Evie Mead sits down for a question-and-answer session with dru’s book musings so that we, the readers, can get to know her better. Are you ready? Evie, take it away!
What is your full name?
Evelyn Rose Mead (born Atkins)
How old are you?
36
What is your profession?
I have a background in Art History and, in another life, used to work at an art gallery in London. But now my sister and I are chatelaines of Tregarrick Rock hotel.
Do you have a significant other?
A few months ago my world was turned upside down when my husband died of a heart attack but you could say that my sister Margot has become very significant in my life! After all, it was her mad idea to visit Tregarrick “only for the weekend, Evie. Where’s your sense of adventure?” And just a few months later we’re running a hotel in a remote corner of the British Isles. Crazy, yes?
What is her profession?
Margot Chandler, although I suspect she’s going to go back to Atkins following her divorce. Margot’s life changed as quickly as mine. She used to live in LA and was a Hollywood film producer. Adapting to island life has definitely been a challenge for my big sister—“Wait! What do you mean there isn’t a spa?”
Do you have any children?
Not yet but if the right person came along, I’d feel very blessed.
Are your parents nearby?
Sadly our parents died years ago. They ran a guesthouse at a seaside resort in Sussex. We grew up with strangers sitting at the breakfast table. I don’t think Margot enjoyed that as much as I did. I love people watching.
Who is your best friend?
My sister of course! As she likes to say, “Sisters my chance, friends by choice.” Margot is full of platitudes. She also has an irritating habit of quoting lines and scenes from movies.
Do you have any pets?
We’ve inherited Mister Tig the hotel cat. He’s a handsome tuxedo cat. I have no idea how old he is but according to Vicar Bill—who, incidentally, has a macaw called Roger—the cat just turned up years ago and never left.
What town do you live in?
We live on a rock. Seriously. It’s called Tregarrick Rock and it’s about half a mile from the tiny island of Tregarrick. Tregarrick is one of the famed islands and islets that make up the Isles of Scilly located about twenty-eight miles off the southwest Cornish coast.
To get to the hotel you have to cross the causeway at low tide by sea tractor. At high tide, you need an experienced sailor to dock a boat—and that boat would have to be small.
Type of dwelling and do you own or rent?
We’re renting the hotel from the Tregarrick island estate. It has fifteen suites, all named after writers from the Golden Age of detective fiction.
Margot and I live in a rooftop apartment with the most stunning views. The hotel was built in the 1920s. It’s Art Deco although when we arrived, it had been “modernized” in the 1970s with a lot of brown shag pile carpet.
What is your favorite spot in your home?
Inside: I would say it’s the Residents’ Lounge that is full of first editions of Golden Age detective fiction. Outside: Don’t make me choose! There are so many beautiful spots. But since I have to, I think it’s the Galleon Garden that has an impressive collection of figureheads from galleons—many had sunk in the treacherous waters around the islands. Back in the day Scilly was the main shipping route to the New World.
Favorite meal and dessert?
Kim Winters, our newest hire (super-efficient, brilliant cook and marketing guru) serves up a delicious traditional Sunday roast with Yorkshire pudding and all the trimmings. My favorite dessert has always been Eton Mess.
Do you have any hobbies?
Definitely photography. In fact, we’re just finishing up building a dark room in the basement just for me. The islands are a birdwatcher’s paradise. We get a lot of migrating birds. I also love gardening.
What is your favorite vacation spot?
I traveled extensively with my husband but I’ll be honest, the longer I live here, the more beautiful Tregarrick Rock becomes. If I had to describe the weather I’d say it was a cross between the South of France and Hawaii.
What music do you listen to?
I enjoy most music—my husband was a huge fan of classical music. It depends on my mood. I like listening to stuff from my teenage/early twenties when Margot and I used to go clubbing. But now I live here, it’s the birdsong that touches my soul.
Do you have a favorite book?
I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith. (She also wrote The Hundred and One Dalmatians). I have read it so many times. It stands the test of time and is utterly charming. It’s about an eccentric family who are struggling to live in genteel poverty in a decaying castle during the 1930s. Oh—I just realize that Margot and I are doing just that! LOL.
What is your idea of a really fun time?
