Kemper Donovan is the host of the All About Agatha podcast. A graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School, he worked at the literary management company Circle of Confusion for a decade before transitioning to writing full-time. He is a member of the New York Bar Association, PEN America, and Mystery Writers of America. He lives with his husband and daughters in Los Angeles. He is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ghostwriter Mysteries and he recently talked about them Daryl Maxwell for the LAPL Blog.
What was your inspiration for The Busy Body?
In a general sense, I was inspired to write The Busy Body when I rediscovered my love of mystery by way of the podcast All About Agatha, which I started with a good friend of mine named Catherine Brobeck, all the way back in 2016. The podcast is devoted to the one and only Queen of Crime, Dame Agatha Christie, whose books I inhaled as a child. As I began to revisit all of Christie's novels (and the adaptations based on her novels), I realized that I had to write a mystery of my own.
Are The Ghostwriter, Dorothy Gibson, The Bodyguard, or any of the other characters in the novel inspired by or based on specific individuals?
I'll go ahead and give the annoying writerly answer that every character has pieces of me in it. There are perhaps a few more pieces of me in my sidekick narrator, the misanthropic Ghostwriter, than in others… The majority of the characters in The Busy Body are wholly fabricated, with two exceptions. One is Leila Mansour, who is largely based on Huma Abedin, and then there is Dorothy Gibson, who functions as our detective character in the novel. Not surprisingly, given that Dorothy is Leila's boss, her most obvious antecedent is Hillary Clinton, but she's actually an amalgamation of several female politicians. Margaret Chase Smith served as a (Republican) U.S. Representative and Senator for the great state of Maine for much of the Twentieth Century, breaking into politics by way of "widow's mandate" or "widow's succession," just as Dorothy did. There are also bits of Amy Klobuchar and Sarah Palin thrown into the mix, for instance.
I had the idea in the direct aftermath of the 2016 election that this strange, frozen period—the one during which people were snapping photos of Hillary Clinton taking long walks in the woods—would be an excellent setting for a murder mystery. This was my starting point. Also, I should note that while it was important to me to preserve many of the dynamics from the 2016 election—and in particular, the reckoning that came after it—I didn't want to get bogged down in partisan warfare, which was why I chose to make Dorothy Gibson an Independent. From there, placing her in Maine and blending her with Margaret Chase Smith was a fairly organic process.
How did the novel evolve and change as you wrote and revised it? Are there any characters or scenes that were lost in the process that you wish had made it to the published version?
Since these novels are what I call "puzzle mysteries," with clues that lead step-by-step to the identity of the culprit, had to outline them extensively before I began writing. For this reason, I can't say that anything major changed in terms of characters, scenes, or plotlines.
What was your inspiration for Loose Lips? How did it evolve and change as you wrote and revised it?
Once I knew that I was going to write more than one mystery featuring the Ghostwriter, I became determined to set her next adventure on a boat. There are so many classic mysteries set aboard modes of transportation, including many by Agatha Christie. More than any other novel, Christie’s Death on the Nile served as my biggest inspiration. It's one of my favorites, and the 1978 film adaptation starring Peter Ustinov… and Mia Farrow… and Angela Lansbury… and Bette Davis… and Maggie Smith… and David Niven... the list really does go on and on) is probably my favorite Christie film adaptation. Anyone who loves Death on the Nile will see echoes of this story in Loose Lips—not just as to the setting, but as to red herring side-plots, character dynamics, and more. I'm heading into spoiler territory, so I'll stop now!
See above re: changes to the book as I was writing (i.e., there weren't any major ones).
Are Payton, Nicole, Joan, Gerry, Jackson, or any of the other new characters in Loose Lips inspired by or based on specific individuals?
They certainly are. Something I'm having a lot of fun with in this series is taking certain public events and figures and weaving them into my fictional mysteries. Agatha Christie did this a lot more than people realize since many of her contemporary references are lost to the sands of time. (We still get the big ones, like the Lindbergh Baby kidnapping in Murder on the Orient Express, for example. But how many people realize the central intrigue of At Bertram's Hotel is based on The Great Train Robbery of 1963?)
