Dark Road to Darjeeling (34 page)

We shook hands upon it, each of us doubtless hoping to find a way to turn the situation to our advantage. Brisbane, I was quite certain, would love nothing more than to keep me from the merest hint of danger until I was fully trained as a detective.

Of course, I had no such intentions. And it was the purest bad luck for him that one of the first cases to cross his desk when we arrived back in England involved my own family.

But that is a tale yet to be told.

As ever, tremendous thanks to the readers of both my blog and my books. Every day you reach out to share with me the ways you are supporting my work, and I am humbled and grateful.

I owe particular thanks to the booksellers who have shown such tremendous generosity and kindness in introducing my books to their customers and in welcoming me to their stores.

I am unspeakably indebted to the legion of diligent and imaginative people who work so very hard to make my books the very best they can be, and then to put those books into the hands of readers—editorial, art, marketing, sales, public relations and production. First among them is my editor, Valerie Gray, a mentor and friend whose dedication to her craft inspires me daily.

For my own team, I wish I had words that were bigger and more profound than a simple “thank you”:

To the fabulous folks at Nancy Berland Public Relations and Writerspace, I am immensely grateful that you conjure your bright magic on my behalf.

Most particularly, Pam Hopkins has given me everything a writer could wish for from an agent—trustworthiness, kindness, diligence and friendship. A dozen years ago you decided you believed in me, and that belief has changed my life.

And finally, I must thank my family. I was born a writer, but without you I would not be an author.

Dark Road to Darjeeling

1. The setting of this book is a tea plantation in the foothills of the Himalayas, an exotic departure from the previous settings for the Lady Julia Grey series. How does this setting enhance the action of the story?
   
2. The opening of the book reveals that Nicholas and Julia are having a little difficulty settling into married life together. What are the specific issues that they have yet to resolve?
   
3. How does the Earl March meddle in the lives of his children? Is he justified?
   
4. In spite of their squabbles and eccentricities, the March siblings are devoted to one another. How do they demonstrate that devotion?
   
5. Did Jane make the right decision in marrying Freddie Cavendish? Do the Cavendishes seem welcoming to outsiders?
   
6. The Valley of Eden has its share of eccentrics, most notably the Pennyfeathers. Does their family dynamic work?
   
7. Miss Thorne and her sister, Lalita, are both servants, but have chosen quite different paths. Discuss.
   
8. A new villain emerges in this book in the person of Black Jack Brisbane. How has his abandonment of his son shaped the man that Nicholas became?
   
9. Did Emma die with murder on her conscience? Or was she a victim of circumstance?
   
10. How does the addition of Plum as an investigator change his relationship with Brisbane? With Julia? With himself?
    
11. Black Jack and Lucy Phipps, now Lady Eastley, elope together. What are Black Jack’s motives? Lucy’s?
    
12. Was justice served by Reverend Pennyfeather’s actions?
    
13. How will motherhood change Portia?
    
14. Did Brisbane make the right decision to take Julia on as a partner with strict conditions? What qualities does Julia have that make her a good investigator?
    
15. What lies ahead for each of the characters?
    

Deanna Raybourn talks with her editor, Valerie Gray, about the origins of her Lady Julia Grey series

When I read your very first book,
Silent in the Grave,
I was convinced you were English yourself. No one was more surprised than I when I heard your Texan accent. How did you come to be so interested in all things English and, more specifically, in the Victorian time period?

My grandmother is English, and many of the books I read as a child were British books. I still read more English fiction than any other kind, and I watch masses of British films and television shows. That kind of immersion makes it far easier to pick up the nuances of language, I think. There are so many subtle differences between the two forms of English, and I am still learning new ones! I have several pet periods of history that I adore, and Victorian is at the top of the list. It was a time of such radical change and interesting people—it is impossible not to get caught up in the gaslit, foggy streets.

You have created many memorable characters in your books, notably Lady Julia Grey and Nicholas Brisbane. Did you have a clear idea about these characters before you started writing
Silent in the Grave,
or did they reveal themselves as the series progressed?

Lady Julia was completely formed, probably because she is the most autobiographical character I have ever written. We are
very different in some key areas—I am neither wealthy nor aristocratic—but I like to say that the view from where she stands is not so very different from my view of the world. Nicholas is a cat of another color. I very deliberately left much of his backstory out of my calculations because I wanted aspects of his past to reveal themselves slowly over the course of the series. I like not knowing everything about him!

