Saralyn Richard
Award-winning author, Saralyn Richard was born with a pen in her hand and ink in her veins. A former educator, she loves connecting with readers. Her humor- and romance-tinged mysteries and children's book pull back the curtain on people in settings as diverse as elite country manor houses and disadvantaged urban high schools.
Twitter: @SaralynRichard
Instagram: address: @naughty_nana_sheepdog
Are there particular films that have influenced your writing?
The cult film, The Big Chill, has made a big impression on me. The ensemble cast of characters, all friends from college, assemble ten years later for the funeral of one of them, a suicide. They spend the weekend at the home of two married classmates. They reminisce, catch up on their lives, and ponder the meaning of life. I enjoy the way each character’s story merges with the whole to create a larger story—a patchwork quilt concept. My first mystery novel, Murder in the One Percent, starts with the same premise—college friends reuniting after many years. Their back stories influence the present moment. Unlike The Big Chill, Murder in the One Percent veers off in a different direction when one of the college friends ends up dead, and the rest of them are suspects. The ensemble cast of characters lends itself to a fun and fascinating locked room mystery.
What’s the oddest thing a reader has ever asked you?
I was speaking at The Book Cellar in Chicago, when someone asked me, “Why would someone, in this day and age, with so much violence in the world, write mysteries?” I was taken aback by the question, mainly because I abhor violence, and I love to read mysteries. Then I remembered what P.D. James said. “What the detective story is about is not murder, but the restoration of order.” That same purgation of emotions that one feels when watching a tragedy happens at the end of a mystery. I’m sure the restoration of order is what makes mysteries one of the top genres of our time.
Is there a work of art that you love? Why? Have you ever visited it in person?
I have so many favorite works of art, and I’ve been fortunate to visit lots of them in person. I’ll mention Sunday Afternoon at La Grande Jatte by Seurat, which is located at the Chicago Art Institute. I love this painting for its ambitious size, its subject matter, its colors, and the pointillism technique that inspired so many of my favorite Impressionist artists. There are lots of spectacular lesser-known paintings I love in the Brandywine River Fine Arts Museum, where I’ve been many times, and where I’ve researched Brandywine artists for my novel, A Palette for Love and Murder. Art is a particular area of interest for me. I could talk about it and write about it forever.
Vacation druthers….City or rural destination? Why?
I was born and raised on an island. I love the relaxing ambience of island life—the ocean that looks different every time, the soothing sounds, the salty air. But when I go on vacation, I want something different. I want to experience culture, history, architecture, museums, theaters. I want to walk in paths trodden by forebears whose stories I admire. I want to learn new things, form new opinions, have new experiences. I don’t prefer to live in congested cities, but I love to spend time there, enjoying the fabulous attractions I can’t experience at home.
What piece of clothing tells the most interesting story about your life?
My hometown, Galveston, Texas, has a rich Victorian history. Last year, right before the pandemic, our historic theater, The Grand 1894 Opera House, celebrated its 125th anniversary. People who attended the dinner party were encouraged to dress up as characters/people who performed on the stage. My husband and I took our Old English sheepdog Nana to the event, where we represented Mr. and Mrs. Darling and Nana, who were looking for their three children—absconded by that rascal, Peter Pan. I adore my Victorian lady’s hat. It’s elegant and comfortable and makes me feel like I’m a character in my own storybook.
