by Sarah Erwin

This week we have a review of yet another Christmas mystery, Murder on Mistletoe Lane by Clara McKenna. We also have a fun interview with Clara. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase the book from Amazon.

Murder on Mistletoe Lane by Clara McKenna
Review by Sarah Erwin

Cozy historical mystery readers are in for a treat with Clara McKenna’s Murder on Mistletoe Lane, book five in the Stella and Lyndy Mystery series. While this title could easily be read as a standalone, readers who haven’t yet met Stella and Lyndy will enjoy going back to books one through four. I listened to books one to four and found the performances spectacular.

In this newest entry to the series, Lyndy and Stella (Lord and Lady Lyndhurst) are looking forward to celebrating their first Christmas together at Morrington Hall.

Stella is busy getting her horse farm charity up and running, as well as trying to convince the cook at Morrington Hall to make some traditional American holiday sweets. She hardly notices when personal items go missing from her room (simply assuming she misplaced them), but then she starts receiving mysterious notes from a secret admirer. Is it someone from the household writing and delivering these uncomfortable notes?

One night, Stella’s maid wakes her up because the housekeeper, Mrs. Nelson, is seriously ill. Stella tends to Mrs. Nelson and the doctor believes she must have food poisoning. Once Mrs. Nelson is settled, Stella returns to bed only to be woken up in the morning to learn that the horse veterinarian has found Mrs. Nelson dead nearby on Mistletoe Lane. While others may be quick to label this as a tragic accident, Stella and Lyndy are suspicious. They encourage Inspector Brown to investigate, all while they do some sleuthing of their own.

And then, yet another person dies under strange and suspicious circumstances during New Forest’s annual Point-to-Point Boxing Day race, and Stella and Lyndy dive deep into the investigation.

Red herrings abound in this wonderfully complex mystery. There are many possible motives, and as I read, I kept trying to see if and how everything was related. This made for a delightful reading experience.

Stella is such a well developed character–her enthusiasm for life and helping others is contagious, and I couldn’t help but root for her. Lyndy is a loving and protective husband who doesn’t try to squash Stella’s curiosity, but simply embraces it. While this certainly isn’t a romance, the little bits of romance readers do see are swoon-worthy. The banter between the two provides moments of humor throughout the story.

The seasonal details add a festive touch to the story, and I could just imagine the decorations throughout Morrington Hall as I read. This would be a wonderfully fun mystery to read in the midst of holiday preparations and celebrations.

Sarah Erwin started her career as a children’s librarian, later becoming a public library director and now she’s a stay at home mom. While her career might have changed, her love of reading has been a constant since 4th grade and she reads over 200 books a year. Read along with her on her blog Sarah Can’t Stop Reading or on Instagram. Sarah lives in St. Louis, MO with her two kids, her husband and a family dog and cat.

Interview with Clara McKenna:

KRL: How long have you been writing?

Clara: I’ve been writing poetry since I was about four years old when I wrote original verses in the greeting cards I made for my family. I worked up to short stories and wrote my first historical piece- a play about Cleopatra- at age 12. I’ve been writing both poetry and prose ever since.

KRL: When did your first novel come out, what was it called, and would you tell us a little about it?

Clara: My first novel, A Lack of Temperance, came out in 2012, which makes my latest release, Murder on Mistletoe Lane, a Christmas mystery, my tenth book! It is the first in my Hattie Davish Mystery series. Set in 1892, it follows a traveling secretary who arrives in Eureka Springs, AR, to work for the leader of a temperance organization only to find the woman has gone missing.

Clara McKenna at Beaverdale Books

KRL: Have you always written mysteries/suspense and if not, what else have you written?

Clara: Except for a few poems published in my college literary journal, all of my published work has been mystery/suspense. I have written a children’s book, which I’d love to see in print one day, and I started a fantasy novel during the pandemic, but that will have to wait since I’m on contract to write at least two more Stella & Lyndy mysteries and currently I can only write one book at a time.

KRL: What brought you to choose the setting and characters in your latest book/series?

Clara: I set the Stella & Lyndy Mystery series in Edwardian England because I love history and all things British. It was an excellent excuse to travel to the UK to do research and a guaranteed way (shy of inventing a time machine) to send my mind back in time every day. I chose the New Forest because it is famous for its free-ranging livestock and endemic New Forest Ponies. It’s a magical place where I knew Stella would feel at home.

I created Stella, an American heiress of a Kentucky horse breeding dynasty, because I wanted someone who would be a fish out of water among the British aristocracy but who could simultaneously hold her own. I developed Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst as Stella’s husband to complement and contrast with her. He’s the insider who doesn’t want to be. Together, they are a team that loves and supports one another, whether standing up to Stella’s mother-in-law, the formidable Lady Atherly, building up their stables with racehorses or solving a murder.

KRL: Do you write to entertain, or is there something more you want the readers to experience from your work?

