THE GOLDEN HOUR: A Nora Tierney English Mystery by Marni Graff

7/10/2021

Multi-volume, multi-series, mystery author, Marni Graff introduces us to the fourth volume in The Nora Tierney English Mysteries series, “The Golden Hour”:
From the award-winning author of the Nora Tierney Mysteries comes her most chilling novel to date, one author Elly Griffiths of the Ruth Galloway Mysteries notes: "Nora Tierney tackles her most complex and captivating mystery yet." Nora Tierney can't shake the feeling she has a stalker. While she's house hunting in Oxford, her partner, DI Declan Barnes, untangles the murder of an art conservator. When these situations collide, Nora finds herself fighting to save her child and the family she's trying to create.

Ausma Khan, author of Among the Ruins and The Unquiet Dead praises THE GOLDEN HOUR: "One of the best things about Marni Graff's latest Nora Tierney Mystery is the down-to-earth depiction of family life coupled with the tightly paced build of a twisty, time-honored puzzle. A meditation on love, loss and motherhood, THE GOLDEN HOUR blends touchingly real domesticity with tongue-in-cheek humor, as the backdrop to a tale of art theft, germ warfare, and international conspiracy. The reflections of a reprehensible villain on the shortcomings of the British add just the right note of comedy to these otherwise weighty concerns. Added to this is a wonderful sense of place--Bath, Brighton, and Oxford are vividly rendered and charmingly true to life. Come for the crackling mystery, stay for the steady companionship of debonair detective Declan Barnes and feisty heroine, Nora Tierney, who offers warmth and smarts in equal measure."

Sarah Ward, author of the DC Childs Mysteries, adds, "THE GOLDEN HOUR is a compulsive read with a narrative that both charms and surprises. I love Nora Tierney and can't wait to see what happens next."

I really loved the story! The best thing for me was to see how real the characters were. They were well-rounded and fit their roles perfectly. They had realistic dreams, desires and frustrations.
The conspiracy was cleverly managed too, everything was revealed in due course. I must admit to being quite puzzled in the beginning, appearances were very deceiving at times.
If you enjoy a good detective mystery, you will love this story!
I give 4.9 stars for “The Golden Hour”!

You can buy this book:
http://www.bridlepathpress.com/Store/Books/The-Golden-Hour
https://www.amazon.com/the-golden-hour
https://www.goodreads.com/-the-golden-hour

You can follow the author:
https://twitter.com/GraffMarni
http://www.auntiemwrites.com
http://facebook.com/bluevirginmysteries

Tags: amateur sleuth, police procedural, women sleuths, dogs, toddler, action, mystery, murder, art, epidemic, biology, virology, England, Russia, art restoration, stalker

I reviewed another book by Marni, “Death at the Dakota” and interviewed her beneath that review also: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/death-at-the-dakota-a-trudy-genova-manhattan-mystery-book-2-by-m-k-graff
I have reviewed "The Evening's Amethyst" here: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-evenings-amethyst

Copyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction

31 Comments

Marni Graff link

7/10/2021 03:30:24 pm

Mark, thank you for reading and reviewing THE GOLDEN HOUR. it was great fun to write this one!

Mark Schultz

7/10/2021 06:18:21 pm

I am glad you enjoyed writing this story. The reading was quite a pleasure for me.
We are going to pick up the interview where we left off in the promotion for Death At The Dakota. The link is just above for those who want to get up to speed on the interview.
You are currently going through chemotherapy and I know how miserable that can be. I expect your answers will be shorter than in the previous interview.
First question.
Are there any writing styles or genres that you disliked at first but soon came to like?

Marni Graff

7/10/2021 07:34:41 pm

I have always had difficulty writing a short story. My natural verbosity and writing style is one that required a longer form to explain things, work out characterizations, explore settings and plot. I had tried a few times to write a short story and abandoned them all.

Then one year at Malice Domestic they announced the theme for the following year's anthology: Murder Most Edible. Food had to be connected somehow to the story. And there was a 5,000 word limit.

