In Weaver’s second traditional mystery starring amateur sleuth Amory Ames, Death Wears a Mask, Amory and her husband, Milo, search for a murderer among the glitterati of 1932 London.
What drew you to write about this era, and why do you think readers find it appealing?
I grew up watching black and white movies and fell in love with the glamour and sophistication of the 1930s. I think the elegance of this time period—when men wore tuxedos to dinner and women had an evening gown for every night of the week—still has an allure for readers today. And, of course, there’s the appeal of good, old-fashioned scandal. In this era, there was a balance to be maintained between the newfound freedoms of the 20th century and society’s expectations of proper behavior, and I think a lot of readers enjoy the idea of people behaving badly but always politely.
You’ve talked about how much you admire Agatha Christie. What do the two of you have in common?
I would say that setting is the most obvious thing we have in common. Christie also used a lot of dialogue in her stories to reveal clues, and that’s something I have found myself doing as well. I like the idea that people reveal things, intentionally or unintentionally, when they speak, and so the clues are just there waiting to be sifted out of the inconsequential information that surrounds them.
The tension and ambiguity in Amory and Milo’s marriage make them unusual (and, at times, perhaps unsympathetic) protagonists. What made you decide to develop their relationship this way?
I have always enjoyed the dynamic of a husband-wife detective team, but I also thought that the other side of “happily ever after” was an interesting topic to explore. I liked the idea of taking two rich, beautiful people with everything going for them and then examining the cracks in the perfect façade. Amory and Milo had a whirlwind courtship. She was swept up in the romance of his good looks and charm, and their chemistry was very strong. Now that the honeymoon is over, so to speak, she has to come to terms with some aspects of marriage to a handsome playboy that she didn’t fully consider.
So there’s hope for their relationship?
I think that, at the end of Death of Wears a Mask, Amory and Milo have reached a new kind of understanding. That’s not to say that their relationship is going to be perfect, but they are in a much better place than they were at the start of the series, and things will only continue to improve.