Clara: First and foremost, I want to entertain readers. However, by setting the mysteries in the early years of the 20th century and drawing on my extensive research, I also hope they feel transported to a completely different time and place than the one they experience every day.

KRL: Do you have a schedule for your writing or just work whenever you can?

Clara: I work while my teenager is at school, typically Monday through Friday, 8:00-3:00 p.m. After about 4 o’clock, my brain is mush anyway.

KRL: What is your ideal time to write?

Clara: I’m fresh and can focus the best in the morning.

KRL: Do you outline? If not, do you have some other interesting way that you keep track of what’s going on, or what needs to happen in your book when you are writing it?

Clara: I am a plotter and would be even if my editor didn’t require it of me. I develop a detailed scene-by-scene outline, but that isn’t to say I’m not open to the spontaneity that arises as I write and don’t change a few things as I go.

KRL: Did you find it difficult to get published in the beginning?

Clara: I sure did. It took me five years to write my first book, almost 50 rejections from agents, and five rejections from publishers before I published my first book. But I was persistent, took every opportunity to improve my writing, and listened to the advice I was given from agents and editors who were kind enough to offer it.

KRL: Do you have a great rejection/critique or acceptance story you’d like to share?

Clara: I do. After I’d received over forty-five rejections, I finally got an agent willing to read the first fifty pages of my manuscript. That agent just happened to be THE Donald Maass. He said my manuscript wasn’t ready, and he wasn’t willing to sign me, but he was generous enough to give me tips on what I needed to do to get it there. It took a year to implement his suggestions, but the next agent I queried offered to sign me. That book was sold to Kensington a few months later.

KRL: Most interesting book signing story-in a bookstore or other venue?

Clara: Early on, I’d do book signings at bookstores where I’d sit at a table with stacks of my books, and the only interaction I had with readers was them asking me where the restrooms were. One of my favorite stories is from Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention. One of the main venues was this enormous convention hall. I was on one side, and the late Sue Grafton was on the opposite side. I like to brag that we both had very long lines. The only difference was my publisher was giving my books away for free! LOL! Regardless, I’m still in awe that I shared a book signing space with such a talent.

KRL: What are your future writing goals?

Clara: As I said before, publishing my children’s book and finishing the fantasy book I started would be great fun. But for right now, I want to be able to continue writing my current mystery series as long as readers are enjoying them. I also hope to be able to write two books a year, including a second historical mystery series, but finding the time right now is a challenge, so that’s at least a few years off.

KRL: Who are your writing heroes?

Clara: If I could plot mysteries like Agatha Christie, immerse my readers in the past like David McCullough, and evoke the emotions of Jane Austin, I’d be a perfect writer.

KRL: What kind of research do you do?

Clara: To create the most authentic historical mystery possible, I do extensive research. I visit the physical settings – Hampshire and Yorkshire, in England – to educate myself about the place, its climate, its history, and its stories. I visit research libraries and museums and castles and racetracks. I use both physical and digital reference books, maps, city directories, newspaper archives, and more to find accurate historical details about everything from the type of car King Edward drove in 1905 to the names of champion Thoroughbreds of this era to a recipe for mince pies the cook at a country estate would bake at Christmas time.

KRL: What do you like to read?

Clara: I write historical mysteries because I enjoy reading traditional and cozy mysteries and historical fiction. I also enjoy reading many British and American classics by authors such as Edith Wharton, Willa Cather, the Bronte Sisters, Jane Austen, and George Eliot, to name a few.

KRL: What are your favorite TV shows or movies?

Clara: As you might expect, I’m addicted to British television and movies. I subscribe to Britbox, Acorn, and Iowa PBS. I could possibly name favorites but since it is the holidays, I admit my favorite Christmas movie of all time is Arthur Christmas. No matter what is going on, it always makes me smile, and I’ve seen it at least fifteen times!

KRL: Have you any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?

Clara: I have the same advice Donald Bain kindly gave me, which can be summed up in one word- Persistence. Don’t give up. Okay, that’s four words.

KRL: What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

Clara: Before being a published fiction author, I worked as a biologist focusing on animal populations, including training monkeys and sea lions, and creating conservation maps to better identify habitats for threatened and endangered fish species.

KRL: How interesting! Do you have any pets?

Clara: I have a feisty, cuddly, deaf six-year-old Boston Terrier named Otis.

KRL: Is there anything you would like to add?

Clara: Just that I’m grateful for your invitation to this interview and to my readers who made my dream possible. Thank you!

KRL: Thank you for chatting with us! Website? Facebook? Instagram?

Clara: Absolutely! Readers can find me in the usual places.

www.claramckenna.com
facebook.com/claramckennaauthor
instagram.com/claramckennaauthor
bookbub.com/authors/clara-mckenna

To enter to win a copy of Murder on Mistletoe Lane, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “mistletoe” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen December 9, 2023. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify. A new episode went up this week.

You can use this link to purchase the book. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the Amazon link. You can also click here to purchase the book.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.