The Vintage Woman Magazine Book Club #3: A Talk With Author Kelly Oliver
Kelly Oliver is the prolific author of three fictional series including the Jessica James Mysteries, the Kassy O’ Rourke Pet Detective Mysteries, and The Fiona Figg Mysteries. She is also a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and has published over a hundred scholarly articles, thirteen non-fiction books, and ten anthologies. The Vintage Woman Magazine corresponded with Dr. Oliver to learn more about her work and her own fascinating life story.
Your background in the American Northwest sounds like a generational novel in itself! Please tell us more about your professional journey.
Actually, my interest in writing fiction comes from a desire to explore this generational story. I would love to write the history of my family in the Northwest, which involves murders, betrayals, blood and sweat, and a love and respect for the land.
I’m the oddball in my family. My mother was a housewife. And my father was a logger, working for my grandfather until he eventually became a civil engineer after having four kids. My paternal grandfather was a logger and my maternal grandfather was a forest ranger. One cut trees and one saved trees. It made for some interesting conversations at the poker table over Canadian Rye.
I became interested in philosophy before I even knew what it was through conversations with my paternal grandfather. He didn’t even have a high school education, but he was a home-grown philosopher.
To make a long story short, I went to college on a fellowship, majored in philosophy, and then went to graduate school on another fellowship and got my Ph.D. in philosophy… In some ways, my first novel is autobiographical. The heroine, Jessica James, is based on my own experience as a graduate student… except I did not murder my dissertation advisor.
What drew you to early twentieth-century English espionage as a subject?
I love British mysteries. I watch all of the great British mystery series on television. And I love reading historical mysteries.
I was inspired to write my first historical mystery, Betrayal at Ravenswick, by Agatha Christie’s minor character Miss Lemon in the Hercule Poirot mysteries. I started to wonder what those stories would be like from Miss Lemon’s perspective. Out of that curiosity, I created my protagonist, Fiona Figg.
When I started writing Betrayal at Ravenswick, I set out to write a traditional manor house mystery. But, while doing research on that time period, I came across the incredible story of Fritz Duquesne, alias Fredrick Fredricks, a spy for the Germans in World War I. I just knew he had to be my antagonist. So Fiona became a spy too.
Does your scholarly research contribute to your fiction?
Yes, for sure. My Jessica James Mysteries all deal with various ripped-from the headlines women’s issues. Much of my scholarly research has also been on women’s issues. In addition, I like to bring tidbits of philosophy into my novels.
And all of my protagonists from Jessica James and Fiona Figg to Kassy O’Roarke, the twelve-year-old protagonist of my The Pet Detective Mysteries for kids, I write strong women and girl characters.
How did you/do you transition from academic writing to fiction?
About six years ago now, I took a dive off the deep end straight into writing fiction. I’d always wanted to write a novel about my family. I decided if I was going to write a novel, I’d better get to it. I wrote WOLF: a Suspense Thriller, my first Jessica James mystery and haven’t looked back. Next year, I’m planning to retire from Vanderbilt so I can write mysteries full time.
Fiona Figg sports many fabulous “get-ups,” do you also have a penchant for vintage clothing?
I do love vintage clothes. When I was in grad school, I did most of my shopping at vintage clothes stores. It’s so much fun to imagine what someone else did in those clothes.
I remember one Christmas when my grandmother took me to a closet in the back of her house (that was once a chicken coop—another story) and showed me dozens of lovely vintage dresses. I’d only seen my grandma in polyester pantsuits, so I couldn’t imagine the woman who had worn those dresses.
Your much anticipated third novel is coming soon, do you plan to continue chronicling Fiona’s adventures beyond that?
I hope so. I love writing Fiona. And as long as readers enjoy her adventures, I will keep writing them.
If you were to begin another series, is there another era you would enjoy exploring?
If I ever do write the generational story of my family, it would have to begin in the late nineteenth century with my great-great-grandfather. He was a fur trapper [who was] found one spring with a bullet in his skull.
I’m also interested in this period of the American West because of the different cultures that come together to build the railroads. It would be fascinating to explore [these cultures coming together] during that time.
Do you have any advice to share with the many writers in our readership?
It’s never too late to try something new.
Stay tuned for the next instalment of The Vintage Woman Magazine Book Club…