Interview with Karen Odden (Down a Dark River)

Questions for Karen Odden on Down a Dark River - Release date: Nov. 9th. 2021

Publisher Crooked Lane Books

Review here of Down A Dark River

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Congrats, Karen, on your new novel! What inspired the Inspector Corravan Mystery series?

Often the inspiration for a book comes from a painful or harrowing story I read or hear that gets its claws into me, and I begin to feel I must share it in a book. 

In the case of Down a Dark River, it was this: years ago, I read an article about race and the law in the US. One of the vignettes in the article was about a young black woman in the South who was jaywalking across a quiet street. She was hit by a white man who was driving too fast and under the influence of alcohol, although under the legal limit. She was in the hospital for two months with terrible injuries, but a judge in court awarded her only $2,000—because she had been jaywalking. The injustice clawed at me. But even more striking to me was that her father threatened the judge’s daughter—I assume to make the judge understand what it was to almost lose a daughter. It struck me that revenge is not always an eye-for-an-eye. Sometimes when justice fails at the level of the symbol (which is what money, or a public apology, or a conviction is because none of them materially reverse the damage of broken bones), what we call “revenge” is sometimes an attempt to communicate one’s experience to someone who (out of a lack of compassion or ignorance or wilfulness) is refusing to acknowledge it. I think of this type of “revenge” as akin to taking someone by the shoulders and shaking him to make him pay attention. So, I wanted to explore revenge, but in a Victorian setting.

Please give us an overview of Down a Dark River.

My main character, Scotland Yard Inspector Michael Corravan is a former thief, bare-knuckles boxer, and dockworker from seedy Whitechapel. He’s also Irish, which in 1870s London was a real impediment. He is in the midst of trying to find the missing Madeline Beckford, whose husband is a wealthy shipping magnate in Mayfair, when his new director gives him a new, more important case: a beautiful dead girl, daughter of a judge, who has been murdered, laid out in a boat, and sent floating down the Thames.

To complicate matters, in 1877, four Yard inspectors were accused of taking bribes from con men. (True history.) It was a huge scandal, with three inspectors convicted, and a special Parliamentary Commission considered shutting down the Yard for good. In this atmosphere of public distrust, Corravan has to try to solve this murder case of the judge’s daughter … until the following week when a second woman is murdered, and he realises he has what Victorians called a “sequential murder” case. 

Your previous novels are written from a female perspective. Was it difficult to write your new lead character of Down a Dark River in a male narrative voice? 

It was tricky! When I first started writing, I read a few chapters every morning from books written in a male voice. Tana French’s Faithful Place, Amor Towles’s A Gentleman in Moscow, David Benioff’s City of Thieves, Tom Clancy’s Hunt for Red October were some of them. Yes, I was all over the place so far as genre and time period, but the very differences among those male voices helped me locate Corravan’s voice, which slowly became distinct in my ear.

This novel, as your previous ones, are written in first person. Why have you selected this type of point of view over the others?

I know that other people write in third person and convey a complex interior life. But I like characters (and friends) who share their thoughts and feelings, who may not know themselves entirely, but are willing to face their flaws and own them. So my characters are pretty forthright with the reader, telling as much as they know to be true. Now, Corravan has some blind spots … but he’s doing the best he can, which is all we can ask of anyone. 

You chose your lead character Inspector Corravan’s national origin as Irish? Why?

I wanted him to be somewhat of an outsider. Until I started researching the Irish in London during this time period, I had no idea just how much prejudice they faced! Some of the books that were circulating—written by medical men, not just crackpots or eccentrics—reflect an appalling level of racism directed at the Irish. They’re called “vermin,” “monsters,” and “ape-like,” as well as some words that we don’t put in print anymore. Corravan’s Irishness comes into play even more in the sequel, Under a Veiled Moon, which I’m writing now. In it, an Irishman is suspected of a crime, and Corravan, convinced he’s innocent, must stand up to the Yard Director Vincent when he asks, “Are you defending him because he’s innocent, or because he’s Irish?”

Can you give us some insight into what makes Inspector Michael Corravan unique? 

Corravan’s father died before he can remember, and his mother vanished when he was eleven. Growing up on the streets of Whitechapel, he found that the skills that kept him alive and well were strength, boldness, and decisiveness. They stand him in good stead as a policeman as well. But as Belinda Gale (his lover and friend) points out, these traits leave no room for the empathy that would help him understand angry, desperate, powerless criminal like the one he faces. She tells Corravan that he would be a better policeman if he could remember moments of his own weakness. Reluctantly and painfully, Corravan comes to see that Belinda is right. I like writing character arcs where a protagonist must amend former traits or relinquish an old belief or practice in order to grow and achieve his goal. 

How extensive was your research while preparing for your new series? Any reference books you wish to mention?

Oh, gosh, I researched for hours, using old newspapers, books, and reference articles. One of the most important resources was The Ascent of the Detective: Police Sleuths in Victorian and Edwardian England by Haia Shpayer-Makov. I turn to it constantly. Another was Thames by Peter Ackroyd; also Mudlark by Lara Maiklem, a fun read and which I recommend to anyone interested in the Thames.

Please provide a surprising fact you learned while researching for Down a Dark River.

My first surprise was learning about the 1877 scandal because I had always thought of Scotland Yard as the elite branch of the Met Police! But a fun tidbit? I didn’t realize English people drank coffee! Tea was definitely the usual beverage, but coffee was still around. Here’s a silver pot from the time period. 

Is there any scene that has been edited out of Down a Dark River you wish to share?

This book has been rewritten so many, many times. I don’t have a scene I omitted, but I do have an exclusive prequel, about an early case solved by Corravan and his partner Mr. Stiles’s, that I will be sharing for people who subscribe to my newsletter! 

