Perhaps the only question more pressing than where to end a novel is how to begin. In “No Mind for Murder,” Kathryn Gualtieri’s eighth mystery novel in her “Nora Finnegan” series, the local author begins with a bold headline in the newspaper — just enough of a phrase to introduce an idea, prompt a question, and encourage us to read on.
A benefit of fiction is that it doesn’t have to be accurate. Yet, if set in a recognizable place, the reader will look for some measure of familiarity. It is a deft hand that can blend fiction and fact to create “make believe.” The key lies in prompting enough acceptance to allow for wonder, which keeps us reading.
It’s 1939. A war is brewing in the distance. The Carmel City Council is making unpopular decisions to help balance the budget. The protagonist, Nora Finnegan, a feature writer for the local newspaper, is constantly endeavoring to balance the responsibilities of work with the needs and expectations of her family. Yet, when a member of the Carmel community becomes the victim of a vicious attack, Finnegan shifts to investigative reporter, determined to help solve the crime.
In her own investigations, Gualtieri had heard of Daisy Bostick, reportedly the first woman hired by the local paper, to craft the social column. She also learned, through historic research, about Honora Finnegan, a 22-year-old expectant mother, who succumbed to a violent and unsolved crime near Half Moon Bay in 1872. Gualtieri, seeking a way to honor the memory of this young woman, has kept her alive via the name “Nora Finnegan,” the Daisy Bostick of her books.
“I figured, if Carmel had a person like Daisy,” said Gualtieri, “who wrote local histories and social events in the ‘20s, it would work to create a such a character in the ‘30s, who had interest in and access to information. In the 10 years I’ve been writing this series, Nora Finnegan has grown and developed into quite an actualized character.”
Method & madness
Kathryn Gualtieri, who divides her time between homes in Capitola and Carmel, once heard writer David Guterson speak during a conference at Asilomar. The author of “Snow Falling on Cedars” (1994) said, “Before you ever start writing, think of what your theme is.” Gualtieri never forgot that.
“In ‘Murder in the Pines,’ my first mystery novel,” she said, “the movers and shakers of the ‘20s — the artists and writers — were totally organized to preserve Carmel Beach and keep a hotel from being built. I used that theme throughout the book, as I developed the plot and the story, woven with a mystery.”
For “No Mind for Murder,” published November 2020, Gualtieri came up with the idea, during the early months of the pandemic, to have a significant character experience a need for psychiatric help. She delved into research on psychiatry, including the work of Carl Jung — followed by early Carmel characters, such as psychologist Cary Baynes, who settled in Carmel in 1913.
“Sometimes,” said Gualtieri, a former State Historic Preservation officer and a member of Carmel’s Historic Resources Board, “you can’t make anything of what emerges as a great idea. But, after reading local historian Neal Hotelling’s articles on the Forest Hill School in Carmel, I decided to have Nora Finnegan’s child attend the school, and then find a way to tie in mental illness in the community.”
A community controversy about converting the school, located at Mission & 1st, into a psychiatric clinic is pure fiction. But it laid the foundation for Gualtieri to develop a theme and build the storyline. The school, which actually educated students throughout the 1950s, she says, later became an art studio and, ultimately, a private residence.
“In writing a mystery, there is a formula to follow,” she said. “You have to sprinkle some red herring — a clue intended to be misleading or distracting — and additional clues along the way to help direct readers through the story. Then wind it up at the end with a climax and conclusion.”
In designing the cover of her novel, Gualtieri chose an early photo of the entrance to the legendary Flanders Mansion in Carmel.
“I put the Flanders Mansion on the cover,” she said, “because it’s one of only three historic resources in Carmel listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Sunset Center and the Carmel Mission are the other two.”
Gualtieri eases into Chapter 13 in “No Mind for Murder” with a portrait of “Outlands,” the name of the Flanders family home, delivered via description and dialogue, exactly the way research enabled her to envision the residence in 1939.
“I‘ve always loved early California history,” she said, “which you can see everywhere when visiting Monterey. But Carmel culture juxtaposes a unique message to residents and guests to respect the community character, with an invitation to speak your mind.
“Carmel activist and city council member, Barbara Livingstone, for example, was a strong woman who wanted to protect Carmel. Enid Sales had that in her, too, but she was more controversial, willing to put herself right in front of the bulldozer if necessary. A town needs that kind of person,” said Gualtieri, “who doesn’t endear herself to everyone, but is a force to be reckoned with, always mindful of the greater good.”
Combining history and happenstance
Gualtieri grew up curious in Southern California in a rural area near Riverside. Armed with a bachelor’s degree from the School of Social Science at San Diego State, she moved to San Francisco in the early ‘60s — a time and place she found enchanting — to become a teacher for a boy’s school. She later lived in the Bay Area for many years, marrying in her 30s, having two children, and devoting time to volunteer work in California history. She later remarried and moved to her husband’s property in Capitola. In 1982, Gualtieri earned a Master’s degree in History through San Jose State, and focused her attention on California history.
In 1988, she published, “Half Moon Bay: Birth of a Coastside Town,” via Magic Press, in Burlingame. In 2016, she coauthored “A Village in a Pine Forest: Carmel-by-the-Sea,” with Lynn Momboisse. Her fascination with Carmel inspired her to purchase and renovate a Carmel cottage with 1917 stamped into the chimney.
“I could have written a whole book about the process of renovating that cottage,” she said. “Instead, I wrote book reviews for the Carmel Pine Cone, as well as feature articles. As I became acquainted with more local authors, I began focusing on how much fun it would be to capture the beauty and history and culture of Carmel through the pages of a mystery novel—now, eight.”
“Nora Finnegan” novels are available at Pilgrim’s way community bookstore in Carmel, as well as goodreads.com and amazon.com.
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