Exclusive interview with Hannah Dennison and a review of her country house murder mystery set in modern day Devon
Rating: 4 stars
By Gabrielle Pantera
“My new series focuses on Kat Stanford, a former TV celebrity and antique dealer and her mother, Iris, who secretly writes steamy bodice-rippers under the pseudonym of Krystalle Storm,” says Murder at Honeychurch Hall author Hannah Dennison. “Both are starting new chapters in their lives. Kat and Iris allow me to explore the relationship between mothers and daughters and the life challenges that face us as we grow older.”
Murder at Honeychurch Hall is a fantastic addition to the cozy mystery genre. Dennison’s writing is wry and her characters show many dimensions. Her main character Kat can be blunt, but she’s full of surprises, as are all the other characters. You think you know who, and even why, but do you really? You often wonder if the character are just plain quirky or if there is a hidden motive for it. This is a keeper.
The story opens as Kat Stanford quits her job to start an antiques business with Iris. Recently widowed, Iris has bought a dilapidated cottage in Devon. Kat thinks her mother is lost and must rescue her – a notion that is strengthened when Kat arrives and sees the state of her mother’s new home. The inhabitants of Honeychurch Hall are an eccentric bunch. The nanny goes missing and family retainer Vera is found dead. Everyone is suspect. Kat finds out her mother has been hiding things from her for her whole life. What is the truth?
“After my dad passed away in 2002, my mother decided to buy the wing of an old country house near Totnes in Devon,” says Dennison. “It is…she still lives there…hugely impractical for someone of 84 with three floors and lots of stairs. I was really against the idea until I realized that it was what she really wanted. Although Mum had been happily married for 54 years, she was discovering what it felt like to do exactly what she wanted for the very first time.”
“I’ve always been interested in preserving ancient buildings and a supporter of the National Trust and British Heritage, but now I’ve developed an almost zealous obsession about it, joining all kinds of societies and campaigns,” says Dennison. “There’s a program called Country House Rescue hosted by Ruth Watson [on BBC-4]. I love it. I want to rescue a country house.”
Dennison based Honeychurch Hall on two places: Dundridge House in Harberton, where her mother lives now, and Hillersdon House in Cullompton, Devon, close to where she grew up.
“Hillersdon is in the process of being restored to its original state that is highly unusual and very exciting,” says Dennison. “This means replacing the lakes and reinstating the deer park for example. I’ve visited several times now and I’m being kept up to date on the progress.”
“Mike Lloyd, who owns Hillersdon, very generously showed me the original plans and has been sharing his experiences,” says Dennison. “Although the house that stands now was built in 1848, I made the fictional Honeychurch Hall much older because as the series progresses, I want to touch on historical events that would impact the present day residents.”
With the release of Murder at Honeychurch Hall, Dennison is doing a book tour and a virtual blog tour. For more information visit her website at: www.hannahdennison.com
Dennison lives in Portland, Oregon, and commutes to Los Angeles, California, during the week for her day job. She moved to Cullompton, Devon, when as a teenager. She was born in Old Basing, Hampshire.
Murder at Honeychurch Hall: A Mystery by Hannah Dennison. Hardcover: 304 pages, Publisher: Minotaur Books (May 13, 2014), Language: English, ISBN: 9781250007797 $24.99. Kindle: File Size: 1030 KB, Print Length: 302 pages, Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1250007798, Publisher: Minotaur Books (May 13, 2014), Sold by: Macmillan, Language: English, ASIN: B00H6EOJNW $10.67
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