Mystery writing royalty in Royal Oak

More than 100 people packed the Royal Oak library’s auditorium tonight — April 8, 2008 — for an appearance by Laurie R. King.

As part of an annual reading promotion, book clubs throughout Wayne and Oakland counties read The Beekeeper’s Apprentice this year, so most of the questions revolved around Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. King said that, from the moment she conceived of Russell’s character, “There was no arguing with this person.” Russell is as analytical and repressed as Holmes, but with the drive of a 20th century female detective.

King confessed to a certain haphazardness in her own modus operandi. Her books start as a messy draft and get cleaned up in rewrite, when she adds the the least amount of background research necessary.

“Research just tempts you to use it,” she said.

Complimented on the continuity in the Russell/Holmes series, she admitted that it was somewhat of a chore. She said, when pressed to remember a detail from a previous book to use in the one she’s writing, she sometimes taps the collective memory of those who read her blog. (She includes a link to Barry Eisler’s website there — see my previous post about Eisler and his John Rain protagonist.)

“I learn from each book what a very bad writer I am,” she claimed. Yes, so awful that she’s working on her 19th book, The Language of Bees, the ninth Russell/Holmes book.

Ken now has signed copies of five King books, including A Grave Talent, Beekeeper, A Darker Place, To Play the Fool and her newest, Touchstone. Call for prices.