Payton Garrett is a bit of a mashup, just as Dorothy Gibson was. In this case, she's made up of the authors Elizabeth Gilbert and Glennon Doyle, with a bit of Tara Westover, Rachel Hollis, and even Elin Hilderbrand thrown in for good measure. And the conflict between Payton and her writer friend Flora Fortescue is very much based on the "Bad Art Friend" debacle reported by The New York Times in 2021, about the writers Sonya Larson and Dawn Dorland. I was also inspired by the poet Amanda Gorman when I created the character of Nicole Root. So much writerly fun to be had!
What was your inspiration for the Crystal Palace? Is it based on or influenced by a real place, or is it entirely your creation? If it is based on a real place, what is it, and where is it located?
The Crystal Palace is entirely fictional. When I was a teenager, I inhaled as much Victorian literature and history as I could find and became obsessed with a famous exhibition hall called "The Crystal Palace," which was built in London's Hyde Park for the Great Exhibition of 1851 and which I reference in the novel. After The Busy Body was published, a reader told me how much she appreciated the setting of a see-through glass house in a mystery where people are keeping secrets from each other. I must admit this never occurred to me while I was writing the book… though perhaps I knew what I was doing on a subconscious level?
Have you ever been on a cruise (especially on one on a smaller ship like the Merman Rivera)? If so, when and where did you go?
The only cruise I've ever been on was in New Zealand, where my husband and I spent two and a half weeks for our honeymoon in 2010. We spent one night on a boat traveling through Milford Sound, a fjord on the South Island, in the part of the country used to depict "Rivendell" in the Lord of the Rings movies. I.e., where the elves live. And it really does look like that: tiny cataracts of water splashing down cliffs, ferny rainforests, green rock faces… It's absolutely lovely. Even so, one night was more than enough for me. I could never go on one of the longer (and larger) ocean cruises. It's the inability to leave that would get to me—which, of course, is the same reason a cruise ship is such a good setting for a mystery!
In your Acknowledgements, you mention Dr. Kathryn Harkup and her book A is for Arsenic. I am a HUGE fan of Dr. Harkup's and all of her work. Did you rely solely on A is for Arsenic for your research, or did you reach out to her directly? Have you read any of her other books (which I highly recommend!)?
You are now inspiring me to check out everything else Dr. Harkup has written! I've only read A is for Arsenic, which is such a brilliant book—brainy and scientific, with such minute detail, and yet it manages to be a page-turner. It's one of my favorite reference books on Christie, and at this point, I have read a lot (a lot!) of them. I never did reach out to Dr. Harkup directly. Her book was so informative that I didn't have to, and yet I've been meaning to have her on my podcast for some time now. I think I'm going to have to reach out to her…
You are the host of the All About Agatha podcast, so you're clearly a fan of Agatha Christie! Do you have a favorite of her novels? A favorite book about her?
This is the perennial impossible question for the scholar of Christie (or "Agathologist," as some of us like to call ourselves). For the first five years of the podcast, my co-host Catherine Brobeck and I actually ranked every single one of Christie's full-length mystery novels by way of a detailed scoring system broken down into multiple categories. (You can check out our results here if you'd like.) Our top-ranked novel was Five Little Pigs, with And Then There Were None a close second. (Technically, they were tied for first, but we gave the nod to Five Little Pigs. "Top-ranked" is not the same as "favorite," however, and there is no question I prefer Miss Marple to Monsieur Poirot. So I'm going to have to choose Murder at the Vicarage, which is the first novel in which Miss Marple appears. It's not perfect, but it has one of the best first-person narrators in the canon, and I think it's a delight.
It's almost as difficult for me to choose a book about Christie! Since I've already shouted out A is for Arsenic, I'll go for a more recent text: Agatha Christie's Marple: Expert on Wickedness by Dr. Mark Aldridge, which is an encyclopedic work all about my beloved Miss Marple, from her debut in 1927 all the way up to our present day. Mark is one of the best researchers in the business, and the way he synthesizes and streamlines the mountains of material that he's poured through is a wonder.
If I may, I'd like to highlight one more reference book. Agatha Christie’s Secret Notebooks by Dr. John Curran has been such a crucial text for me because it explains precisely how Christie came up with all her brilliant stories. Like many a genius, Agatha Christie was notoriously haphazard and untidy, but she left behind her many dozens of exercise books with her notes scrawled in them, sometimes in between shopping lists, doodles, and other scribblings… Dr. Curran went through each and every notebook he could find with meticulous care and managed to "translate" them for our benefit, producing a book with unparalleled insights into Christie's craft. I'm so grateful this book exists.
