Interview Carmen Radtke on her new novel A Matter of Love and Death
What is your book A Matter of Love and Death about?
A young telephone operator overhears what sounds suspiciously like a criminal conspiracy. But because Frances’ job demands absolute silence and she’s the only breadwinner, she can’t go to the police with what little information she has. The only person she confides in is Jack, a nightclub owner and war veteran with his own set of rules. When they are too late to stop a murder, they set out to solve it without endangering Frances’ livelihood. A Matter of Love and Death is a blend of historical fiction with mystery and romance.
Describe your book in three words.
Romance. Mystery. Fun.
Adelaide, 1931 – why this time and place? What fascinates you about the era, or its darker sides?
The time between the wars was an era full of excitement and upheaval. On one hand you’ve got so much progress, innovations, new freedoms, not to mention the movies, music, fashion, and hope for the future, after the devastation of the Great War. Yet the depression already foreshadows a downturn in all areas of life.
Until I dove into my research, I had no idea how badly the Great Depression hit Australia. For a few years, only Germany suffered worse. Then there was the six o’clock swill or 6pm alcohol ban (that lasted until the 1960s!), strict restrictions on the employment of women and permissible jobs, food riots and “susso”, but also close-knit communities and private networks. That gave me an exciting world to explore. That’s reflected in my main characters.
Nightclub owner Jack is a war veteran and he’s still looking after the men who served with him. He’s got a strong moral compass, even if he ignores the law sometimes. Telephone operator Frances is shouldering the responsibility for supporting her mother and paying the bills. Her secret passion is rehearsing stage acts with her godfather Uncle Sal aka Salvatore the Magnificent. As a retired Vaudevillian, he always has a trick up his sleeve, and Frances is an excellent student.
You started writing under your dining table between two earthquakes – that sounds dramatic. How does it feel looking back on that now?
Scary, yet exciting. The resulting novel is still one I’m very proud of, and I wish more people would read it. It’s inspired by true events and people that deserve being remembered.
You’ve worked as a journalist – how does that experience influence your crime writing?
I’m spending a lot of time on research, to get the facts right. Although I prefer to write traditional or cozy crime (hello, golden age writers), it has to make sense. And with historical fiction, there mustn’t be anachronism. Although I’ll use at maximum 10% of my research, it needs to be there as the foundation. I can’t have Jack and Frances dance to a song that’ll be written three years after I wanted it, or sleuth in well known shops that weren’t open yet.
Who would you trust more with your secrets – Frances or Jack? And why?
It depends on the kind of secret! If it’s something private that I only want to get off my chest, then it’s Frances. If it demands action, I’d go to Jack. He’ll discuss it with Frances and Uncle Sal anyway, and nothing fazes him.
Is there a song that, for you, is the unofficial soundtrack of the book?
Cole Porter’s Anything Goes. Jack and Frances couldn’t listen to it yet because it’s from 1934, but it captures the craziness and topsy-turvy era of the 1920s and 1930s. It also is very catchy!
If your pets could give an interview, what would they say about your writing habits?
My cat is incredibly tolerant as long as I keep on catering to her wishes. She has her priorities. “I’ve granted my faithful servant permission to tap-tap-tap on that slippery thing as long as it doesn’t interfere with her main duties and she promises it’ll help keep me in the style I deserve.”
Is there a genre you’d love to try writing in one day?
Don’t tempt me …
Are you currently working on a new book?
Always! Jack and Frances aren’t done yet, and neither are Genie Darling and her great-great-aunt Adriana, a pet-whispering ghost.
And Alyssa Chalmers has been stuck in Portland in 1862 for ages because Jack and Frances and Genie and Adriana got in the way.