This time I made things easier for myself. I used characters I'd already created, making it a Trudy Genova story, and the movie studio where she worked. I wove food into the plot when the aging star Trudy worked with was poisoned and died on during taping. It seemed to hold together for me, at least.

But I knew better than to trust myself with this. I asked short story maven Barbara Goffman, who has won many story awards and edits for other writers, to edit this story for me. She pointed out a few minor things, helped me tighten the story, and with her assurance it was worthy at least of being read, I submitted it to the Malice panel.

"Quiche Alain" was accepted and appeared in Malice Domestic: Murder Most Edible. I'm thrilled to say it won an Anthony Award, too!

But it's still my least favorite form and I'm not sure I'll be writing in it any time soon!

Mark

7/11/2021 06:58:59 am

Congratulations! Working within the word count was hard and gave you some good experience.
I have recommended short story contests to writers many times as a way to strengthen writing skills. I have also cautioned writers to beware of scam contests, some just want a lot of money the insidious ones also want to steal an author's intellectual property rights. Here is a copy-and-paste blog that is very useful: Beware Bogus Writing Contests! Look for These 8 Red Flags. https://annerallen.com/2019/05/beware-bogus-writing-contests
New question.
Do you think reading, watching movies or listening to music help you be a better writer?

7/11/2021 02:02:19 pm

I always tell my writing students that to be a writer you must be a reader. Good and bad stories show you what works to bring readers back to your own writing.

Watching movies gives a writer several things: besides again showing what works in a story, it gives visual clues to what the reader is seeing inside their head, a brain movie if you will, as their story unfolds. Watching a movie and seeing how character is revealed with gestures or facial expressions is always helpful, as it how the setting is tied in to the story. Hearing good dialogue, the natural flow and rhythm of how people really speak, is also an aide. Finally, like a good score to a movie, music can help an author to set a mood. I like to listen to classical (no lyrics to be distracted and sing along to) when I'm writing. When I'm editing, I'll go for classic jazz like Chet Baker or the American Songbook and even the Beatles.

If I can find the mood in music to support the mood I'm trying to create within a specific scene that all adds to my descriptions, For example, I played the theme from Schindler's List with that wonderfully poignant Itzhak Perlman violin when I was creating the scene where Nora is waiting, alone, in a police station for word on her baby's whereabouts. To me that heightened and supported the feeling I was trying to convey in words on paper.

All art feeds into other forms of art.

7/11/2021 02:13:07 pm

You bring up some good points. I agree that watching movies with a critical eye can help an author write better. I will go one step further and suggest that learning to write a screenplay can be a useful skill to an author of any genre.
Music is wonderful for evoking emotions in a unique way. The movie Jaws would be nothing without the music. Try it sometime, turn the volume all the way down and engage closed captions for your favorite movie. The difference is likely to be shocking.
Some authors include a playlist for major characters, scenes or chapters. I have seen song titles and lyrics used as chapter headings and sub-headings. Any of these things will deepen the bond of the reader to the book.
New question.
In the past, have you read books for entertainment or just research homework?

7/11/2021 05:07:51 pm

I've always been a reader from early on, and traveled far and wide through books. In more recent years, I focused on crime novels, reading at least three a week for my crime review blog, which I just stopped doing due to cancer treatment. But my friends in several publishing houses have been wonderful and have accepted that my 'reviews' these days will be to tweet the book's cover and the allowed lines about the book. That much I can accomplish.

I've always been drawn to crime books set in the UK, too, so that aspect as research as never felt like homework. Reading is my solace and my joy. I'm actually reading more than ever, as when I can't sleep or don't feel well, my books are a great distraction. But how I throw in a few non-fiction or non-crime books, too.

I still gravitate to crime novels, but throw in a few here and there that people have recommended. That was how I found the book Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan, which tells the story of Joy Davidson and her correspondence and eventual love for CS Lewis. Right now I'm reading Faber & Faber: The Untold Story by Toby Faber. It's a fascinating look at the publishing company his grandfather started who published wonderful writers, including my mentor, PD James.

I don't think I've ever looked at a book as homework...it's always a joy!

