Californian writer Laurie R King’s recent visit to the United Kingdom included an evening spent among enthusiastic readers at Charing Cross Library, courtesy of Mystery Women. With few seats available, Laurie answered questions on her latest book and the process of writing.
Laurie is the author of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series and her new book, The Language of Bees, sees the pair return to the Sussex coast after seven months abroad. They are faced with solving the mystery of the unexplained disappearance of an entire colony of bees from one of Holmes’s hives. There is also a painful memory from Holmes’s past which Mary must help resolve.
Laurie talked about her research for the Russell / Holmes series, referring to some of it as serendipitous. She described the good feeling that came from finding information during research that’s just what is needed. Travel formed a part of this and Laurie knew she would need to visit Orkney for her current book. She considers one of the advantages of setting up her series as Mary Russell’s memoirs that Russell could be blamed for any mistakes. There were certain areas Laurie was careful to avoid in her writing: stamps, coins and railway timetables being particularly notable. She would certainly expect to receive letters from experts.
Laurie described herself as a ‘recovering academic’. She said that the whole mystery about writing is how the writer can immerse his or herself in their writing. Facing an audience who demonstrated a knowledge and love of her books, Laurie’s visit to the library made for an interesting and enjoyable evening. Our thanks to Charing Cross Library for hosting the event.
If you’d like to know more about Laurie or her books, go to her website at www.laurierking.com.