To be honest, after my husband died, I didn’t ever think I would ever laugh again. Margot still lived in Hollywood, our parents were long dead and the future seemed so bleak but then everything changed. Along with good food and good wine, fun for me is just being here on Tregarrick Rock with her!
If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Bloom Where You Are Planted or something similar. Mum used to tell Margot and me that whatever happened to us in life—good or bad—we were to make the best of it.
Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Amateur—and you could say my sidekick is my sister but I suspect she’d argue with that and insist that she is the boss.
In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
Full disclosure: we haven’t opened Tregarrick Rock hotel yet. Our grand opening is in less than ten days time and just recently, our kitchen caught fire! Can you sense the panic in my voice? Margot and I are working flat out to get ready. Along with supervising the electricians and repainting—the dust, the mess—I’ve been planting out our flowerbeds and planter pots on our gazillion terraces where we are having a huge reception for the islanders. We’re also having an art exhibition of local artists so there is a lot of artwork to install. Ask me about a typical day after that! LOL.
What is a typical day when you are on a case?
It’s said that the seasonal workers who come to Scilly are either running away from something or hiding from someone. And then there are the guests. What secrets do they hold? Fortunately, because Margot and I are running the place (thank you to the gorgeous Cador Ferris who has entrusted us with his heritage), we can create our own schedule. If there’s a mystery to solve, we’re both like dogs with a bone. We drop everything. Luckily we have the brilliant Dennis as our hotel manager who keeps things ticking over smoothly (he’s a former marine). One thing I know is that there is no such thing as a typical day on Tregarrick Rock. Every day promises an adventure.
Danger at the Cove, An Island Sisters Mystery #2
Genre: Cozy
Release: August 2021
Purchase Link
In Danger at the Cove, the second book in a delightful cozy series by Hannah Dennison a surprise visitor makes an appearance on the island—and murder ensues.
Renovations on Tregarrick Rock Hotel are coming along, and Evie Mead thinks they just might be done by opening day. Then one of her sister Margot’s old Hollywood friends, Louise, arrives unannounced—and expecting VIP treatment.
Evie has half a mind to tell Louise to find other accommodations, but Margot pleads with Evie, saying that Louise—despite her upbeat and demanding attitude—is grieving her recently deceased husband. Evie pities her, and besides, the sisters need help. A simple rewiring project has resulted in a major overhaul of the hotel, and they’re way over budget. The small life insurance policy left to Evie by her own husband is gone, and they are desperate for funds. Margot believes that Louise, a marketing guru, can put the hotel on the map and give it the boost it needs.
But when a member of the hotel staff is found dead, and then another murder follows, the sisters’ plans crumble before their eyes. Who would do such a thing—and why? In a rollicking adventure involving a shipwreck filled with buried treasure, a dashing and mysterious Australian named Randy, and old rivalries stretching back to far before Evie and Margot ever set foot on the island, it’s all hands on deck to find the killer—and save the hotel.
About the author
British born, Hannah originally moved to Los Angeles to pursue screenwriting. She has been an obituary reporter, antique dealer, private jet flight attendant and Hollywood story analyst. Along with the Island Sisters Mysteries, Hannah writes the Vicky Hill Mysteries and the Honeychurch Hall Mysteries, set in southwest England. After twenty-five years living on the West Coast, Hannah returned to the UK where she shares her life with two high-spirited Hungarian Vizslas.
All comments are welcomed.
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Hannah has generously offered to give away one print copy of Danger at the Cove. To enter, please leave a comment below. One entry per person and the giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only. Giveaway ends August 21, 2021. Good luck everyone!
Thanks Hannah and Evie for being on the blog today and donating a book for a giveaway.
Thanks so much for inviting ‘us’ – it’s great to be back on my favorite blog!
Great post! I really enjoyed the first book in the series and looking forward to the new one! The sister dynamic is wonderful! Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed Death at High Tide — I admit the sister dynamic is based ‘a little’ on my own relationship with mine!
I’m so glad you enjoyed Death at High Tide. I’ve always been interested in family dynamics — so it’s been fun exploring that with my own sister!
