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WORK TITLE: The Au Pair
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://annadowdall.com/
CITY: Toronto
STATE: ON
COUNTRY: Canada
NATIONALITY: Canadian
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Montreal, Canada; children: Daisy May.
EDUCATION:Attended Princeton University.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Previously, worked as a journalist, graphic artist, teacher, indigenous policy specialist, translator, and nurse’s aide.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Anna Dowdall is a Canadian writer. Her career has been widely varied, with jobs as a journalist, graphic artist, teacher, indigenous policy specialist, translator, and nurse’s aide.
After the Winter
In 2017, Dowdall released her first novel, After the Winter. The book is the first in her “Ashley Smeeton” series. In this volume, Ashley is just nine years old, but she is already an aspiring detective with a penchant for novels by Nancy Drew. Ashley butts in on a woman’s investigation of the death of her half-sister. The woman is Sally Ryder, and her half-sister was Helena Lane. Sally did not know she had a half-sibling until she received a letter from Helena. The two had planned to meet, but Helena die in a car wreck before they could. When Sally goes to Helena’s home in Quebec, she learns strange information that leads her to wonder if Helena was murdered. In an interview with Leah DeCesare, which appeared on DeCesare’s self-titled website, Dowdall stated: “I love twentieth century romantic suspense, domestic suspense, Gothic suspense. There’s nothing more relevant today than these stories, often very well written, about women in danger and what they do about it. I wondered if I could write something like that—but spiked with a very modern ending. And so I did.”
A Kirkus Reviews contributor commented: “Dowdall’s fast-paced narrative unfolds like a classic Agatha Christie mystery, with unexpected and satisfying plot twists.” The same contributor added: “The author captures the unique rhythms of life in this picturesque community.” The contributor also noted that the book featured “well-developed characters.”
The Au Pair
A grown-up Ashley returns in The Au Pair. She is waiting for the government approval to launch a detective agency in Montreal. While she waits, she takes a job as an au pair for a wealthy single mother named Layla Sampson. When people in the Sampson ski lodge begin dying, Ashley investigates.
A critic in Kirkus Reviews offered a favorable assessment of The Au Pair, suggesting: “The storytelling is strong and confident, and Dowdall includes enough back story to satisfy both newcomers and established fans of the series.” The same critic described the book as “a well-crafted Gothic suspense story with an engaging heroine.” A writer on the Thrilling Detective website discussed the first two books of the “Ashley Smeeton” series, stating: “The author calls them ‘Gothic cozy mysteries’ but there’s a welcome dash of simmering noir in her well-received books about young Montreal detective, Ashley Smeeton.” The same writer compared the books to others in the genre and noted: “The sharply drawn scenes of Montreal and the surrounding Quebec countryside … [is] a refreshing change.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, November 1, 2017, review of After the Winter; January 15, 2018, review of The Au Pair.
ONLINE
Anna Dowdall website, http://annadawdall.com (May 23, 2018).
Leah DeCesare website, http://www.leahdecesare.com/ (May 23, 2018), Leah DeCesare, author interview.
Thrilling Detective, http://www.thrillingdetective.com/ (May 18, 2018), review of After the Winter and The Au Pair.
Bio
I’m Montréalaise by birth and identity, although I’ve called other parts of Canada and the United States my home: Ontario, Nova Scotia, the Yukon and, yes, New Jersey. I now live in downtown Toronto, along with sundry requisite cats.
I’ve always loved to write. I have a vivid memory, during an unremarkable working class upbringing, of writing a story about Gwendolyn, Marigold and Ali, and their adventures in and out of a gated city redolent of the mysterious East. Gwendolyn had eyes like twin sapphire pools, I recollect. The girls got over the wall—which was the whole point. Ahem—I might not have strayed too far from that genre, except that now I drop in references to Charlotte Brontë and Bertrand Russell. When you hit on something that speaks to the inner you, I guess you can’t escape.
Well, I grew up, and life seized me. I was a nurse’s aide and a graphic artist for a while, then a journalist with United Press International. I translated romance novels, the shirtless laird type, and was in and out of school like a repeat offender. I ended up studying for a doctoral degree at Princeton, where I specialized in long bicycle rides and watching Oprah, but did enjoy writing academic satires involving my profs in the style of Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast. I still remember you, Madame Belladonna.
I couldn’t stay at Princeton or Castle Gormenghast forever, so I returned to Canada to face the music. I taught in Halifax for a bit, then lit out for the Yukon territory, where it’s so cold people drop the minuses when they talk about winter: thus, 35 would be a good day, whereas 42 would be a bit much. In the frozen North I tried dogsledding and cross-country skiing but preferred extreme gardening—the things you can grow with 20 hours of sunlight in summer. I’ve had a few jobs in government along the way. When I came to Toronto, my employer decided I was an Indigenous policy specialist so I worked in that area and certainly learned a lot. One fine day at the office, my boss said, you’ve led such an interesting life, Anna. I figured I wasn’t long for government after that.
