Carmen De Lucais visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Collecting Can Be Murder, the latest novel in the Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth mystery series.

Welcome, Carmen. Let’s get started, shall we?

Tell us about the novel that you live inside. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

I’m the star of Carmen De Luca’s art sleuth mystery series, which means readers get to follow along on my adventures as I travel the world to recover stolen paintings, sculptures, and rare books. I was the best in my field, until my husband’s murder sent me spiraling into a deep depression. But early retirement didn’t suit me, which is why I hopped on a plane to France right after my former partner – the Baroness – called, begging me for help.

At the beginning of Collecting Can Be Murder, I’m in Europe to find an ancient prayer book that was possible stolen ten years ago from a museum in Ohio. I’d found the book and was about to wrap up the assignment in record time, when my target got himself murdered and the rare book was stolen again! Worst of all, the local detective thinks I had something to do with the crime, which means I’m going to have to solve this myself, if I want to avoid spending the rest of my days in a French jail cell.

If I can get myself out of this mess, then I’m heading off to Belgium for my next assignment. With a little luck, my partner and I should be able to wrap up a half-dozen or so cases before our whirlwind tour of Europe is over.

Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too?

I am always in control of my own destiny! At least, I believe I am.

How did you evolve as the main character?

The beginning of Collecting Can Be Murder finds me at a crossroads. After fifteen years of being at the top of my field, I took early retirement because my art sleuth of a husband was murdered while on assignment. The idea of walking into a similar trap left me feeling vulnerable instead of unstoppable, making it pretty much impossible for me to do my job.

So when my former partner called for help, I wasn’t certain if I was the right agent for the job. Yet despite my initial reservations, being back out in the field again has reactivated my brain and got my spirits soaring. I do hope my boss is open to me coming back on a more permanent basis, at least if I’m able to solve this current crime!

Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them?

Lady Sophie Rutherford was one of my favorite partners at Rosewood, at least before I retired. She’s also the one who called me in a panic after her current partner had to fly home to deal with a personal emergency. Through her network of high society connections, she is able to get me into the parties and events that I would never normally be to gain access to – the same ones my potential targets were either hosting or attending.

My best friend Rhonda Rhodes, the presenter of the popular television show, Antiques Time, is my rock. In book one, we only talk on the phone, but I have a sneaking suspicion she is going to have an increasingly important role in my stories.

Myrtle Rosewood my company contact person while I’m out in the field. She’s a somewhat grumpy, seventy-year-old ICT wizard who can hack the virtual pants off a teenager any day. As smart as she is, I hate working with her because she still treats me like a rookie, despite my having already worked for working fifteen years in the field!

What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story?

In a tiny village in rural France, where the livestock greatly outnumbers the human population. This first story takes place at Villa Saint Marie, an architectural marvel designed by the famed architect, Le Corbusier.

Harold Moreau is the current owner of the home and the prayer book I suspect was stolen from a museum ten years ago. Tonight he is hosting a private viewing of several rare manuscripts he hopes to auction off and my partner managed to get us invitations. But from the sound of it, someone else may have already negotiated a deal with Harold, and the other guests are not happy about being cut out.

Even though there were a few grumblings at the party, I didn’t think anyone would go so far as murder to obtain the books. At least, not until Harold was found dead in his library and several of his rare tomes were missing – including the book I came to locate. Until the police can figure out who killed Harold, none of us are free to leave. So to expediate the process, I might just have to do a little investigating on my own.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book?

Harold’s prayer book is the first of a handful of objects I’m trying to locate this summer. I do hope you will join me and my friends on my adventures!

Thank you for answering my questions, Carmen, and good luck to you and your author, Jennifer S. Alderson, with Collecting Can Be Murder, the latest book in the Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Carmen and her author, Jennifer S. Alderson by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Bookbub, and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The novel is available online at Amazon 

About Jennifer S. Alderson:  Jennifer was born in San Francisco, grew up in Seattle, and currently lives in Amsterdam. After traveling extensively around Asia, Oceania, and Central America, she lived in Darwin, Australia, before finally settling in the Netherlands.

Jennifer’s love of travel, art, and culture inspires her award-winning Zelda Richardson Mystery series, her Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries, and her Carmen De Luca Art Sleuth Mysteries. Her background in journalism, multimedia development, and art history enriches her novels.

When not writing, she can be found perusing a museum, biking around Amsterdam, or enjoying a coffee along the canal while planning her next research trip.