An Interview with Jade Grafton

I’ve been a storyteller since I was small — long before my handwriting was legible — and now, from my home in Derbyshire, I spend my free time crafting deliciously compelling, impossible mysteries designed to keep my protagonists — and readers — guessing. All my work is published through my own imprint, Crimson Nightingale Press.

When I’m not writing, I run a busy pet-sitting business or hunt for treasures while thrifting for vintage finds. I share my life with my amazing husband, three crazy dogs, and two stepchildren.

The only thing that rivals my passion for writing and animals is my devotion to Cornwall. In the future, we aim to trade the Derbyshire hills for the Cornish coast. To spend days swimming in the ocean, burning through a pile of books, and plotting my next mysterious murder. What could be more perfect than sun, sand, and the occasional fictional homicide.

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What inspired you to start writing this book?

The inspiration was a recurring nightmare. I’d dream of my parents happily gardening while I stood by in a state of sheer panic, knowing they were inches away from uncovering a body I’d buried. That visceral mix of domestic normalcy and absolute, terrifying dread was exactly the tone I wanted to capture for my protagonist, Mina.

Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

I struggled to settle on the perfect title, but as my protagonist became more fleshed out, the title practically wrote itself — or perhaps she wrote it for me! It creates that perfect, intended tension: drawing the reader in with the promise of something tranquil or familiar, only to pull the rug out from under them once they are safely inside the pages.

Describe your dream book cover.

I’ve already designed the cover for my book, as I am an extremely visual person. Having it in front of me while I write serves as a constant source of inspiration, keeping me motivated and making the entire project feel much more tangible. The design intentionally blends botanical whimsy with stark, modern gothic elements; I hope this juxtaposition creates that perfect sense of unease that catches a reader’s eye and invites them in.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

I Drove All Night – Cyndi Lauper

Where the Wild Roses Grow – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds ft Kylie Minogue

O’ Death – Jen Titus

Secret Garden – Bruce Springsteen

You Don’t Own Me – Joan Jett & the Black hearts

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida – Iron Butterfly

Rush Hour – Jane Wiedlin

Cherry Lips – Garbage

Wild Women Do – Natalie Cole

Ballroom Blitz – Sweet

Brutal Planet – Alice Cooper

A Girl Like You – Edwyn Collins

What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?

The Secret World of Polly Flint – Helen Cresswell

The Wintringham Mystery – Anthony Berkeley Cox

Wicked Plants – Amy Stewart

The Innocents – Bridget Walsh

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

My career path has been anything but linear. While I currently run my own dog walking and pet-sitting business, my resume includes stints as a cleaner, a gym membership salesperson, and a receptionist. Interestingly, my childhood dreams were quite specific: my first ambition was to be an author, and my second was to pursue a career as a pathologist or forensic psychologist. Life often has a funny way of taking a different turn, but I seem to have come full circle, right back to where I started: writing.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I’ve always loved reading and writing, a passion my parents encouraged from the very beginning. But it was my grandad who really shared that fire — he was an avid reader and a writer himself. I always joke that it must have passed to me through osmosis, but regardless of how it happened, I’m grateful to carry that tradition forward.

Where is your favorite place to write?

Anywhere! I can often be found standing writing in the kitchen while I’m cooking dinner. Any place and chance I get, I will write.

What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?

My biggest advice to my younger self would be: Just don’t stop. I spent years writing and then years walking away from it, and I carry a genuine regret for that lost time. Whatever the project, whatever the genre; just keep writing. Even a small amount of progress is better than none.

What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?

Ultimately, I hope my characters stay with my readers long after they turn the final page. I want them to form a genuine bond with Mina — my protagonist, who is as simple as she is complicated — and perhaps even find inspiration in her journey to embrace her true, unfiltered self. But, beneath that connection, I hope to leave them with a lingering sense of unease. I want them to look at a life that seems ‘domestically perfect’ and realize it may be nothing more than a carefully constructed illusion.

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Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.