Interview Krimi-Autorin Heather Atkinson im Gespräch zu Schatten über Alardyce House

What is your book Schatten über Alardyce House (The Cursed Heir) about?

This book is the sequel to Das Geheimnis von Alardyce House and is about Robert’s fight to become a man and free himself of the restrictions placed on him by his mother and stepfather. However, his parents know that if he is successful then the dark, evil part of his personality will gain dominance over him and wreak havoc.



Why did you choose Edinburgh as the setting of your mystery novel?

Edinburgh is one of my very favourite places and has a special place in my heart. The past always feels so close there, so it’s very inspiring for historical fiction. I could imagine Robert getting up to all sorts of wickedness down the many dark wynds of the city.



What inspired you to write this story?

I knew the Alardyce family’s story was not over when I finished the first book and I was keen to explore how the sins of the father would affect the son. Would he break the curse or carry it? That question inspired me to write The Cursed Heir.



Do you have certain rituals when you write your books?

I will think about a book for a little while before writing it and I’ll also listen to music that will inspire me. With regards to this series of books, anything dark and gothic, particularly Type O Negative and Jill Tracy. After pondering the book and getting a vague idea of the story, I’ll sit down and start to write. I don’t plan my books, I prefer to go with the flow and see what happens. Even the vague idea of where I’m going with a novel often changes during the writing process and heads in a different direction to what I’d initially assumed. Other than that, I have no rituals.


Is there a scene from this book that you particularly remember? If so, can you tell us a little about it?

I’m particularly fond of the elopement to Gretna Green. My husband and I married at Gretna Hall (although we didn’t elope), so it was really interesting to research how the place had changed over the intervening years. Writing that scene evoked a lot of happy, warm memories, despite the drama that takes place there in the book.

 

What makes it particularly exciting for you to combine the historical and mystery genres?

I’m fascinated by history, particularly the Victorian Era. I find it interesting to think how people would respond to certain situations back then. Would they act differently simply because of the constraints placed on them in another time period? Would other people’s reactions to them be different? For instance, this series goes into depth about violence against women. The attitudes towards this subject were very different to what they are today.



What three words would you use to describe your character Robert?

Intelligent, wicked, sly



You are the author of over fifty books. Is there anything about writing stories that is still very special to you?

Writing is my absolute joy and passion. My books are all very character-focused. It's the psychology of the characters that fascinates me and draws me deeper into writing a book. I enjoyed writing this family saga because I also found the dynamics between the characters so interesting to study. Creating and delving into someone else’s world is enormous fun.