Stacy Hackney was dealing with some major changes in her life after leaving a law career of 20 years.
Suddenly at home with four children, Hackney found herself questioning what she might do differently at this new stage of life. Reading about the public scandals of several prominent Southern families where husbands were at the center of the controversies, she found herself wondering about their wives who’d often been left with drastically changed circumstances.
On her mind was how those women were able to move forward after the scandals and, more broadly, how anyone navigates significant change in their life. “I decided to channel all my fears and anxieties, along with some inspiration from those Southern scandals, into a novel,” she says. “At its core, this is a story about reinvention and the difficulty of starting over when life seems cemented in one place, especially as a mother.”
The result is her new release, “The Primrose Murder Society,” a book characterized as part Gilmore Girls, meaning a focus on a maternal relationship where the mother will do anything for her daughter, and part “Only Murders in the Building.” Except in this case, the building is based on a local Richmond landmark. “The Primrose is inspired by the Tuckahoe in the West End and while it’s not a home for retirees, it is a grand, historic building and an iconic feature of the Richmond landscape,” says Hackney. “I’ve always thought it was beautiful and imagined what it was like to live there.”
Hackney had written two previous children’s novels, intended for ages 8 to 12. “Forever Glimmer Creek” and “The Sisters of Luna Island.” She characterizes both novels as coming-of-age stories with a touch of mystery and a little magic. But now she felt an adult audience calling.
“The Primrose Murder Society” is considered a “cozy mystery,” a genre loosely defined as a lighthearted whodunit that centers around an amateur sleuth and includes humor, a close-knit community, and a twisty plot. “But I firmly believe you can explore more serious themes in a cozy mystery too,” she says. “That was something which was important to me with my book, and I hope its themes of trust, the complexity of motherhood, and rebuilding after betrayal are universal ones that will appeal to mystery and non-mystery lovers alike.”
The book tells the story of Lila and daughter Bea after their husband/father has gone to jail for a white-collar crime. Without a house anymore, they move into a junk-filled apartment at the Primrose which they’ll clean out in exchange for staying there. Then the penthouse owner dies, leaving a $2 million reward for whoever solves the 21-year-old murder of his granddaughter, which coincidentally happened at the Primrose. While busy trying to solve that, a current resident of the building dies and Lila is the prime suspect. Cozy, right?
A key aspect of the book involves Lila and Bea figuring out how to bond, empathize and relate to each other, an aspect of parenting Hackney knows well from her own family life. Having four children helped Hackney get into her characters’ heads, even as she acknowledges how humbling it is to be a mom.
“Many times I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing as a parent, and I included all those insecurities in Lila’s character,” she says. “Every child is unique, and I try to communicate and connect with each of my four sons in a distinctive way that best suits each boy, although that’s still very much a work in progress.”
Similarities between author and main character are evident in that both Lila and Hackney are people-pleasers who don’t like conflict or disappointing others, although Hackney says they’re both working on being more assertive. She wrote the precocious ten-year old Bea, who’s far more interested in murders and true crime than typical tween activities, as a timeless character. “She’s stubborn and outspoken, vulnerable and defiant, and I believe those qualities resonate in any timeline,” she says. “Honestly, Bea is maybe my most favorite character I’ve ever written.”
Hackney’s goal is to write the kinds of books she enjoys reading. A fan of mysteries, humor, mother-daughter stories and tales of found family, she incorporated all those elements into “The Primrose Murder Society.” When it comes to the actual writing process, she starts each book with a loose outline about where she envisions the story going, even while admitting that the plot usually changes in some way as she writes her draft.
Much time is spent in advance of writing just thinking about her characters and getting to know them. She keeps a spiral notebook in which she jots down plot points, character notes, descriptions, and timelines. Because she’s most productive in the mornings, she tries to focus on her drafting or editing then, often very early before anyone else in the house is awake.
“And whenever I get stuck on a scene, I turn back to my notebook and draft by hand, always with a Pilot G2 pen,” she says. “There’s something about writing by hand that unlocks ideas for me.”
A conversation with Stacy Hackney on “The Primrose Murder Society” will be held on Wednesday, March 4 at 6 p.m. at Book People, 10464 Ridgefield Parkway. Visit Book People’s website for more info.
