Nupur Tustin, author of Bearer of Secrets, the latest novel in the Celine Skye Psychic mysteries series, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.

Welcome, Nupur.

Tell us about your novel. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

Bearer of Secrets is an art heist mystery. It—and indeed the series it’s part of, the Celine Skye Psychic Mysteries—is based on the true story of the Gardner Museum theft. The theft took place in 1990 and the first novel is set in 2019. Bearer of Secrets is set in 2020. So it’s nearly three decades since the heist happened. Celine is blessed—or cursed, as she might put it—with psychic abilities.

That and the fact that she’s a former artist with a college degree in art and art history make her the perfect person to investigate the crime.

Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?

I first heard about the Gardner Theft when I took a FutureLearn course on stolen art and artifacts. The FBI has had some tantalizing leads, but nothing has ever panned out. Were the Irish or Italian mobsters involved? Could the works have been taken to Ireland to fund terrorism? Are they now in some European location? Are they moving around in the criminal underworld? No one knows.

As a mystery writer I was intrigued and I set out to develop a theory of what happened. Each mystery in the series uncovers a little more of the theory and, of course, each book has Celine recover one or more of the thirteen artworks stolen in the heist.

Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?

I don’t consciously center stories around themes as such, although certain ideas and viewpoints naturally seep through. In every mystery I write, there are two central ideas. First, that of perseverance and endurance. Real-life crimes are often hard to solve and may take years before justice is done. For the family of a victim—even for the investigator—it can be tough to keep going with no clues in sight.

Then, there’s the fact that appearance and reality don’t always match. One must always be willing to question one’s assumptions.

But there’s a third theme that’s central to the Celine Skye stories. We don’t, we can’t, control every aspect of our lives. Celine is cursed with knowing when people in her life will be murdered. That they might be in danger. But there’s nothing she can do about it. Sometimes, she knows death is imminent but not who will die. Her knowledge is limited and she must do the best she can within her limitations.

How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?

I don’t think of myself as creating characters. Rather I get to know them. Just as one gets to know a person one meets at the store or in a park or at church, I get to know a character by meeting them in a scene. Every encounter brings me a little closer to knowing them. When I first start a series, I might ask specific questions of my characters. But I make sure to ask relevant questions; I’m not nosy. I allow my characters to reveal themselves to me as they get comfortable with me.

It goes much better in this way than it would if I arbitrarily imposed names, features, and other characteristics to them.

I enjoy all my characters, but in the Celine Skye Mysteries, I especially enjoy writing Penny Hoskins and Ella Rawlins. Penny is the Director of the Gardner Museum, very eager to have the case solved, and very persistent when it comes to needing updates and fresh insights on the case. Ella is Special Agent Blake Markham’s personal assistant, but she tends to treat him like a child. He’s slightly in awe of her, I think.

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?

By researching it, looking at photographs and videos, and acting like an armchair tourist planning a vacation. I have visited Paso Robles on a few occasions and been to more than a few wine tastings, so I have my memories to rely upon when it comes to that. And I’ve visited Boston, but I’ve never had an opportunity to visit the Gardner Museum, except via virtual tours.

What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?

For this series, I’ve immersed myself in the world of art, art theft, and art recovery. It’s a fascinating world. I’ve also naturally read everything I could on the Gardner Museum theft and the subsequent investigations. It goes without saying that I’ve had to read up on Isabella Stewart Gardner and the museum that was her brainchild.

Because Celine is psychic, I’ve had to research psychic detectives and how they work. As a Catholic, I’ve looked into the Catholic understanding of seers, clairvoyants, and spirits.

Celine owns a winery, vineyard, and wine bar. So researching wine, wine tastings, and the like have been part of the process as well.

Every book requires a thorough investigation into the art itself that’s the focus of the book and the artist; their techniques; their way of working; as well as an examination of how their work might be authenticated.

Finally, since this is a contemporary mystery series, I need to make sure the legal and other aspects of the investigation process are accurate, or at any rate, plausible.

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

If you like fast-paced, suspenseful art heist mysteries, Bearer of Secrets will be a riveting read for you. Early reviews are in, and readers love the book. I do believe it can be read as a standalone. Although for those who prefer reading in order, I recommend reading Master of Illusion first, then Visions of Murder, the series prequel, to be followed by Forger of Light, and then finally the latest novel, Bearer of Secrets.

Thank you for answering my questions, Nupur, and good luck with Bearer of Secrets, the latest book in the Celine Skye Psychic mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Nupur Tustin by visiting the author’s website and bookstore, as well as her Facebook, Bookbub and Goodreads pages.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

From the Author    Amazon    B& N Nook     Kobo     Apple iBooks

About Nupur Tustin: Nupur is a former journalist who misuses a Ph.D. in Communication and an M.A. in English to paint intrigue and orchestrate murder. She is the author of the Joseph Haydn Mystery series set in eighteenth-century Austria and the Celine Skye Psychic Mysteries about a psychic  art sleuth who takes on the still unsolved Gardner Museum theft of 1990. She also writes the Sophie’s Adventure series about an  art sleuth who recovers stolen art as an undercover tourist.