Hi, Hannah. I had the privilege of hearing you on a panel a few years ago. I hope you are happily settled back in England. I’m glad you are continuing to write and look forward to reading your series set in the Scilly islands. Cornwall is one of my favorite places.
I enjoyed your first book and also your other series. Looking forward to reading this one.
I hope you enjoy Danger at the Cove too!
Hi Grace — oh gosh – I so miss talking on panels in the real world as opposed to the virtual realm. Yes – it’s lovely being back in the West Country – I love Cornwall too.
The setting sounds fantastic. A hotel on a rock sounds like it has potential for a locked-room mystery.
I’ll be honest … I didn’t set out to write a locked room mystery! It sort of just happened and gosh … that rock is so small! I wish I had made it bigger LOL
This sounds like such a great story. I can’t wait to read it.
I hope you do and that you enjoy it!!
Congrats on the new release – I love the setting for this novel! Sounds great.
The setting is based on the island of Tresco which I have visited a few times. It’s really beautiful there and so different from mainland UK – which is weird given that it’s only twenty-eight miles away!
I really enjoyed Death at High Tide and can’t wait to revisit Evie, Margot, Scilly and Tregarrick Rock!
Hi Celia – I’m so glad you enjoyed the first adventure — I really hope you like the second too!
This sounds like a really good series and I love the cover. Thanks for the contest.
I LOVE the covers that Minotaur create – they are so vibrant! I hope you like the series 🙂
Wow! I didn’t want this interview to end! Can’t wait to read more about Evie!
Dru’s questions were so good! It made me really think about Evie on a deeper level so I enjoyed writing the interview. I am glad you enjoyed it!
A very interesting interview! I’d like to stay at that hotel! Sisters working together can be a lot of fun.
Hi Pat – I based the hotel on Burgh Island hotel which is not far from where I live in Devon. It’s a wonderful place to stay! (although happily, there have been no real murders there ha ha).
What a great interview! My favorite responses were: a sister who quotes lines from movies; a hotel cat named Mister Tig; and they live and work on a rock one-half mile from an island off the Cornish Coast. This is a must read for me, thanks!
I admit I am guilty of being the sister in real life who quotes lines from movies! I can’t help myself … and Mister Tig really did exist. I loved that cat. He was 17 when he crossed the Rainbow Bridge so in a way he still lives on 🙂
I loved the first book and am anxiously awaiting the second! Great fun to read this interview! Thanks for a chance!
Hi Lori – I’m so glad you enjoyed the first book. I hope you like the second too!
Really enjoyed the first book. Looking forward to reading “Danger At the Cove”. Thanks for the chance.
Thanks so much for leaving a comment — so happy you enjoyed Death at High Tide!
I like mysteries that keep you on the edge of your of your seat and this book sounds like that.
In Danger at the Cove there is an approaching storm … I think that often raises the stakes. Thanks for leaving a comment 🙂
What a fun interview to read! It’s fun learning more about characters! Congrats on the release!
Thanks Shannon – I am glad you enjoyed learning a little more about Evie!
Hi Hannah! I haven’t had a chance to read the first book of this series, but I would still love to have a chance to win this one! Cozies are my favorite kinds of mysteries! 🙂
Hi Janita — I love Cozies too – all my friends are cozy authors … I hope you enjoy my books.
WOW! Such an awesome cover on this new book! I absolutely loved 🥰 the first book 📕 in this series and can’t wait to read this one! Such a thrilling and exciting series so far! I adore the cute kitty 🐈⬛ Mister Tig! I am a huge fan of Hannah’s other awesome series! Sure would love to win! Thank you so much sweet Dru Ann and Hannah for the chance! Hugs 🤗 💜🐈⬛📚
Hi Beverly – thank you for such a lovely enthusiastic comment! You have made my day. So happy you enjoy all my books.
Awesome! I would love to win this book!
I enjoyed getting to know Evie. Danger at the Cove sounds like a great read.
**** WINNER ****
Danger at the Cove is Beverly Guy
Congratulations!
Thank you so much sweet Dru Ann and Hannah for choosing me to win! I am absolutely thrilled and can’t wait to read the book 📚! Hugs 🤗
I loved the first title in the series – can’t wait to read this one.