Krista Davis

New York Times bestselling mystery author Krista Davis writes three mystery series: the Domestic Diva Mysteries; the Paws & Claws Mysteries; and the Pen & Ink Mysteries.

Davis resided in Northern Virginia for many years and lived for a time in Old Town, Alexandria. Today she lives with an assortment of dogs and cats in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

Her new novel is The Wagtail Murder Club.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

The Wagtail Murder Club leads the reader directly into the idea that people are working together to solve a murder. Wagtail is the name of the town where they live and recognizable to fans of the series. For others, it’s a strong hint that dogs are involved, which is kind of funny because wagtail is a real word but it has nothing to do with dogs! A wagtail is a bird with a long tail that moves up and down.

Holly Miller rescues an adorable stray pup, Squishy, by the side of the road. Days later, her ex-boyfriend Ben shows up with a group of his attorney colleagues who seem to think that he and Holly are still an item! The arrival of a newly released convict sets the town on edge, especially when one of the attorneys dies in exactly the same way the former convict killed before. Holly bands together with her mom, grandmother, and beloved Inn butler, Mr. Huckle, to uncover the killer and the truth about Squishy. Because nothing brings a town together like murder.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your novel?

My teenage self would be completely shocked that I am an author! I was heavily into books but never imagined that I would be lucky enough to write books. Murder, dogs, and cats? My teenaged self would have loved it!

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

I’m always impressed by authors who write the ending first. I spend a lot more time on beginnings. They have to start at exactly the place and hopefully make the reader want to know more. The ending is far easier because that’s what everything in the story has led toward.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

Definitely. Not the murderers so much, though! Like my protagonist, Holly Miller, I love dogs and cats, and had a German grandmother. Sometimes, I worry that because I wouldn’t do something, neither would the characters. In The Diva Cooks a Goose, someone was stealing gifts from under the Christmas trees in people’s homes. I can’t imagine doing that. And in my house, you’d be likely to get a joke gift or pajamas. But two weeks before the book was released, a local man was caught doing exactly that! But in real life, his cell phone fell out of his pocket. The police called him to say they had found it and he came right to them!

Visit Krista Davis's website.

Coffee with a canine: Krista Davis & Han, Buttercup, and Queenie.

The Page 69 Test: The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer.

The Page 69 Test: Murder, She Barked.

The Page 69 Test: The Wagtail Murder Club.

--Marshal Zeringue