Thursday 16th May 2024
It was fairly recently that I became aware of the ‘cosy crime’ fiction genre, which is defined by the crimes taking place in small communities, the detective being an amateur, and sex and violence staying in the background. It has been said that C. L. (Cara) Miller writes in this vein; but as her talk demonstrated, there is far more to her writing than this.
She is the daughter of the famous Judith Miller, co-founder of the Miller’s Antiques Handbook and Price Guide, and a regular contributor to the ‘Antiques Roadshow’. The connection becomes clear when it is realised that C. L. (Cara) Miller’s book is called The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder. It deals with the dark side of the antiques world’s black market, not a particularly cosy subject.
Ably and warmly interviewed by Trish Gilbey, who is a personal friend, Cara explained that her family background led to a strong interest in the trade, although she never wanted to follow it as a career.
She described how in the book Freya, a forty-something ‘older woman’ and antiques dealer turned ‘hunter’, follows clues left by her former mentor Arthur, whose death seems suspicious. Freya is joined in her quest by her eccentric aunt Carole, a woman in her sixties. Carole is based on a real person, who is apparently keen to play her - if the book is adapted for television.
Cara spoke poignantly about her mother being a strong inspiration, she was also fascinating on the mechanics of writing and the current importance of the internet and social media. Who knew that one American publisher would want the main characters to age down in order to fit in with the expectations of book bloggers, despite the fact that the average reader of crime books is a female aged about 50? Fortunately, Cara ignored this suggestion and the book is better for it.
Janet Bayliss
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