Q&A WITH JEAN G. GOODHIND

How did you come up with the idea for the series?

When I came up with the idea for Honey Driver — Bath hotelier — I was drawing on what I knew. I had owned a nine-bedroom guest house in Bath. I was also an inaugural member of Bath Hotels and Restaurants Association and knew how protective they were of the city's reputation. With that in mind, how about having a crime liaison officer? It's believable. So Honey Driver hit the ground running. There is something of me in her, although I've never collected antique underwear. But there were ghosts at that old place I ran — the hotel itself is described quite closely in A Crooked Murder.

What is your favourite thing about Honey Driver?

There are a couple of favourite things about Honey Driver — she's fallible and down to earth. There is a third thing — her forbearance with the likes of her mother who, if it wasn't for age, could grace many a fashion catwalk. And Mary Jane, of course, and her total belief that the ghost in her room is a long-lost relative from around 1753.

Has there been a particularly difficult mystery to write in the series?

They were all difficult to write. I found myself racing around looking for clues and seeing if there was anything I'd overlooked. Cozy crime of this ilk is a never-ending puzzle.

Anything interesting or funny that happened while you were writing the book?

For those of you who don't know, the series was originally a big success in Germany. It amazed me to have tourists come over from there looking for the Green River Hotel and wanting to stay there in the hope of meeting Honey Driver. I met a couple of them and we are still in touch.

How do you want readers to feel when they’ve finished the final book?

This is book thirteen, and possibly the last in the series. I hope my readers feel they are parting from an old friend but wishing her and Doherty all the best in their future together.