During this time I began to write again—young adult fantasy. I have two unpublished books in this genre. Book one was a semi-finalist for the American Katherine Paterson Prize, and book two, in a mystery vein, made the long list for Canada’s Unhanged Arthur, the unpublished novel category of the Arthur Ellis Awards. I shifted to romantic suspense and domestic suspense, in part because of market practicalities, but also undoubtedly because Fate Had Other Things In Store For Me, as foreshadowed above.
AFTER THE WINTER is my first published novel. Its sequel, THE AU PAIR, was released in October 2017. I’m currently writing book 3, APRIL ON PARIS STREET. All three are set in Montreal and the surrounding countryside, although in book 3 private investigator Ashley Smeeton heads for Paris to “rescue” a young woman in distress. I don’t know why Quebec isn’t more often a mise en scène for romantic suspense.
AFTER THE WINTER is a story about women in danger, and what they do about it. I hope readers will recognize and love the classic romantic suspense elements. I spiked the ending though, and it’s meant to shock. How much it shocks is up to you. But the wintry landscape, the secrets, the slightly Gothic house on a hill, they’re all there. And of course the intrepid heroine herself. Sally Ryder’s irresistible curiosity is the small bright flame that drives the plot. In AFTER THE WINTER, you’ll also meet Ashley Arabella Smeeton for the first time. She’s a pigtailed nine-year-old back then, with an addiction to Nancy Drew and an inability to mind her own business. Grown up in book 2, Ashley is a down-to-earth and unsentimental PI, with a taste for Whippets (Dare, I am open to corporate sponsorships) and a strange propensity for entanglement in romantic suspense plots.
I plan to write more books. I think of myself as a writer. But reading might actually be more important to me than writing. Libraries are among my favourite places, with bookstores a close second. Since I read so much and so widely, I can’t possibly tell you what my favourite book is. At this very moment, though, I’m flipflopping among these: the Quebecois mystery writer Jacques Côté, Canada’s own queen of domestic suspense, Margaret Millar, the Minnesota Anishinaabe storyteller and poet, Jim Northrup, and P.G. Wodehouse. So you see my problem.
I hope you’ll want to read my books. But whatever you do, please, just read.
Anna was born in Montreal and currently lives in Toronto with assorted cats. AFTER THE WINTER (August 2017), her first published Gothic cozy mystery, has been described as an "impressive" (Kirkus Reviews) cross between Agatha Christie and Daphne du Maurier, with a pinch of Louise Penny thrown in. She was semi-finalist for the Katherine Paterson prize and for Canada’s Arthur Ellis Award in the unpublished category. THE AU PAIR (October 2017) is the eagerly awaited second book in the series. It combines a devious whodunit family saga plot with a dry and sensible young PI and the kind of fun chills vintage Gothic provides.
QUOTED: "I love twentieth century romantic suspense, domestic suspense, Gothic suspense. There’s nothing more relevant today than these stories, often very well written, about women in danger and what they do about it. I wondered if I could write something like that—but spiked with a very modern ending. And so I did."
Interview with Anna Dowdall – AFTER THE WINTER
After the Winter | leahdecesare.comHappy Book Birthday, Anna Dowdall! Her debut novel, After the Winter, releases today. Anna and I are both part of a fabulous group of debut novelists all releasing in 2017 – 17Scribes – find us on Facebook or the 17Scribes website.
Where did the idea for your book originate?
I love twentieth century romantic suspense, domestic suspense, Gothic suspense. There’s nothing more relevant today than these stories, often very well written, about women in danger and what they do about it. I wondered if I could write something like that—but spiked with a very modern ending. And so I did.
What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?
Write as many days a week as you can for a few hours. Treat it like a job. Every published writer I’ve ever spoken to has routinized their work. Also, maybe even more important, READ READ READ.
What was your childhood dream? What did you want to be when you grew up?
I’ve always loved to write. I have a vivid memory, during an unremarkable working class upbringing, of writing a story about Gwendolyn, Marigold and Ali, and their adventures in and out of a gated city redolent of the mysterious East. Gwendolyn had eyes like twin sapphire pools, I recollect. The girls got over the wall—which was the whole point. Years passed. I was a nurse’s aide, journalist, horticultural advisor, perpetual grad student, bureaucrat, translator, teacher, graphic artist and mother, I flew a small plane, I lived in the far North. But—ahem—I might not have strayed too far from my original genre, except that now I drop in references to Charlotte Brontë and Bertrand Russell. When you hit on something that speaks to the inner you, I guess you can’t escape.
When you think back to your childhood dreams for your adult life, did any of them turn out like you imagined?
