretend you know” since the inspiration for my new book came from my own mother’s rash decision to purchase a highly impractical wing of a country house in Devon after my Dad passed away in 2002. As you can imagine, my sister and I were really worried. It wasn’t so much the isolated location with a mile-long drive, no local shop and no public transport. The house was a money drain, with a roof in need of mending, heating and plumbing breaking down constantly and generally, the whole estate was falling apart. Then we realized that it was what Mum really wanted. Although my parents had shared 54 years of marriage together, it had been in a different time when the man ruled the house.

Now, my mother has had the chance to reinvent herself and today, at age 84, she is more vibrant than ever. She works as a docent at Greenway and still lives in her dream home, and in many ways, she also lives as inspiration for the character Iris on the pages of my novel. Of course, I’m no former TV celebrity—although I have had some experience in the antique world—and my mother is definitely no romance writer, but her tales of “goings-on” at “the main house” will keep my creative juices flowing for years. I am so grateful for all the inspiration that my family and my English heritage have provided my imagination as I worked to craft this new story. It was quite a ride, often bumpy I must say as most novels can be in the process of writing them. But along the way what the story revealed to me is the truth that sometimes in life it’s those who are nearest and dearest to us who are often the most duplicitous of all.

About the Author:

Born in England, Hannah relocated to Los Angeles with her daughter and two cats to pursue a career in screenwriting. Along the road to publication she has been an obituary reporter, antique dealer, private jet flight attendant and Hollywood story analyst. Hannah is the author of the Vicky Hill Mysteries (Constable UK) and the first, in her new series, “Murder at Honeychurch Hall” (Minotaur). Now living in Portland, Oregon Hannah continues to teach mystery writing at UCLA, has served on numerous judging committees for the Mystery Writers of America and still works part-time for a west coast advertising agency. She is married to an advertising executive and enjoys hiking, horseback riding, skiing and seriously good chocolate.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Set against the backdrop of Agatha Christie’s beloved Devon, TV celebrity Kat Stanford discovers that her newly widowed mother Iris has recklessly bought a dilapidated carriage house on a country estate known as Honeychurch Hall. Although times have changed at the manor house, a line still exists between those upstairs, and those down. Iris’s arrival is greeted with suspicion—but that’s not all. Iris harbors an even bigger secret that not even her daughter knows: Iris writes under the pseudonym, Krystalle Storm, and is a best-selling author of racy bodice-rippers.

Throw in a feisty, octogenarian countess, a precocious seven year old who is obsessed with the famous fighter pilot called Biggles, a treasure trove of antiques; as well as the paparazzi, always hungry for celebrity news. Add the occasional haunting from the resident family of ghosts, and there is more than one motive for murder. Yet at its core, the story explores the relationship between a mother and daughter facing new and uncertain beginnings and makes a good case for the notion that those nearest and dearest to us are often the most duplicitous of all.

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Murder at Honeychurch Hall

Review (4 Stars):  Kat Stanford is on hiatus from her popular TV show, Fakes & Treasures, when she discovers that her mother has purchased a run-down home way out in the country.  Concerned about the well-being of her mother after an accident, Kat travels to Honeychurch Hall and finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery.  With too many suspects and not enough clues, Kat and Iris try to find answers before more bodies start to pile up and they get evicted from Iris’ new home.  Kat never had any idea that spending time with her mother would be so interesting.

This is the first book in a new series and I think that Murder at Honeychurch Hall is a great start to the series.  It took me a little while to warm up to Kat but I absolutely adored her mother, Iris.  I loved that Iris wrote romances most of her adult life and her daughter had no idea about any of it.  She made the book fun and I enjoyed the other zany cast of characters that Kat came into contact with at Honeychurch Hall.  Delightful mystery and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of Murder at Honeychurch Hall. This giveaway is for US Residents only.  To be entered in the drawing by May 19th, leave me a comment below.