Do you have a favorite pastiche, television, or motion picture adaptation/interpretation?
Another perennial impossible question for the scholar of Christie! Would you believe that at last year's Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay (where Christie was born; the Festival is held there each year around her birthday on September 15), I hosted a panel in which I and four other Agathologists debated for over an hour as to the best Christie film/television adaptation? (Two of my panelists just so happened to be Dr. Mark Aldridge and Dr. John Curran!) According to us, the honor goes to Billy Wilder's brilliant Witness for the Prosecution from 1957, though again, "top-ranked" is not the same as "favorite." As I already mentioned, I think my favorite film has to be 1978's Death on the Nile starring Peter Ustinov as Poirot. And as for television, I "love" Joan Hickson’s Miss Marple series, and David Suchet’s Poirot. They were my friends while I was growing up.
A least favorite? (I realize that you may not want to address this one, and if that is the case, please don't. But I also realize it might be so bad that it could be fun to answer.)?
I am of the mindset that more is more where Christie is concerned, so I am never angry at the existence of any adaptation, no matter how much I—or others—may not like it. That said, there is no question there are some stinkers out there, and for me, one of them is the 2001 made-for-television movie Murder on the Orient Express, starring Alfred Molina as Hercule Poirot. (To be clear, I think Molina is a great actor. Just not in this.) The setting is contemporary, with an emphasis on "modern" technology, which has the unfortunate effect of dating the film (remember Palm Pilots?). The number of suspects was reduced from twelve to nine, which was a galling decision for reasons I won't explain so as not to spoil the book for anyone who hasn't read it. But if you know, you know. Finally, there is an ill-advised romance between Poirot and a lady friend, though this adaptation is by no means the sole offender when it comes to this issue…
Your biography says that you are a member of the New York Bar and that you now live in Los Angeles. Did you live in/near New York City or somewhere else in New York? Do you have any other favorite places in New York City and/or New York state? A hidden gem that someone visiting should not miss but would only learn about from a resident?
I grew up in New York, both Long Island and Westchester. One of my favorite places to visit when I was little was Sagamore Hill, which is Theodore Roosevelt's family home. It's essentially a small, staged museum with extensive grounds—well worth an afternoon for a history buff, and very child-friendly. But you have to book your tour in advance!
Same questions for Los Angeles?
I've lived in Los Angeles for 20 years now—longer than I've lived anywhere else. I'm a West sider, through and through, but I firmly believe when you live on the West side, you have to be willing to travel to see everyone else, so I get around quite a bit. One of the weirdest and most delightful evenings I've spent in L.A. was at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, which has nothing to do with Disney. It's the clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts (yes, that's an actual thing), and in a single evening, you can take in multiple magic acts in venues of varying size while apprentice magicians try out their tricks-in-progress on you in the five bars dotting the building. Did I mention you have to say a secret phrase to an owl statue to get in? The only downside is that gaining admission is tricky; someone has to invite you, or you have to be a guest at the Magic Castle Hotel next door. But it's well worth the effort—if whimsical fun is your thing.
Your biography also mentions that you are a graduate of Harvard Law School. That and your membership in the New York Bar seem to indicate that you may have considered a career as a lawyer. Did you ever practice law? If so, can you tell us a bit about it? Does your background in law inform or influence your writing (especially when you're writing mysteries)?
I never practiced law a day in my life, though I did pass the New York bar. I don't regret attending law school, however, as I made some of my very best friends there and learned how to be a more efficient and persuasive writer. These skills have been extremely useful for me in my creative endeavors.
Both The Busy Body and Loose Lips would make marvelous movies or great series. If they were going to be adapted, who would your dream cast be?
I've never had a specific actor in mind for the Ghostwriter or for any of the major characters (Dorothy Gibson, Payton Garrett) from either of the novels. This is probably another annoying writer response, but I get so wrapped up in the characters I create it's difficult to imagine an actor playing them since all I see is them or their essence when I picture them in my mind's eye… The fun thing about casting is that there are so many different directions to go in, so for now, I'm keeping an open mind and crossing my fingers that there will be something to report in this area sooner rather than later.
You now have two books in the Ghostwriter series. What are your plans for the series? Can you tell us anything about her next adventure? Will "the Bodyguard" be back?
