Exploring The Craft Behind The Miss Underhay Series
Helena Dixon discusses her inspirations, historical research, and character development, offering a glimpse into the creative process behind her beloved cozy mysteries and upcoming World War II detective series.
Helena Dixon, a celebrated author with a remarkable talent for weaving history, mystery, and charm, has captivated readers worldwide with her enthralling novels. Known for her internationally best-selling Miss Underhay Mystery series, set in the vibrant 1930s, and her upcoming The Secret Detectives Agency series, set during World War II, Helena masterfully transports readers to bygone eras filled with intrigue, suspense, and unforgettable characters. Her accolades, including The Romance Prize and Love Story of the Year, are a testament to her storytelling prowess. With a keen eye for historical detail and a gift for creating richly layered narratives, Helena’s works are a delightful blend of cozy mystery and historical depth, earning her a devoted following across the globe.
In this exclusive interview for Reader’s House Magazine, Helena shares insights into her creative process, the inspirations behind her beloved series, and the unique ways her life experiences have shaped her writing. From her nursing career to her love of architecture and gardening, Helena reveals how her passions and personal history breathe life into her stories. Join us as we delve into the mind of this extraordinary author and uncover the secrets behind her literary success.
How have your experiences as a nurse, midwife, and health visitor influenced the themes and characters in your novels?
My nursing career spanned almost forty years and I always had a secondary career in other jobs running parallel to that. All my work has involved working with people from all walks of life. I think in order to create realistic characters this knowledge is invaluable. It helps me to give depth, plausibility and motivation in my stories, both the romances and the crime fiction. Obviously having a nursing background and being a nurse prescriber it helps with the medical side of things when I need to kill a character off.
Can you share how your hobbies, such as architecture and gardening, inspire or find their way into the settings and plots of your stories?
I love old buildings especially churches and cathedrals. I also love visiting old houses and studying street layouts and the architecture. The layout of buildings and of the built environment influences the people who live their and it’s their stories that I want to tell. Often a building will almost be another character within the story. For example a murder taking place in a modern, stylish apartment will take on a different atmosphere from one in a Victorian gothic mansion. The victim, killer and suspects will all be different although the motives for the murder may well be the same.
My love of being outdoors, gardening and the countryside is very useful for adding realism to my books. The right flowers and plants for the season can paint a picture for the reader very quickly. A windswept pot of early daffodils quickly anchors a story in February or March in England.
What inspired you to set your Miss Underhay Mystery series in the 1930s, and how do you ensure historical accuracy in your novels?
The 1930’s was an exciting period. Great technological advances were made, cars became more common, more electric lighting, indoor plumbing, telephones. Women were able to do more, prohibition ended in America and of course it was the last hurrah of the English country house. There were huge contrasts between rich and poor as society became more mobile. Then there were the rumblings of conflict abroad and the looming possibility of another great war. For a writer it’s exciting to explore all of those things as a backdrop to cozy mysteries.
My new series, The Secret Detectives Agency which launches next year is set during the second world war and despite the two series only being a few years apart the difference is huge.
I spend hours on research. I travel with maps to look at places in person. I use vintage maps and guidebooks and I owe a huge debt of thanks to my local historical societies and museums for their help. Local people have shared pictures and stories and my niece, who is very knowledgeable on World War II has researched and fact checked for me. I use my contact at universities, and I read extensively. History however is not fixed. By that I mean as time goes on and we uncover more data, things we thought were true may change. I write fiction too, not a textbook and no one can know every single thing about a subject. I try very hard to make sure I am as accurate as I can be when I write about the period but without lecturing my readers.
Can you describe the character development process for Kitty Underhay and how she has evolved throughout the series?
Kitty was a hotelier when the series began in 1933. She met and married Matt Bryant, an older Great War veteran with PTSD. Together they solved the mystery of what happened to her mother who went missing in 1916. They have had many bumps along the way in their personal and professional lives but we are now in 1937 and they run Torbay Private Investigative Services together. Their relationship changes and develops as does those of the people around them. Alice, Kitty’s friend and Robert, their taxi driver, Kitty’s grandmother and her friend Mrs Craven. We get to know all of them and see their lives developing so each book feels as if you are reuniting with old friends for a good gossip and a catch up along of course with a murder or two!
How do you balance creating suspense and maintaining the cozy mystery feel in your books?
My books are classed as cozy in that they are often set in villages, country houses, locked room murders etc. They are mysteries so there is always a puzzle to solve and each book can be read as a standalone. There is an element of fear at times but the reader should feel safe. They should know that the killer will always be revealed at the end and things will be resolved satisfactorily.
What role does the setting of Devon play in your stories, and how does it influence the plot and characters?
Devon is a beautiful county with a lot of history. It provides coast, moor and village settings. Perfect for a cozy mystery writer.
Can you share any challenges you faced while writing the Miss Underhay Mystery series and how you overcame them?
The challenge for me is to keep the feel of a golden age mystery but make it relevant exciting and accessible to a modern audience. Ideas and beliefs that may have been acceptable then would be unthinkable for someone now. I have to be true to the past but also understandable to people now.
