Q&A
ALLISON HIRST is Dundurn’s resident woman of mystery. The developmental editor is responsible for a variety of non-fiction titles and crime mysteries, including Steve Burrows’ popular Birder Murder books, Nick Wilkshire’s new Foreign Affairs series, and Janet Kellough’s “brilliant historical series,” the Thaddeus Lewis Mysteries (p. 18).
What is your own history with the genre? I was first turned on to mysteries after picking up an Agatha Christie novel when I was in my early teens. I went on to read about a dozen other books that year. Over the years, I branched out and became more interested in mysteries that evoked a strong sense of place. Before I travel, I always seek out a mystery or two that is set in the country I’ll be visiting. Like many, I’ve recently jumped on the Scandinavian mystery bandwagon.