Q&A With Mariah Fredericks 

Mariah Fredericks is the author of historical who done it mysteries! Her novels are Death Of A Showman, Death Of An American Beauty, Death Of A New American, A Death Of No Importance, The Wharton Plot, The Girl In The Green Dress, The Lindbergh Nanny, & her recent release Murder On 34^th Street! 

Q: Welcome to Book Notions Mariah! Would you please give a brief description of each of your novels beginning with Murder On 34^th Street? 

A: In Murder on 34th Street, it’s 1932, New York City, and someone wants to kill Santa Claus at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Can an intrepid young woman from the personnel department save Santa, not to mention the Macy’s shopping season? 

In The Girl in the Green Dress, Zelda Fitzgerald and future New Yorker writer Morris Markey team up to solve the 1920 murder of a bridge playing lothario, Joseph Elwell. 

The Wharton Plot is the story of Edith Wharton in midlife, stranded in every way possible, as she grapples with the murder of a fellow author, David Graham Phillips. 

The Lindbergh Nanny is a novel of the famous kidnapping, told from the point of view of the young woman who was Charles Lindbergh Jr.’s nurse—and for a time, a prime suspect in his death. 

The other four novels are my Jane Prescott series, which is about a lady’s maid in the 1910s who tries to keep the wealthy family she works

for out of the headlines—and out of jail. The Benchleys run into a lot of murder! 

Q: I love all sorts of mysteries, but my favorites are the who done it! The frosting and whip crème on top is when those who done it take place in the past! What drew you into writing historical mystery novels? 

A: I also love the past. Historical was my favorite genre growing up. But I never thought I had the world building skills to attempt it. I wrote YA for the first part of my career. Very present, first person perspective. But then Jane Prescott’s voice started speaking to me and I got the idea of writing the story of a “crime of the century” and the only one who knew the truth of what happened was a lowly maid who was able to see and hear things precisely because no one noticed her. I knew if I wanted to tell Jane’s story, I was going to have to try to write historical mysteries. It took me a decade to finish the first one.

Q: How long does it take you to research, plot, write and edit your historical mystery novels? How many hours do you spend each day writing? 

A: Publishing likes a book a year, so that’s what I do. It’s not easy. I write one book at a time. In the early stages, I research, then I write a page or two a day. Then you add rewrites to that at about the one third or halfway mark. So straight up writing can be fast: an hour. But the entire process ends up taking seven hours in the later intensive stage.

Q: What do you hope readers come away with once they finish your books? 

A: I hope they’ve had a good time, first and foremost. I hope they’ve enjoyed being immersed in a different time and place. That they discovered something new about the past. If the book was about real people, I hope the reader felt I did them some justice.

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights to your work? We need more originality in Hollywood again and there’s so many good books out there that they should choose! 

A: Agree! Hollywood was looking at The Lindbergh Nanny for a time, but historical fiction is seen as a tough sell because of set and costume costs. Unless the series is going to run for a few years, they seem to feel it’s not worth the investment. But there’s always hope. 

Q: If any of your novels were to get sequels, which ones would they be and why? What would the characters be doing now?

A: I always want to write a sequel. I hate leaving my characters and have suggested sequels for every book I’ve written, even The Lindbergh Nanny, where the story is pretty wrapped up. I would LOVE to write more about Jane Prescott. I had her whole life written in my head—so many adventures. But the series ended at four. And I’m so hoping I get to write more about Grace Verlander, my heroine in Murder on 34th Street. 

Q: Are you currently writing your next novel and if so, can you reveal any details?

A:I am working on two projects right now. Unfortunately, I can’t reveal what they are because I’m still in talks with the powers that be. But both historical! 

Q: Mariah would you please provide your social media links so the readers of the blog and I may follow you and your work?

A: Facebook: Mariah Fredericks Books Instagram: mariahfredericks Blue Sky: mariahfredericks.bsky.social