STORY BY BENJAMIN LERNER
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY MELANIE FINN , ARCHER MAYOR , ERIC RICKSTAD , AND HY CONRAD
Melanie Finn
Murder They Wrote
Melanie Finn is an accomplished writer who has lived many different lives . Now settled in Vermont ’ s Northeast Kingdom , she has turned her observer ’ s eye to the shadows and light of the unique rural corner that she inhabits . Her novels revolve around good people caught up in bad situations , committing crimes for which they seek atonement in moral ways beyond the law .
Four of Vermont ’ s most talented mystery writers discuss their most formative life experiences , their creative process , and the inspiration behind their newest novels
The bestselling mystery writers who reside in the Green Mountain State have built sizable literary followings over the course of their illustrious careers . Their intricate stories have captivated the imaginations of countless readers , and many of their critically-acclaimed novels are directly inspired by their experiences in Vermont . As they move forward on their artistic journeys , they remain grounded in their pursuit of creative excellence with the tenacity of a dogged detective . Their writing is beautiful , complex , and uncompromising ; and their novels serve as compelling reflections of their eventful life journeys .
Born in Nairobi , Kenya in 1964 , Melanie Finn first came to Vermont in 1982 after graduating from high school . “ I moved to America after spending my early childhood years in Kenya ,” says Finn . “ My mother remarried an American , and I spent my middle school and high school years in Connecticut . I got to spend some time in Vermont after my parents moved up there . They started a small sheep farm in South Strafford . It was a lovely , idyllic place with a gorgeous pond .”
After Finn graduated from New York University in 1986 with an undergraduate degree in journalism , she spent several years writing for tourism magazines that were based in Hong Kong and Australia . She then transitioned into more serious journalism when she returned to Eastern Africa to cover the war in Uganda in the late 1980s . Finn elaborates : “ When I went back to Africa , I began to peel back the memories of my own privileged childhood .
42 VERMONT MAGAZINE