A Q&A WITH PETER BOLAND

What first drew you to writing cozy crime, and what do you love most about the genre as both a writer and a reader? 

You can have a lot more fun with cozy crime. Humour being the biggest attraction. I've always been a big fan of sitcoms and tried to make my series read like a sitcom in a book. There's plenty of bandwidth for silliness, jokes and quirky characters that just wouldn't sit well in other genres. However, the plots can still be complex and the murders fiendish, without being too graphic, of course!
 

Fiona, Daisy and Partial Sue have solved their fair share of mysteries - how have the characters evolved since you first introduced them to readers? 

I think Daisy has evolved the most. In the first book, she was timid and shy, but she's growing in confidence. She's definitely the most technically proficient of the three. Her nimble fingers have got them out of a few tight spots. Fiona had a lot of personal demons that she kept under wraps. You could always tell when they were getting the better of her because her tinnitus would squeal like a boiled kettle. However, she's learned that her friendship with Daisy and Partial Sue is the kryptonite for her anxiety. As long as they're close by, she'll be fine. The least changed is Partial Sue, and I think she's very happy about that. Part of her charm (or some might say, lack of it) is that she's set in her ways. She definitely calls a spade a spade, throwing in any other brusque adjectives she can think of. 
 

And if you could spend a day with them, what might you get up to? 

Firstly, and most importantly, we'd sit around the table in the shop, having a cuppa and a natter. Then I think it would be quite mundane - I'd get roped into sorting through the never-ending pile of donations. But the banter would be great, and if there happens to be a murder, I hope I'd be enlisted to help.
 

If you could step into any other crime novel, which would you choose and why? 

A Jack Reacher. So much action and adventure, although I think I'd be pretty useless. The irritating sidekick, I'd be diving under a hedge at the first sign of trouble! 
 

What are you currently reading?  

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley. A lodge in the wilds of Scotland, a bunch of friends snowed in and a murder - what's not to like? but I also love how you see the story unfold from different POVs - very clever and compelling.