7/11/2021 07:05:30 pm

In terms of reading, we are much alike. I love reading and have read for over 60 years. I learned to read before I entered the public school system in the first grade.
For many years, I read only sci-fi or fantasy. Now, I love good writing regardless of the genre, for the most part.
Reading is my happy place also. After a long day proofreading, I enjoy reading to relax. Fortunately, I enjoy most of what I proofread also .I am blessed.
New question.
Have you ever read a book that changed the way you look at writing?

7/12/2021 09:33:24 pm

Hmmm, this one really made me put on my thinking cap, but I've come up with several books that had me look at writing in a new way.

One is Nicola Upson's Josephine Tey series, historical mysteries with Tey as the main character. Upson's wonderful series allowed me to see that using historical events as a jumping off point can be intriguing. I've used flashbacks to a few decades earlier in a cold case to bring what I hope is an interesting subplot to the new Nora Tierney mystery, The Evening's Amethyst, out in September.

Then there is the wry but affecting mystery series that Mandy Morton writes set in a world of cats. The No. 2 Feline Detective Mysteries feature only cats, yet are done with so well with realistic emotions, and serve to show a reflection of human foibles, that they are a joy to read. They showed me that a well-done mystery can be perfected in any world.

And the third book that comes to mind is Anthony Horowitz's Moonflower Murders, where an entire 1950s detective novel is set inside the contemporary mystery. It showed me that there are still ways to set the crime genre on its head, if one has the creativity and chutzpah to pull it off! It is a favorite crime novel and one I recommend to writers to show them that once you learn how to write well (Horowitz is the creator and author of Foyle's War, a popular YA series, and a host of other screenplays and books) you can turn the conventions on their head.

What these three have in common are authors who manage to find new ways to tell a story and do it well, and are those I wish to emulate. It's why I've tried NOT to write the same book over and over in my mysteries, but to vary not just the setting but the motive and crimes Nora faces.

I think readers who want to follow my recurring characters will appreciate the different ways I tell the stories, and vary the themes and the motives in the series. I've written one set in the Lake District that follows a theatre troupe staging Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit. Each chapter's epigram are line from the play (The Scarlet Wench). There's one that's a family story with the wealthy patrons of a town, and how they react to the death of the heir (The Green Remains). To that end, The Golden Hour is the first to feature a main character who's a psychopath, a real departure for me!

7/13/2021 12:03:27 pm

Thanks for sharing those books. They do sound unusual, especially the cat detective story.
You highlight a good point, there are no new plots. But there are nearly infinite ways to adjust and structure any story.
New question.
What hurdle did you face in writing this book and how did you overcome it?

7/13/2021 01:23:44 pm

There were two hurdles in writing The Golden Hour.

First, there was scientific knowledge I didn't have but would need to be as accurate as. possible when discussing bioterrorism. For that I turned to good old-fashioned research. I spoke with an Infectious Disease specialist who recommended a specific book that gave me enough information about the history and pathways of smallpox to allow me to write a convincing storyline where a psychopath has genetically modified the little remaining smallpox used in research, all contained within high security laboratories.

If we suspend disbelief to allow that someone might be able to secret a bit of this smallpox out of the lab, the next question became how to transport it and how to loose it on the public to cause the kind of pandemic the antagonist hopes to start. (Note: this book was finished and in print long before Covid, so not a factor.)

Words like "fomite" dropped into my speech, and became a part of the way the story. A fomite is a surface that is used to house and contain something to transport it and spread it. In this case, it was paint! So an art restorer at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, is cleaning a tainted painting containing the genetically modified smallpox, and becomes the first victim of this maniac.

The next hurdle, if you can call lit that, was for me to design and write a psychopath, as this was new ground for me. Previously, I've been fascinated by what motive would propel an otherwise normal person to commit murder. I think humans are all capable of murder; it's what pushes someone to cross that line and make them feel it's reasonable to take another's life that I've explored.

But as I said in a previous question, I'm trying to NOT write the same book over and over. So this one is not so much a Whodunnit? as a Can theystophim? Readers know who the culprit is up front; it's a matter of being able to stop him from creating the havoc he wants to that pushed the action.

