Jan K Moore

I am a New Zealander. One hemisphere and years later I live in London.

Mrs Cox is my first crime novel. Most of my writing has been about seventeenth-century manuscripts, or press notices and letters to charity donors. Once it was a thank you for the entire proceeds of an agricultural show.

My husband and I live in Camberwell and sometimes beside the beach in Wellington.

Jan K Moore
What’s the best advice for writing?
Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.’
What was your last run-in with a policeman?
‘You are now causing an obstruction of the highway and may be arrested.’ Because developers plan to tear down a local shopping centre and put up luxury flats.
What do you always carry?
A library card and bus pass.
How would you like to be remembered?
In a small way, perhaps on a postage stamp. I send lots of postcards. I like how they don’t expect an answer.
What do you read for comfort?
Seventeenth-century diaries. They have entries like ‘October 17 Marriage concluded by Mother. October 26 Match almost off again.’ There’s a story in those nine days.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Tipping too much because I remember being a waitress.
 

Mrs Cox

Finger bones and a red hat are found burnt in a hearth in 1608. How can we not be interested in that? The story happens in Aldgate, a poor part of London, where there is a greedy alderman called Blincoe and some thinking women, ribbon seller Mrs Cox and her Maidens’ Guild.

These women can stand anything. But being so different, of course, there will be squabbles. Mrs Cox is about women stopping men who are rich and right. Because what becomes of the world if Blincoes win? He thinks women are dumb. It could be fun.

‘Mrs Cox’d die if she didn’t have a pen. She writes everything down like a judge.’

But Mrs Cox is only available as an audiobook on Audible.

Listen to Jilly Bond, award-winning performer, read an extract with three characters, a locked door and ‘murderer’.

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Twitter @JanMooreMrsCox

Mrs Cox Cover
All content ©2018 Jan K Moore, October 2018