Dark Road to Darjeeling
is the fourth book in the Lady Julia Grey series and here you chose to take us to India. Were there any specific challenges with this change in locale?

The remoteness of that particular corner of India was a bit tricky to manage. It can be difficult to travel to Sikkim, and—relatively speaking—it is one of the lesser-known parts of the country. I had to ferret around quite a bit to find information, but I enjoy research, and the books and articles I turned up were absolutely fascinating. It is still a unique and very special part of the world, and I hope it stays as untouched as it is now.

What kind of research do you do for your books? Are travel and music part of the process? Is there a moment during the research process when you know it is time to begin writing, or do you draft scenes as you go along?

Research is one of my favorite parts of writing, and I do travel to the settings I plan to use whenever I can. There is no substitute for actually standing on the ground you mean to write about. Unfortunately, that is not always possible, so I do the best I can with films, documentaries, books, letters, maps, journals—anything and everything that will help to fill in the gaps. I
always finish the bulk of the research before I start. If I am pressed for time because of a deadline, I will just continue to research as I am writing. Once I have finished a first draft, I review all my research to make certain I have put everything I wanted to use into the book. Music is an essential part of the writing process for me. I am not terribly particular about the authenticity; I might use sound tracks or contemporary music if it happens to fit the mood. That is the most important thing to me—the music must support the feeling of the book, and I never write without it.

What inspires you to come up with ideas for your books? Once you have an interesting concept, do you mull things over for a while, or do you plunge in?

Concepts usually hang around for quite a while before it is time to write. When I have an idea that just keeps niggling at me, I will jot a few notes and make a file for it. For the series, I am usually thinking two books ahead to make certain that I can lay in some pointers in the current book for what may be coming down the road. For stand-alones, I just keep tossing things into the file—clippings, photos—so that when I am ready to begin working on that project everything is in one place.

When you are in the middle of writing a novel do you read other fiction, or is this too much of a distraction?

I can read other fiction, but like the music I listen to when I write, it has to support the mood. I would probably not read an Audrey Hepburn biography when I am writing simply because her story is very different from what I am trying to convey in my own book. I also have to be careful about reading fiction with
too distinctive a voice—the last thing I want when I am writing is to start subconsciously parroting someone else’s voice!

I know you describe your own office as a “bolt-hole.” Would you describe it for us?

I love my office. It is very tiny, something like eight feet by nine, and it is pink with a blue ceiling. At the window and across some of the shelves are curtains I made from a soft turquoise cotton embellished with fat pink roses. There is a petite chandelier hanging over my desk, and I have three sets of bookshelves holding my favorite novels, reference books and my own books. Across from my desk hangs a collage of images relating to whatever book I am currently working on, and taped around the room are enormous sheets of newsprint with notes about the book. On my desk are a few tiny white plaster pieces—an Italian putto and a mermaid—that I might pick up if I’m waiting for something to load. Tucked away in my desk are a couple of office toys, including a Jane Austen action figure and a boxing nun I have christened Sister Mary Pugnacious.

Coming back to character for a moment, where do you see Julia and Nicholas going from here? Do you think they will ever embody traditional marriage, or do you think they will continue to push the boundaries? How would you compare Julia and Nicholas with a twenty-first-century couple?

I think Nicholas and Julia will always push the boundaries of convention—they are far too intrepid not to! With two such strong personalities, there is bound to be conflict along the way, but I have no doubt they will find ways to overcome their difficulties. I foresee loads of complications from their investiga
tions, their respective families and other troubles I plan to toss in their path. In many ways they are a very modern Victorian couple, each looking forward to the twentieth century rather than back. They are both inspired by progress and change, and that makes them very relatable to twenty-first-century readers. If they were living in London in 2010, I have no doubt that Nicholas would have a very hot car and Julia would always have the newest, fanciest mobile phone that she would probably have to ask Aquinas to help her program.

Can you tell us something about what you are working on right now?

I am busily researching the fifth Julia Grey book, so I am very happy indeed. My reading includes books on séances, mediums, the late-Victorian spiritualist movement and nineteenth-century technology. I cannot wait to see where this book takes me!