Not having written a psychopathic character before led to more research. While I knew the hallmarks of that kind of personality, I have a book on personality traits that gives an in-depth explanation of positive and negative sides to any one person's actions. I also felt while this man obviously has delusions of grandeur and is a blatant misogynist, there had to be some softer side shown to him. So in one scene I have him remembering to call his gardener back home to prune his rose garden.

Did that make him less of a monster? No, but it showed how even monsters often have something that humanizes them; but more importantly, showed how this man could pass himself off as normal to the average person who didn't have in-depth dealings with him.

7/13/2021 08:06:24 pm

You crossed both hurdles admirably. Knowing where to find the best source for information is a critical skill. You can't just settle for the first bit that looks good, it has to be validated and proven to be the best source for the intended use.
I think it's very true, every villain sees himself as the hero in the story. You gave your antagonist a solid back story and provided him with ample reason to amplify his psychopathic desires.
New question.
Would you agree or disagree with the statement: suffering is a requirement to be a good writer and why?

7/14/2021 08:34:37 pm

That's an interesting perspective. Humans all have some element of suffering in their lives. It's just part of our experience and varies from person to person. Whether a writer chooses to use that in their writing is totally up to them.

For instance, my family lost their home, pets, and everything we owned but the clothes on our backs and our cars when our house burned down years ago. It was a life-changing experience. Other than an essay I wrote early on about Anne Bradstreet's poem "On the Burning of My House" and how I could relate to it, I've never written about that experience and haven't written a house fire and that kind of devastating loss and its aftermath into one of my mysteries. Yet.

I say yet because who knows what will be down the road and appeal to me. Sometimes distance from an event is needed to write about it, but it's been 25 yrs and I haven't chosen that road yet.

I do feel that some writers think they 'need' to suffer to have anything worthwhile to say. But as I read earlier, every human has some perceived level of suffering in their life, which may dramatically differ to degree to an outsider. The human experience cannot be without angst.

I think the wise writer uses their own experiences to delve into the emotional life of their characters, without mirroring their own experience. At least that's my answer today~

7/15/2021 10:11:41 am

We all have suffering to one degree or another, it is a part of the human condition. That is a true truth. External or internal, there is pain.
A house fire is a very scary thing! Nothing is the same for a long time after that event.
New question.
What was the message you wanted to deliver when you wrote this book? Do you feel you were successful in getting that message across to the reader?

7/15/2021 12:58:05 pm

The underlying message is that "family" consists of whom we love and surround ourselves with, and that includes close friends and non-blood relatives. Nora has a complicated family situation. Her father is dead and her mom, whom she adores but doesn't see often, is remarried in Connecticut. Her baby's father is dead, yet his parents have become involved in her life and she's warming to them. Her partner has become a father to her son, and her best friend would do anything for her, especially after Nora helped clear Val Rogan of a murder charge in the first book in the series, The Blue Virgin. There are other friends who form a coterie of caring people who support her in daily life.

In contrast, the antagonist, as a young boy, lost his own mother when she committed suicide and he found her body. It was a defining moment for him. Separated from his brother, with an abusive stepfather, these things created the skewed personality he exhibits as an adult. He is surrounded by people he's hired to do things for him, with no emotional connection to him whatsoever.

I think the contrast is pretty stark for any reader to feel; whether they connect it to what constitutes a family is up to them but the message is there.

7/15/2021 02:54:34 pm

Those differences are stark and real for many. Those events shape our lives in ways we aren't always aware of. Your theme and message are clear.
New question.
Do you ever brainstorm with non-writers and if so, is it effective?

7/15/2021 08:47:15 pm

I haven't brainstormed with non-writers, BUT I find them a wealth of resource information, whether it's for consulting about an area I don't know enough of, gaining insight to how someone thinks, or even using their appearance or a personal habit or way of speech for a character.

So that mug that says you might find yourself in my book? You never know!

7/16/2021 09:32:28 am

Like most writers, you must be an astute observer of people. I think that is an important attribute necessary for a writer. Understanding your own foibles, strengths and weaknesses and being able to extrapolate that information to the characters in a story is what makes for lively characters and a well-told tale. The characters must have a certain amount of depth and honest motivation or they will be flat and uninteresting.
New question.
What was the best money you ever spent as a writer to enhance your career?

