In The Cadieux Murders, an architect hired to renovate a mansion soon finds her work opens the door to a long-buried murder mystery. Where did the idea for this novel come from?

I edit a real estate newsletter and found out that if you own a landmark home, you have to call in a specially certified architect to make any changes. I thought, what a great idea—to have such an architect find mysteries in the historic homes she works on! And I’ve always loved old homes: My wife and I live in an 1850 farmhouse and love its quirks.

What was the hardest part about writing a mystery story; where you constantly have to give just enough to keep the mystery alive until the big reveal?

That’s the trick! You want to give readers enough information so they feel they can solve it. The ending should be a surprise but can’t be out of left field. That is, the reader must say “Aha! They were leading up to this!” Consider Murder on the Orient Express. No one combined hints with a final surprise better than Agatha Christie.

Which character in the novel do you feel you relate to more and why?

Wren Fontaine, my architect/sleuth, seems different from me in many ways: she’s a woman and I’m a man. She’s an architect and I have a weak visual sense. She is gay and I am straight. And yet, she’s the protagonist most like me. Wren and I share a difficulty relating to people. Our personalities and ways of coping are very similar. Bringing her to life was a special challenge—and pleasure.

Can we look forward to another installment in the Historic Homes Mystery series?

I’m working on one now with Wren returning to her difficult high school years—transforming a long-closed dormitory for modern use for foreign visiting students. Can she rebuild the dorm, solve a long-ago murder, and work with her former bully?

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