I am so pleased to welcome Katie Tietjen as today’s featured author. Her debut novel, Death in the Details, is a historical mystery inspired by the mother of forensic science: Frances Glessner Lee’s dollhouse-sized dioramas of true crime scenes helped train homicide investigators in the 1940s.
In today’s interview, Katie and I talk about this inspiration, plus historical research, writing mysteries, and more. (As a note, I’m in the middle of the book, and I’m really, really enjoying it. Cozy, clever, heartfelt, and unique—I think a lot of Cluesletter subscribers will enjoy it.)
Connect with Katie on Instagram, Facebook, and her website. Grab a copy of Death in the Details from your retailer of choice here.
Hi Katie, it’s great to have you! The heroine of your story, Maple Bishop, is a dollhouse maker who has to sell her work after the death of her husband—but Maple’s first customer is found dead, and she uses her skills to recreate the crime scene to help solve the case. What do you love about Maple’s character? What qualities make her a great fictional sleuth?
Thanks so much!
One thing I love about Maple is her unswerving commitment to justice. After the sheriff brushes off her concerns that details at the scene of her customer’s death point to foul play, she refuses to be deterred. Her decision to put her dollhouse-making skills to use in a creative new way really shows her moral compass; initially, her goal is to use her “nutshell” to persuade the sheriff to continue his investigation, but when he refuses, she decides to investigate herself. She’s going to do what she knows is right, even if it causes her to ruffle people’s feathers and even make some enemies along the way.
Death in the Details is inspired by the real-life mother of forensic science, Frances Glessner Lee, who created highly detailed miniature models of crime scenes to help homicide investigations. What prompted you to take inspiration from Lee’s life and work?
I am a Frances Glessner Lee superfan! I think one thing that really grabbed me about her story was her fascinating mashup of the traditionally feminine art of miniature-making with the male-dominated field of forensics. I was lucky enough to get to go see her Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death when they were on rare public display at the Smithsonian and I marveled at her craftsmanship and attention to detail. She’s using these scenes to simultaneously tell stories and pose questions; as a viewer, you’re drawn into this tiny world where something has gone terribly wrong, and I think it’s human nature to be curious about that and to want to restore order to the chaos caused by unexpected death.
I immediately had the idea of using the Nutshells to frame a series in which each book centers on a different one of Lee’s miniature scenes. Death in the Details is based on the one called “Barn.”
The book is also a historical mystery, set just after the end of World War Two. Can you tell me a little bit about the historical setting? What kind of research did you do while writing the book?
I decided to set the story in a (fictional) small New England town. I knew I wanted my protagonist to be a person who makes and sells dollhouses, and it seemed like it made sense to put her there rather than, say, in a big city. Also, I live in a small New England town myself, so it was easy for me to imagine Maple in one.
In terms of research, I was lucky enough to get to travel not only to Washington, DC, to see the Nutshells, but also to both of Lee’s former homes that are available to the public: Glessner House Museum in Chicago and to the Rocks estate in Bethlehem, New Hampshire. I’ve read a lot of WWII-era historical fiction, which helped prepare me to write a story set in this era.
As I was drafting, I also did a lot of Googling. One fun thing for me was when I accidentally discovered interesting tidbits that I wasn’t necessarily setting out to learn. Often, these details worked themselves into the book. For example, when I was researching war rationing, I found out that Kraft macaroni and cheese was a popular item during this time; I decided to make Maple a mac ’n cheese aficionado, and she even names her cat after this boxed dinner! In a story with a lot of dark themes, I felt I needed some lighthearted elements like this.
Since this is your debut novel, can I ask what you’ve learned during the writing and publishing process? What advice do you have for new writers, and/or what would you tell your past self when preparing to publish?
I’ve learned so much! One thing that stands out to me is how many kind, generous people gave me feedback, advice, and encouragement along the way. I was lucky to find various communities of writers both online and in person, including Society of Children’s Book Writers and Editors, Sisters in Crime, Pitch Wars, and the 5th Semester. For me, it was important to have people who were more experienced in the writing and publishing world give me guidance both about the craft of writing and about the business/marketing side of the industry.
I think it’s also important to be patient and open to feedback. I treated the whole experience of drafting, revising, and trying to get published as a learning experience, tweaking my approach and strategy when needed. It took me nine months of querying before I signed with my agent, and she didn’t sign me immediately; her first reaction to my query was a rejection with a suggestion to “revise and resubmit.” She gave me a really thoughtful edit letter with her ideas to improve the manuscript, and she was 100 percent correct; I’m extremely glad I put in some extra work and ultimately signed with her.
Lastly, what else are you looking forward to? Do you have any other books, events, and/or other projects on your horizon that you’d like to share?
I’m really excited to have multiple events lined up at public libraries and bookstores in the coming months! You can see a list of them on the events page of my website. Also, I’m working on two manuscripts right now. One is another Maple Bishop book based around a different one of Frances Glessner Lee’s nutshells and the other is a contemporary mystery featuring three librarians as amateur sleuth protagonists.
Thanks so much to Katie for the interview. Sleuths, I hope you enjoyed it! If you aren’t already subscribed, please be sure to sign up for the Cluesletter and get author features like this alongside other mystery goodies, delivered to your inbox every other Tuesday.