I am currently finishing up the third book in the series, which will be out next year. This time, the Ghostwriter travels to the Southwestern United States, where she gets embroiled in another murder mystery and where we learn more about her own backstory. And yes, the Bodyguard will be back. And how.
What's currently on your nightstand?
I’m currently reading (and loving) The Shooting Party by Isabel Colegate (an inspiration for Julian Fellowes when writing Gosford Park and Downtown Abbey). On my nightstand I also have The Hunter by Tana French (I’ve read everything by her), Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott (got to love those McNally Editions reprints), Mind to Murder by P.D. James (another mystery author I love), and Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner (I will read this eventually). That is just a smattering, as I always have way too many books on my nightstand. In fact, I just counted, and I have twenty-two. Madness! I feel bad now for not including any nonfiction, so I'll go ahead and add Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, which I took off a shelf after watching a touring version of the musical with my daughter a few months ago. I will eventually read this as well!
Can you name your top five favorite or most influential authors?
Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, Wilkie Collins, E.M. Forster, Josephine Tey—though I'd like to acknowledge that composing such lists is agony, and depending on my mood, Forster and Tey could easily be switched out with any number of other writers. The first three are solid, though.
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
I went through so many different phases, with a different favorite author for each one, but the phase/author I'll pluck out is the summer that I read nothing but Ibsen plays. I remember particularly loving Pillars of Society, Ghosts, and The Lady from the Sea. I was very proud of myself for going deeper than A Doll's House and Hedda Gabler, though to be honest, I loved those too.
Was there a book you felt you needed to hide from your parents?
Not really; I'm happy to say my parents encouraged me to read whatever I wanted. I do have a memory of reading Little Women a bit shamefacedly, circa 1990, since it was widely known as a book for girls. Thankfully, many of these barriers have blurred or fallen away—or at least, I hope they have.
Is there a book you've faked reading?
In high school, I definitely pretended to read Oliver Twist for an English enrichment class, which didn't stop me from providing dubious classroom commentary by the seat of my pants. Thankfully, I've made amends with Mr. Dickens since then, and have read the book on my own time.
Can you name a book you've bought for the cover?
The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee. (I wasn't sorry!)
Is there a book that changed your life?
In that I cannot imagine myself or the world existing without it, I suppose I have to say Jane Eyre, though it's more that this book shaped my life, rather than changed it. (There's a "Nelly, I am Heathcliff!" analogy in there somewhere, though I'll let someone else make it, as I'm obviously more of a Jane Eyre than a Wuthering Heights person, and never the twain shall meet... )
Can you name a book for which you are an evangelist (and you think everyone should read)?
I firmly believe that The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin is "the" gold standard for juvenile mysteries. And while the book is beloved, I'm constantly shocked by how many people—how many mystery readers, even—don't know it. It is that rare and glorious thing: a tricky yet solvable puzzle mystery with memorable characters suffused with intrigue and heart. It's also really funny.
Is there a book you would most want to read again for the first time?
There are so many Christies that fall into this category, especially the ones with "gonzo" high-concept hooks that take your breath away when they're first revealed to you: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Murder on the Orient Express, And Then There Were None, Crooked House.
What is the last piece of art (music, movies, TV, more traditional art forms) that you've experienced or that has impacted you?
In the wake of David Lynch's recent death, I've found myself listening to the Twin Peaks theme music over and over again. I watched Twin Peaks when it first came out in 1990 when I was 11 years old, and that show has never left me—in good and bad ways. I've been amazed by the way Angelo Badalamenti's score catapults me back to the stomach-churning experience of watching this show (and being an 11-year-old). This theme is oppressively beautiful: cloying and poisonous and silly and scary and unlike anything else, like so much of Lynch's work. Listen (and watch) at your own risk!
What is your idea of THE perfect day (where you could go anywhere/meet with anyone)?
Schmaltz alert, but I would have to say a weekend day spent with my husband and two daughters. I would wake up naturally (i.e., without an alarm clock) and either be caught up on work or know that I have enough time in the days to follow to do my work so that I was free simply to hang out with my family all day.
What is the question that you're always hoping you'll be asked but never have been?
What does it feel like as an author to have won every award for which you are eligible and to have broken every sales record in existence?
What is your answer?
Fabulous!
What are you working on now?
The third book in the Ghostwriter series. I should be finishing it up soon, in time for its release next year. After that, I'm jumping into a semi-speculative standalone mystery set in the future. Wish me luck!
