The first episode of BOOKSPO begins with a splash as I’m joined by the authors of brand new mystery novel BURY THE LEAD, co-written by bestsellers Kate Hilton and Elizabeth Renzetti, whose “bookspo” was the smash-hit novel THURSDAY MURDER CLUB, by Richard Osman.
In our conversation, Kate and Liz tell their origin stories as mystery readers, discuss what inspired them about Osman’s book, outline just what makes for a great mystery series, why feminism is a necessary part of their world-building, and share their strategy about how to keep that series from getting too preposterous (ie keeping dead vicars to a minimum!).
A big-city journalist joins the staff of a small-town paper in cottage country and finds a community full of secrets … and murder.
Cat Conway has recently returned to Port Ellis to work as a reporter at the Quill & Packet. She’s fled the tattered remains of her high-profile career and bad divorce for the holiday town of her childhood, famous for its butter tarts, theatre, and a century-old feud.
One of Cat’s first assignments is to interview legendary actor Eliot Fraser, the lead in the theatre’s season opener of Inherit the Wind. When Eliot ends up dead onstage on opening night, the curtain rises on the sleepy town’s secrets. The suspects include the actor whose career Eliot ruined, the ex-wife he betrayed, the women he abused, and even the baker he wronged. With the attention of the world on Port Ellis, this story could be Cat’s chance to restore her reputation. But the police think she’s a suspect, and the murderer wants to kill the story—and her too. Can Cat solve the mystery before she loses her job or becomes the next victim of a killer with a theatrical bent for vengeance?
KATE HILTON is the bestselling author of three novels: The Hole in the Middle, Just like Family, and Better Luck Next Time. When not writing, Kate works with psychotherapy and life coaching clients in the area of transformational change. No stranger to reinvention herself, Kate has had prior careers in law, university administration, publishing, and major gift fundraising. She lives in Toronto in a blended family—including a husband, two sons, a stepdaughter, and a rescue dog.
ELIZABETH RENZETTI is a bestselling Canadian author and journalist. She has worked for the Globe and Mail as a reporter, editor, and columnist. In 2020 she won the Landsberg Award for her reporting on gender equality. She is the author of the essay collection Shrewed: A Wry and Closely Observed Look at the Lives of Women and Girls and the novel Based on a True Story. Her book What She Said: Conversations about Equality will be published in 2024. She lives in Toronto with her family.
Episode One: Kate Hilton and Elizabeth Renzetti