The only dream I ever had was to write. The rest of my life was accident. Some of it was incredibly cool though, like being mother to my amazing Daisy May.
Tell us about your writing process. Do you have set times of day/number of words? Do you have a favorite writing place or routine?
So boring! I try to sit at my desk every day at around 9. I’m lucky enough to have a home office. I aim for about 1000 words a day, once I’m in the writing phase. I spend about four months planning a book. Planning consists of writing notes that eventually take a definite shape, with a list of characters, an ever-expanding synopsis and a timeline. I have a notebook and pen always handy during the writing phase and write every random thought down. I also saturate myself during the planning phase in anything I think will be helpful for the story. My third book will have scenes on a train and I got into several novels involving train journeys. I spend about six weeks revising, although revision is getting easier now as I write more and make fewer booboos.
Has anyone ever thought a character you wrote was based on them?
I sincerely hope so. Of course, the resemblance would be 100% accidental.
Tell us your best fork story (a fork is a cocky, arrogant, jerky, player, cheater kind of guy … you know the type!)
Such a little victory. An old flame who’d always kept me waiting swung into town and suggested we meet for coffee or a drink. I said sure—and didn’t show up. I like to think I kept him waiting forever.
About the book:
Anna Dowdall | leahdecesare.comRudderless after betrayal by her former fiancé, Montreal heiress Sally Ryder discovers her dead mother had a secret life and she has a half-sister. Helena has written to Sally, inviting her to Midwinter, an isolated estate in Quebec. But before they can meet, Helena and her husband die under disturbing circumstances.
Sally decides to visit nearby Waverley for a few days nevertheless, to learn what she can about the sister she never knew. Her first shock is to find that Howard left everything, including Midwinter, to his beautiful secretary Janine. During a storm, Sally is unexpectedly snowed in with Janine and an assortment of Midwinter guests. It isn’t long before Sally becomes entangled with a handsome doctor from Boston in an effort to uncover the truth about her sister’s mysterious life, and death.
Meanwhile, the bodies pile up.
QUOTED: "The storytelling is strong and confident, and Dowdall includes enough back story to satisfy both newcomers and established fans of the series."
"a well-crafted Gothic suspense story with an engaging heroine."
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Print Marked Items
Dowdall, Anna: THE AU PAIR
Kirkus Reviews.
(Jan. 15, 2018):
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Dowdall, Anna THE AU PAIR The Wild Rose Press, Inc. (Indie Fiction) $13.99 10, 11 ISBN: 978-1-5092-
1736-6
An aspiring private investigator uncovers a mystery when she takes a job as an au pair.
Ashley Smeeton always dreamed of becoming a sleuth. When she was 9, she witnessed her first
investigation when a murder mystery unfolded in her hometown. Now in her mid-20s, she has set up an
agency in Montreal, but she is unable to accept clients until she receives her license from the government.
In need of cash, she accepts a summer job as an au pair at Columbine Lodge in the Laurentian Mountains.
Her client is Layla Sampson, a single mother with a 4-year-old daughter, Meade. When Ashley arrives at
the lodge, she encounters an eccentric and wealthy but deeply dysfunctional family. Lionel Sampson owns
the lodge and controls the finances. Along with Layla and Meade, he shares the home with his sister, Edyth,
and nephew, Peter. After a slow start, Ashley bonds with the quiet but perceptive Meade and befriends
members of the household staff, including the charming and seductive Jon Perez. What begins as a routine
job takes an ominous turn when residents of the lodge die suddenly, and Ashley is drawn into a web of
family secrets and treachery. Dowdall's (After the Winter, 2017) latest novel offers a resourceful heroine,
atmospheric settings, and well-plotted suspense. First introduced in After the Winter, Ashley is a likable
heroine whose inquisitive nature helps her navigate the complicated dynamics of the Sampson family.
Dowdall skillfully uses the settings throughout the tale, including the bustling city of Montreal--featuring
"the thundering boxcars and the whine of the electric train"--and the lodge with its unique hillside design.
Although the settings are effective, there are a few similarities between the lodge and Midwinter, the
Quebec estate in After the Winter. Both are remote estates owned by wealthy but troubled families. Perhaps
Ashley's next case will keep her in Montreal. The storytelling is strong and confident, and Dowdall includes
enough back story to satisfy both newcomers and established fans of the series. This installment should
appeal to fans of Louise Penny.
A well-crafted Gothic suspense story with an engaging heroine.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Dowdall, Anna: THE AU PAIR." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Jan. 2018. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A522642902/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=131c3bb2.
Accessed 17 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A522642902
QUOTED: "Dowdall's fast-paced narrative unfolds like a classic Agatha Christie mystery, with unexpected and satisfying plot twists."
"The author captures the unique rhythms of life in this picturesque community."
"well-developed characters."
