Q&A With Louise Hare 

I have the honor of doing this Q&A with author Louise Hare. Louise is the author of Miss Aldridge Regrets & its sequel Harlem After Midnight both books are part of A Canary Club Mystery series. 

Q: Louise would you like to tell the readers and I about your books and how you came up with the concept for them?

A: The heroine of the Canary Club series is Lena Aldridge. She’s a jazz singer from London in the 1930s. When we first meet her, she’s had a run of bad luck. Her father, who she was very close to, recently died and she’s been stuck singing in a sleazy club to make ends meet. When she gets offered an incredible opportunity, to sing in a Broadway production, she leaps at the chance, even though it seems too good to be true. The events (and murders!) on the ship are explored in Miss Aldridge Regrets and then Harlem After Midnight follows her continued run of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, this time in New York!

The initial idea for the series came out of a short story that I wrote. I was interested in how we often look up to people in the public eye. A person standing on a stage may look super confident but often it’s an act. I wanted to write a character that looks like she has it all, but really her life is falling apart! 

Q: I enjoy reading mystery books and I know you obviously love writing them. What drew you into writing in the mystery genre?

A: I love a good mystery – I grew up reading first Agatha Christie, but then also Sara Paretsky and Sue Grafton. A mystery is just a great hook – you want to read on to unravel it all. Even many literary novels have a mystery at the heart of them, whether it’s a murder or just a question: Why did X happen? I always end up including a mystery, whether I’m writing a book that would be considered as a crime novel or not. 

Q: Where is your favorite spot to sit down and plot, write, and edit your work? Where do your ideas for characters and places come from? 

A:I have a very boring black Ikea desk that I bought years ago. That’s where I write and edit, although I did buy a fancy ergonomic chair after I signed my first publishing contract! It’s easier to do the bulk of the work there because I have all my notes to hand. However, if I get stuck then a change of scenery helps. I’ve written in coffee shops all around London and if I’m away from home, those are where I go to get the words written. 

Theatre is a great inspiration for my ideas because I love the atmosphere – I often have music in my novels for the same reason. Places that I visit can often spark something. Lots of my work is set in London because it’s the city I know best and I can picture my characters walking around the streets. 

Q: If you are currently writing anything now, is it too early to share or can you reveal any details now?

A: My next novel is something completely different! A mystery set in 1760s London. I decided that I wanted to write something a little darker and part of it will be based on a true story of an escaped slave who was beaten and left for dead on a London street. My main character is a young girl who’s been sold into prostitution and has run away. The pair of them become friends and tries and solve the mystery of girls who are going missing. At least I hope that’s what will happen – I’m still writing it! 

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights to your work? The entertainment industry needs fresh new content again instead of remakes, reboots, sequels, prequels and spin-offs. 

A:  I have sold the option to the Canary Club Mysteries, although of course everything’s on hold due to the writers’ strike. The idea is to turn it into a TV series rather than a movie, which I am totally happy with. Fingers crossed that one day it happens!

Q: You are from London and had gotten your MA in Creative writing from Birbeck the University Of London.  I would love to see the world someday England being one of them. What is it like living in London and where is your favorite spot? 

A: London is my favorite city because there’s always so much going on. Like many cities, it’s really a collection of smaller villages so there are lots of different areas with different vibes. I live close to the river and I’d say that my favorite spot is anywhere along the Thames. I like being beside the water.