7/16/2021 11:24:06 am

I'd have to say money spent on attending a writing conference, where I can be on a panel and get exposure to readers. Being on a panel allows readers to see you as a person, to hear you talk about your work and whatever the topic is for that panel, and afterwards there are usually signings of your books in the facility holding the conference.

One that springs to mind in the US is Malice Domestic. Covid notwithstanding, this is usually held in the spring in Maryland. It has an excellent reputation and garners authors from all forms of crime, from historical to cozy, from police procedurals to thrillers and short stories.

They also have a competition for inclusion in a short story anthology they produce with a guest editor every year. That's where my short story was included in the anthology Murder Most Edible. That book went on to win an Anthony Award for Best Anthology.

Writers also have the opportunity to meet other authors they may know or admire. Cementing those relationships leads to asking for other authors to review your book, recommend it, and even at times write a cover blurb.

It's also where you can set up other author events. For instance, one year Bruce Robert Coffin, author of the Detective Byron series, and I sat next to each other at the big Agatha Awards Banquet. We'd been on a panel together earlier in the week and gravitated to talking more.
Out of those encounters, since he's a Maine author and my son is a library director in Maine not far from him, we set up a combined author event for the following fall. It was very well attended, we each sold books, but more importantly, we extended our reach to readers who might not have heard of us.

Also, it's an opportunity when I am not on a panel, to visit other panels and listen to other crime authors. I learn from hearing their approaches and processes, or might pick up a marketing tip.

So I'd definitely say the attending a well-respected medium-sized writers conference where readers are in attendance is the best money I've spent toward enhancing my career.

7/16/2021 01:58:30 pm

That is great networking! Eliminating the face-to-face events is one of the biggest costs of Covid. Conventions, book fairs and similar events have all been cancelled for so long. Many writers and other creatives depended upon those events for exposure and income.
New question.
With the explosion of different streaming services, these companies are scrambling for content. Writers are going to be sitting on the top of the heap soon, because they are content providers.
Have you considered shopping your content to these companies?

7/16/2021 08:07:54 pm

I haven't thought about streaming shopping yet!

But now that you've mentioned it . . . I know screenplay format, and think all of the books have a visual feel, from the strength of their setting to the characters to their plots, so I can see that they would translate well to visual media.

Of course, I'd be happy to have them snap up the content and write the screenplays/teleplays themselves. I may have to do some investigating into this new avenue, so thanks for that thought!

7/17/2021 08:54:23 am

You are welcome. Here is a blog that might provide some insight, copy-and-paste time: Turn your book into a TV or Streaming Series https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2019/07/26/turn-your-book-into-a-tv-or-streaming-series/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCreativePenn+%28The+Creative+Penn%29
Other blogs have been written also. You will also want to take a look at the Business Musings blog series on this website kriswrites.com. Kristine Rusch has been blogging about licensing and Hollywood for quite a long time. She is very knowledgeable.
New question.
Your book is already available as an e-book, audiobook and paperback. Have you considered licensing large print, graphic books or plays?

7/17/2021 08:42:21 pm

Thank you for these suggestions, which I will look into!

I have thought about large print and am thinking about that one, less so graphic books or plays.

I know a huge audience for cozy mysteries are people who may have vision issues. To the end, I expanded the font size on the Trudys and will do so for this next Nora to bring those into a larger font. But actual large print is a new arena for me to delve into that bears merit.

I'm not sure mine translate well to graphic books, but plays is another story, although a screenplay/teleplay would work better, in my opinion. Another option to consider, right? A writer has to consider all of their options in today's market, for sure.

7/18/2021 01:32:34 pm

Yes, all options should be considered and used as much as possible. Another option is related and themed merchandise connected to your books. Not just bookmarks and pens, there is a whole slew of merchandise that can be ordered through a third party who will handle the logistics of shipping.
New question.
Do you subscribe to any magazines, newsletters, blogs or podcasts that enhance your writing career? Feel free to share as many as you would like.

