Exclusive interview with author Elizabeth J. Duncan and a review of her sixth book in the Penny Brannigan mystery series set in a slate mine in North Wales
Rating: Four Stars
Reviewed by Gabrielle Pantera
“The idea for Slated for Death started with a series of breathtaking photographs of slate quarries now being reclaimed by nature,” says Slated for Death author Elizabeth J. Duncan. “The photos were sent to me by an American friend who lives in North Wales with her Welsh husband. I thought one of these quarries, abandoned and flooded, would be a stunning back drop for a mystery, but in the end chose to set Slated for Death down a mine rather than a quarry.”
Slated for Death has wonderful twists and turns. The slate mines gave this story a unique setting. The history of the mines is worked into the story as though you are really in the mines. You become immersed in the daily lives of the people who live in this small village in Wales. An engaging who-done-it, the clues Duncan gives along the way will keep you turning pages.
In North Wales, a former slate mine is now a tourist attraction. The body of town philanthropist Glenda Roberts is discovered there. Glenda was at the site to plan for an upcoming concert. Penny Brannigan saw Glenda a few hours before and is as shocked as the rest of the town. Penny is drawn into the investigation when it comes to light that Glenda has been selling counterfeit cosmetic products.
For her research, Duncan visited the Llechwedd Slate Caverns in Blaenau Ffestiniog three times. She also visited the National Slate Museum in Llanberis, the Dorothea quarry and Penhryn Castle, which is not really a castle but a country house built in the nineteenth century by the wealthy owner of the nearby quarries.
“I became engrossed in the history of the Welsh slate mining industry and came away with a huge admiration for the men who did that hard work their whole lives,” says Duncan. “I viewed a lot of old photographs and read several books on the history of slate mining. I was surprised to find mining interesting and even a bit romantic. I’d never taken much notice of slate before, but working on this book, I realized that in Wales, it’s everywhere…roofs, tombstones, fences, kitchen floors, and so on.”
“Although the mines and quarries are almost all worked out, slate is still a vital part of the Welsh landscape,” says Duncan. “I’ve made wonderful friends in North Wales and now spend about five months a year there, so the series truly was life changing. If it hadn’t been for the books, I wouldn’t have got to know and come to love this beautiful country.”
Half of Duncan’s six books have won or been nominated for awards. Slated for Death is the sixth book in the Penny Brannigan mystery series and Duncan is now working on the seventh, titled Murder on the Hour. In November, the first book in Duncan’s new series, Shakespeare in the Catskills, will be released, featuring costume designer Charlotte Fairfax. “The books are written one at a time,” says Duncan. “I usually think ahead a little bit to the next one while I’m working on the present one. With Slated for Death, once I had the setting, the story grew from there.”
Duncan divides her time between Toronto, Canada and Llandudno, North Wales. She was born in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
Slated for Death: A Penny Brannigan Mystery Series (Book 6) by Elizabeth J. Duncan Hardcover: 304 pages, Publisher: Minotaur Books (April 14, 2015), Language: English ISBN: 9781250055217 $25.99
