Secrets revealed as mystery writers muse

An evening of criminally good conversation was in store for Motueka residents, with four Top of the South mystery authors coming together to share their tales late last month.

The panel included Motueka policeman Stefen Harris, environmentalist and children’s author Peter Butler, and naval officers turned mystery co-authors Susan Rogers and John Roosen.

Stef’s thriller Double Jeopardy was published last year, and he is currently putting the finishing touches on its sequel. Stef is also a scriptwriter, whose titles include The Waimate Conspiracy, based on his novel The Waikikamukau Conspiracy, and internationally award-winning Blue Moon, which was filmed at Motueka’s BP petrol station and released in 2018.

Peter lives in Golden Bay, growing horopito as a commercial crop. He is also the co-owner of HealthPost, the biggest employer in the bay. Peter has previously written historical books, and his latest work, a young adult book called Night Tribe, took him 10 years to perfect.

John and Susan are a husband-and-wife team who previously shared many international adventures in the US navy and are now using their expertise to craft The Yoga Mat Mysteries.

Three books have been released online for Kindle or as audiobooks, and two more are already in the works.

After a disappointing meeting at a publishing house in America, during which the staff member instructed them to change their main characters from adults to children, the Māpua-based couple decided to walk their own path and self-publish their books, and they have no regrets about that decision.

The panel was hosted at the Motueka Library – Te Noninga Kumu, and the chat was facilitated by Motueka author and artist Donna McLeod, who asked the quartet questions about their backgrounds, writing processes and publishing experiences.

When asked if they researched as they went, the answers were varied – Stef replied that he had to put his head down and write furiously for weeks on end, without overthinking his words or letting any doubts catch up to him.

Research and refining happened once the first draft was in the bag. The Yoga Mat duo said that they scrupulously researched as they went – right down to measuring a Melbourne alleyway where a fictional crime takes place – and that every single detail in their books had to be achievable and plausible.

The gathered crowd had a chance to ask questions, delving deeper into the authors’ opinions.

“New Zealand has a strong voice,” Susan replied, reassuring the audience that the most important thing was to have a cracking storyline.

The Mystery at the Library series has been running since 2015, but this is the first time they have been at a Tasman library.

The series is organised by former Tasman resident and London-based journalist Craig Sisterson. Craig is the founder of the Ngaio Marsh Awards, Aotearoa’s annual literary prizes for crime, mystery and thriller writing.