7/18/2021 02:44:50 pm

Right now I'm getting back to speed after dropping things for a while Writers Digest is a publication that I've always found chock full of information. Mystery Scene magazine is another that includes reviews of crime novels and author interviews, as well as information about upcoming conferences.

Many writers have banded together to produce blogs, such as Jungle Red Writers (http://www.jungleredwriters.com). The group includes Hank Phillippi Ryan, Deborah Crombie, Hallie Ephron, Lucy Burdette, Jenn McKinley and Rhys Bowen. Multiple award winners in there, and Rhys just won an Agatha for Best Historical Mystery from Malice Domestic this weekend.

Another good one is Miss Demeanors, whose current lineup includes: Traces de Hahn, Alexia Gordon, C. Michele Dorsey, Connie Berry, Emilya Maymark and Keenan Powell.

The advantage to a group blog like these is that you are privy to varied viewpoints on what has worked for an author in terms of process; to new marketing and promo opportunities' and to the occasional guest blog from others which extends their reach--and could include you!

One podcast great for writers anywhere is from Wendy H. Jones. The Writing and Marketing Show explores different aspects of both with guests. Catch that on http://wendyhjones.com.

And for listening pleasure. Bloody Scotland has The Tartan Noir Show, a podcast with interviewer Theresa Talbot. Guest authors often include their own recommendations of writers they read and love. Past guests have included Val McDermid, Denise Mina, Doug Johnstone, Ann Cleeves and Jeffrey Deaver, all wonderful writers. http://thebiglight.com.

7/18/2021 06:00:25 pm

Thank you for all of those recommendations.
Group blogs can be fun and interesting.
Two of my favorite bloggers are Joanne Penn at creativepenn.com and Anne R. Allen of Annerallen.com which she shares with Ruth Harris. I have featured many blogs from Penn and Allen on my Highly Regarded Blogs page.
Last question.
What are your favorite reference books or websites for grammar and writing?

7/18/2021 08:26:35 pm

For writing and word choices, I always have a Super Thesaurus on my desk, despite my Word program have a a built-in one that I do use, but keep as a backup.

An older book still on my shelf is Stephen King's On Writing, a great book/audio that explains his process. If you are a fan of his, you will appreciate it. If you are a super-fan, get the audio as he narrates it!

A more recent book is Elizabeth George's Write Away. Using one of her Lynley books, which you don't have to have read to understand her teachings, she illustrates with concrete examples how to use setting, build character, construct a plot. It's easily read and one I recommend often.

For grammar I highly recommend Dreyer's English, by Benjamin Dreyer, subtitled "An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style." Copy Chief of Random House, Dreyer's book has an index for easy reference and is organized to be user-friendly. He uses examples that are readily understood, and very often, humorous. His footnotes are worth the price of the book alone! It's one I turn to again and again, and you will, too, once you own it. I was so smitten with the book that this year I am using his calendar that has a tear off a day with reminders. (And yes, there is a 2022 version you can pre-order.)

Whatever style book you use, a writer must always have their manuscript copyedited. It makes all the difference, as you, a careful wordsmith, can attest to!

7/19/2021 08:08:55 am

I completely concur about Dreyer's book. I have read it and attest that he is very droll and brought laughs to me. I haven't read the others.
I use The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed. as my primary source for the grammar minutiae of the English language.
I want to thank you for being a great guest even though you have not been feeling well due to your medical treatments.
I have another promotion that starts tomorrow so I must bring this one to a close.
I pray that you feel better soon. Keep on writing.

Manri Graff link

7/19/2021 02:58:03 pm

Thank you for a very comprehensive interview and review process.

It was great to have you pick my brain and to examine my writing in detail. I hope your readers will have found it interesting.

Enjoy your new life in Florida!

liana link

11/24/2022 04:33:13 am

thanks for info

11/24/2022 08:50:46 am

You are welcome, Liana. Thanks for visiting the Word Refiner channel. I am glad you enjoyed the interview. Are you a writer?

THE GOLDEN HOUR: A Nora Tierney English Mystery by Marni Graff

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