What is the key theme and/or message of Down a Dark River ? 

I’d say that it’s the importance of understanding that one injury often begets another. And sometimes, as Corravan learns to his profound regret, we can’t redress them. Sometimes the best we can do is find compassion and try to prevent any further harm. One reader called the ending “harrowing but humane,” and that’s what I was going for. 

What were the main challenges you faced when writing this book? 

It’s not unique to this book, certainly, but I’d say it’s getting into the heads of my secondary characters – the villains (to remain nameless!), the allies (Mr. Stiles, Dr. James Everett, Tom Flynn), the lover (Belinda Gale), the foil (young Harry Lish), the irritating “thorn” (the sleazy newspaperman Mr. Fishel), the victims, and so on. It’s a challenge I enjoy, but it is a very time-consuming project. I spend hours writing up backstory for each, from their point of view, so they will come across as “round” characters, not just plot devices. 

Please give us info on the book’s title and its significance?

Usually, I have a terrible time with titles! The difficult part when publishing traditionally is that the author, agent, editor, and marketing team ALL have to be on board with it. My first book, A Lady in the Smoke, about a young woman and her mother in a railway disaster in 1874 London, went through so many title changes that my agent Josh Getzler started just calling it “Choo Choo Go Boom” because he couldn’t keep track anymore. But this book was always Down a Dark River. It popped into my head very early on, and—fortunately!—everyone liked it. The significance is both metaphorical and physical. Corravan has to go down his own, personal dark (psychological) river into his past in order to solve the mystery. The Thames is central to the story; it begins and ends on its shores. And the name “Thames” means “Dark River.” A bit of fun etymology for you: before the Romans, it was called "Tems," which the Romans latinized to "Tamesis." "Tame" is Celtic for "Dark One." However, most etymologists agree the name is derived from the Sanskrit (ancient Indian) "Tamasa" meaning "dark river" or "dark water," and the word spread from India through the Celts to Britain. The Thames has such a rich, remarkable history that it serves as both a metaphor and the setting for most of the book. 

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

I paid somewhere around $500 to go to Bouchercon in October 2019, not long before COVID shut down book events. Bouchercon is an annual mystery conference, attended by writers, fans, agents, publishers, reviewers, and so on. I’d never attended, but I had my third book, A Trace of Deceit, coming out in December, so I thought it was time I went. It was a truly transformative experience. I met so many wonderful people, and it was crucial for me as I began to find my place in the writing community. 

Describe a typical writing day for you. 

I wake up around 5:30 or 6 and feed my beagle Rosy, wrangling her pills into her through a combination of tricks. That gets my blood flowing. Once the house is empty of husband (work) and son (school), I fetch a cup of coffee and either go hiking (which means work starts at around 9:30 am) or sit down at my desk, usually around 7:15 am. When I’m editing, I read my pages aloud because my ear catches what my eye misses. When I’m researching, I give myself two hours to hunt around for what I need and then pause to ask, “Just how far down the rabbit hole are you? Is this productive?” And when I’m writing a first draft, as now, I reread the last page I wrote the day before and keep going. At the moment, I’m about 57,000 words into Corravan book II. Usually I work at least four or five hours writing, and then in the afternoons I do other writing-related tasks—marketing, writing my newsletter, posting and responding on social media, helping Sisters in Crime with their calendar (a volunteer job), developing writing workshops, listening to podcasts about books, setting up speaking engagements, and so on.

Are you able to give us a hint on what you are writing now, be it Book 2 of the current series or something else?

In September 1878, about three months after Down a Dark River ends, London’s worst disaster on the Thames occurred. (True history.) The Princess Alice, one in a fleet of pleasure steamers that passengers could ride up and down the Thames for 2 shillings for the day, hopping on and off for picnics and such, was coming around Tripcock Point in the near-dark, and a collier, the Bywell Castle (about 6 times its size, 900 tons) smashed into it, cutting it in three parts, and sending the 650 passengers into the water. Most of them drowned, which is unimaginably terrible. What intrigued me, though, was that because people could hop on and off the Princess Alice, there was no passenger manifest. No one knew for certain who was on the boat! Also, both ships were held partially accountable and no one person was found to blame. This opened up all kinds of intriguing possibilities. 

Do you have a favourite hobby or physical activity that helps clear your mind after or before a writing session?

Before moving to Arizona, I was never a hiker. Now I hike at least four or five times a week, weather permitting. Sometimes I hike in the morning and work out a scene in my head as I go. Sometimes I talk through a difficult plot point with a hiking friend. I can’t tell you how many times that’s helped when I’m stuck. Other times, I reach 4 pm and I cannot look at my computer one more minute, and I hike to clear my head. 

What has been the biggest highlight of your writing career to date?

That’s a difficult one—there have been so many! I would say it’s every time I hear from a reader that they loved my book. It never gets old. One memorable instance occurred last June, in the terrible midst of Covid, when a reader wrote to me: “I have been so miserable sitting at home, but I read A Trace of Deceit yesterday, and for six hours I did not think about Covid once. It was a blessing.” That made me cry. 

Do you enjoy hearing from your readers? Do you have a newsletter they might like to sign up for on your website? 

I love hearing from readers! I have a newsletter that comes out every 6 weeks with news not just from me (I try to make it not all about me) but also essays from other authors and giveaways of their books. I believe participating in and enhancing the writing/reading community is important, so I try to support other authors, writing groups, and bookshops as best I can. You can email me or sign up for my newsletter at my website: www.karenodden.com. 

Thanks so much to Karen for this informative interview. I hope everyone gets copies of her new novel when it comes out on November 9, 2021. In the meantime, pick up her earlier releases and visit her website! Plus check out previous interviews and reviews of her books here on my website (Under Blog and News/Reviews).