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Dowdall, Anna: AFTER THE WINTER
Kirkus Reviews.
(Nov. 1, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Dowdall, Anna AFTER THE WINTER The Wild Rose Press, Inc. (Indie Fiction) $14.99 8, 25 ISBN: 978-
1-5092-1480-8
The discovery of a secret half sister leads a woman into a web of deception and intrigue in this debut novel.
At 23, Sally Ryder finds herself unmoored following a betrayal by an unfaithful fiance. Then an article in a
Montreal paper brings news of a sudden loss. Helena Lane, Sally's half sister, was killed in a car accident
along with her husband, Howard, while returning to Midwinter, their estate in Quebec. Sally had learned her
mother was previously married after receiving a letter from Helena explaining the family connection and
expressing a desire to meet Sally. Despite her sibling's death, Sally wants to learn more and travels to
Quebec. While staying in the town of Waverley, she befriends Dr. Tom Munro, Howard's childhood friend.
They are shocked to discover that Howard's secretary, Janine Douglas, will inherit the entire estate, and
their surprise turns to suspicion when they meet her friend Carson DeWitt and his sister, Debbie, who have
a keen interest in Janine and Midwinter. Sally and Tom's probe leads them to suspect Helena's and Howard's
deaths may not have been an accident. As their attraction deepens, they are in a race to uncover the truth
before tragedy strikes again. Dowdall's impressive novel is an entertaining and suspenseful entry in the
gothic mystery genre. The setting is a key component of the tale, and Quebec and Midwinter are vividly
rendered. The author captures the unique rhythms of life in this picturesque community, from the locals who
call Quebec home to the wealthy newcomers seeking a second residence. The strong setting is matched by
her well-developed characters. Sally is an earnest and intelligent heroine whose investigation into Helena's
death leads to an unexpected romance with Tom. Their relationship develops slowly in scenes that crackle
with amorous tension. The supporting cast includes the mysterious Janine and the precocious Ashley
Smeeton, a 9-year-old with a love of Nancy Drew books and dreams of becoming a detective. Dowdall's
fast-paced narrative unfolds like a classic Agatha Christie mystery, with unexpected and satisfying plot
twists.
Atmospheric romantic suspense in the tradition of Daphne du Maurier.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Dowdall, Anna: AFTER THE WINTER." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Nov. 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A512028496/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=13d3e4bc.
Accessed 17 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A512028496
QUOTED: "The author calls them 'Gothic cozy mysteries' but there's a welcome dash of simmering noir in her well-received books about young Montreal detective, Ashley Smeeton."
"the sharply drawn scenes of Montreal and the surrounding Quebec countryside ... [is] refreshing change."
Ashley Smeeton
Created by Anna Dowdall
The author calls them "Gothic cozy mysteries" but there's a welcome dash of simmering noir in her well-received books about young Montreal detective ASHLEY SMEETON.
The books are full of the usual suspects: betrayed fiancées, beautiful young heiresses, long-lost relatives, isolated estates, creaky old houses and more than enough dark secrets to furnish them, but the sharply drawn scenes of Montreal and the surrounding Quebec countryside and detailed attention to the weather (the author is Canadian, after all) are a refreshing change for this genre, although the purportedly modern setting seem curiously timeless -- the first book, After the Winter (2017), takes place in 1999, when Ashley is just a kid who may have read a few too many Nancy Drews).
By the second book The Au Pair (2017), though, Ashley takes centre stage, as a now all grown-up twenty-something, ambitious but pragmatic, struggling to keep her small Montreal detective agency afloat. Struggling so hard, in fact, that she reluctantly accepts a part-time gig as an au pair at a resort in the scenic Laurentians. Naturally, the bodies soon start piling up, and we're once again off to the races.
It'll be interesting to see where Dowdall will take the rookie detective, now that she's brought her into the present. Will she continue in a contemporary setting, or will she hop back in forth in time, giving us snapshots of the detective as a young girl? Will she turn up the edgy darkness, or retreat back to the narrower confines of the genre?
The author was born in Montreal and currently lives in Toronto with numerous cats. The first novel in the series was a semi-finalist for both the Katherine Paterson prize and for Canada's Arthur Ellis Award in the unpublished category. She cites Agatha Christie, Daphne du Maurier and Louise Penny as influences.
UNDER OATH
"Dowdall's impressive novel is an entertaining and suspenseful entry in the gothic mystery genre. The setting is a key component of the tale, and Quebec and Midwinter are vividly rendered. The author captures the unique rhythms of life in this picturesque community, from the locals who call Quebec home to the wealthy newcomers seeking a second residence. The strong setting is matched by her well-developed characters..."
-- Kirkus Reviews on After the Winter
NOVELS
After the Winter (2017).. Buy this book.. Kindle it!
The Au Pair (2017).. Buy this book.. Kindle it!