Why do you write the genre that you write?
Crime fiction asks questions about justice, good and evil, and love and redemption in stories that entertain and challenge us. I’ve been hooked ever since middle school when I first dipped into my mom’s collection of Josephine Tey and Agatha Christie novels.

I’ve found my own niche writing historical mysteries. I love the magic of time travel that historical mysteries provide, the way they let me see and feel a new-to-me world through the eyes of intriguing characters. As author E.L. Doctorow said, “The historian will tell you what happened. The novelist will tell you what it felt like.”

Historical mysteries can be subtly subversive, too. They shine a light on people and events that encourage us to see the past and present in a new light. The spark for my mystery series was the discovery that we were born as divided and argumentative a country as we are now. About half of the population south of New England opposed American independence during the Revolutionary War.

But books are about characters, and mine feature everyday people faced with staggering challenges during unprecedented times. My protagonist, Becca Parcell, is strong-armed into spying for George Washington in The Turncoat’s Widow. She might not be a typical 18th century woman, but I loved discovering that she wasn’t as far from the norm as I’d thought.

Yes, there were 18th century female spies. Also female publishers, business owners, artists, and writers, including one of the most famous 18th century American writers of all, enslaved Black poet Phyllis Wheatley.

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?
Becca Parcell, my 18th century heroine, has a talent for mathematics. When Becca is stressed, she calms herself by counting backwards by some random number like 13 or 17. I have to triple-check my math when I write a small bit of her quirk, because I am mathematically challenged.

Tell us how you got into writing?
I dabbled in writing fiction–taking a few classes here, writing a few chapters there–until a good friend’s illness changed both our perspectives. We vowed to make at least one item on our respective bucket lists a reality. If writing a mystery mattered to me, and it did, then I needed to make it a priority.

I started writing nights after work and on weekends, and I found my tribe at local mystery writer/fan conferences.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
I write fulltime now. But I’ve been a lifeguard, library clerk, waitress, freelance magazine writer and newspaper columnist, publicist and, for the bulk of my career, an energy law attorney. I’ve also served as a volunteer advocate for foster kids in the court system here in New Jersey, and, aside from writing, that was the most wonderful job of all.

Where do you write?
I’m a fidgety writer. I write sitting on the couch, at the kitchen table, in bed, on trains, and at the local Barnes & Noble café. Anywhere and everywhere.

What is your favorite deadline snack?
Bowls and bowls of popcorn.

Who is an author you admire?
Can I list three? Susan Elia MacNeal, Mariah Fredericks, and Karen Odden.

What’s your favorite genre to read?
Historical mysteries.

What are you reading now?
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley.

What is your favorite beverage to end the day?
Diet coke, which I need to give up.

What is next for you?
Our son’s wedding in late August!

I also just submitted The Paris Mistress to my editor at Level Best Books. I’ll spend the next few months working with her to finetune the story while getting started on something new.

Where can we find you?
Thank you for asking! At mallybecker.com

Now to have some fun . . .

Chocolate or vanilla
Chocolate

Cake or ice cream
Ice Cream

Fruits or vegetables
Fruits

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Lunch

Dining in or dining out
Dining out

City life or country living
Country living

Beach or mountain
Mountain

Summer or winter
Summer (but maybe not this summer with its biblical weather)

Short story or full-length novel
Novel

Extrovert or introvert
Closet introvert

Early bird or night owl
Early bird

And even more fun . . .

What’s your favorite movie?
Anything that makes me laugh, especially A Mighty Wind and Young Frankenstein.

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
Coffee (There is no life without coffee), a notebook/pen, and the collected works of Dorothy Sayers.

My bio:
Mally Becker combines her love of history and crime fiction in mysteries that feature strong, independent heroines. The first two installments in her Revolutionary War mystery series, The Turncoat’s Widow and The Counterfeit Wife, were nominated for Agatha Awards and named Killer Nashville Silver Falchion finalists in 2022 and 2023. Mally is a member of the board of MWA-NY and an instructor at The Writers Circle Workshops. She and her husband live in New Jersey, where they raised their wonderful son.