ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
KENT AUTHOR PROFILE :
JULIE WASSMER
PREVIOUSLY A TV DRAMA WRITER WORKING ON TELEVISION SHOWS SUCH AS EASTENDERS FOR ALMOST TWENTY YEARS , JULIE WASSMER PUBLISHED HER FIRST CRIME NOVEL , THE WHITSTABLE PEARL MYSTERY IN 2015 . SET IN KENT , THE BOOKS FEATURE PEARL NOLAN - A WHITSTABLE RESTAURATEUR WHO PUTS SOME FORMER POLICE TRAINING TO GOOD USE AS A PRIVATE DETECTIVE . EIGHT BOOKS HAVE SINCE FOLLOWED , WHICH IN TURN HAVE BECOME THE BASIS FOR THE TV SERIES , WHITSTABLE PEARL , STARRING KERRY GODLIMAN AS PEARL NOLAN , AND HOWARD CHARLES AS DCI MIKE MCGUIRE , THE CANTERBURY POLICE DETECTIVE WITH WHOM PEARL HAS A WILL- THEY-WON ’ T-THEY LOVE AFFAIR .
Julie , you were born in the East End of London but moved to Whitstable over twenty years ago , what do you like most about living in Kent ?
It ’ s true I am a DFL ( our town ’ s acronym for a Down From Londoner ) but I ’ ve loved Kent since the ‘ 70s , when I began visiting the countryside areas surrounding Tunbridge Wells . But , like Pearl in my books , I ’ m happiest by the sea , having once spent five years living on an ocean-going yacht . 23 years ago , on a day trip from London to Broadstairs , my husband and I got lost en route only to find ourselves in Whitstable ! It was love at first sight and we returned the following week , found a house to buy and have been here ever since .
Your books feature Kent a lot , what do you find so inspiring about the county and why do you think it makes an interesting setting for your stories ?
As a reader , I have always loved books that have a strong sense of location . As an author , Kent is my dream county because it offers so many varied settings . I have the sea on my doorstep , beautiful countryside nearby and the great city of Canterbury only eight miles down the road . Coupled with the creek-side haunts of Faversham and Oare I am spoilt for choice for wonderful storyline settings – all of which I have featured in my books .
In what other ways does Kent inspire you to write ?
I am constantly inspired by Kent ’ s landscapes , seascapes – and residents . A casual conversation with an oyster fisherman at Whitstable Harbour gave me the idea for the storyline of my first book , The Whitstable Pearl Mystery , in which Pearl discovers the body of a fisherman on the eve of our annual oyster festival . I also take inspiration from interesting and historic Kent buildings . My third book , May Day Murder , is set at Whitstable Castle , while Murder on the Downs features Black Mill – the centuries-old windmill on Borstal Hill in Whitstable . My most recent book , Murder at Mount Ephraim , is set at the 300-year-old ancestral home of the Dawes Family at Hernhill . Nestled within an 800-acre estate , with 10 acres of gardens , Mount Ephraim gave me the perfect setting for a classic closed circle murder mystery . The house also features as a location in the first season of the TV series , Whitstable Pearl . I was thrilled to be able to stay there and to have a guided tour by the present owner , Sandys Dawes , who provided me with a fascinating history of this stunning house and estate .
Where can we buy your books and keep up with you ?
The Whitstable Pearl Mystery novels , and the DVD of the first season of the TV series , Whitstable Pearl , are available on Amazon . Two seasons of the TV series , Whitstable Pearl , are currently streaming on Acorn TV : www . uk . acorn . tv / whitstablepearl .
Updates about the books and the TV series can be found on my website : www . juliewassmer . com and you can also follow ‘ Julie Wassmer ’ on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .
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