We're launching the Book Tour for THE LAKE TEMPLETON MURDERS by HS Burney

What inspired you to write The Lake Templeton Murders?

I’ve always loved mysteries that keep me on the edge of my seat. Throughout my life, I’ve been a voracious reader of books that compelled me to keep turning the page. When I decided to become a published author, I knew that’s the kind of book I wanted to write. Murder mysteries are puzzles. I’ve read and watched many that kept me guessing to the very end through an artfully laid clue trail. That’s what I wanted to create.

As a proud immigrant Canadian, I wanted my book to be based in Canada and my characters inspired by the beautiful cultural diversity I see around me every day. Diversity is something I have found lacking in the mystery genre; however, I am pleased to see this has started to change in recent years.

The Lake Templeton Murders is a fast-paced and plot-driven story. My setting – the Canadian Pacific Northwest – is one which I am proud to call home. Vancouver Island, where the story is based, is a frequent vacation destination for me and my husband. Lake Templeton may be fictional, but it’s inspired by the numerous small towns I’ve driven through, that tend to have a unique personality of their own. Life seems simple on the surface, but I often wonder what secrets simmer underneath.

What do you love the most about this story?

Its complexity. There are many layers to my characters. Not all of them are murderers, but they are somehow connected to the web of deceit, which means that for Private Investigator, Fati Rizvi, everyone is a suspect. One of my favorite parts of being a writer is creating complex, multi-layered characters with unique motivations and hidden backgrounds that drive their behaviors. My commitment to diversity goes beyond primary elements, such as culture. I’ve endeavoured to create characters that are individuals, warts and all, like all of us. They lie, they hide, they are flawed, and have broken family relationships. That’s what makes the story interesting.

What challenged you about writing it?

Creating a credible clue trail that makes sense. As a mystery writer, you have to lay subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle breadcrumbs for the reader, like signposts of what’s to come. You have to open threads, some of which ultimately turn out to be red herrings, and not relevant to the problem at hand – who killed the victim?

My challenge was keeping track of all these hidden traps and opened threads and making sure that I bring everything to a satisfactory conclusion at the end. This meant I had to go through several rounds of painful self-editing through a 25-page document of chapter-by-chapter, page-by-page unanswered questions. By the end, I was sick of my own work. And then I handed it to my editor who gave me further edits. By the time the book was published, I didn’t even want to think about Lake Templeton or Private Investigator, Fati Rizvi. Thankfully, this passed when the book was published and I got to hold a copy in my hands.

Which character do you most relate to and why?

I’m closest to my protagonist, Private Investigator, Fati Rizvi, because while writing The Lake Templeton Murders, I had to spend endless hours inside her head. Like me, Fati is a spirited South Asian woman raised in a Muslim household in a religion and culture she never quite identified with. She wants to live life on her own terms. She craves independence and can be slightly obsessive when it comes to her goal, i.e., solving a case. But what I love most about Fati is that she’s persistent. She simply won’t let go. She’s here to solve a murder and she’s not resting until that’s done. And she won’t let anything distract her. As someone who can sometimes be stricken by shiny object syndrome, I admire that.

What do you hope readers will take with them after they’ve read it?

A strong desire to read my next book! I am currently working on my next mystery involving Private Investigator, Fati Rizvi, that I hope to publish by Spring 2022.

What do you enjoy doing when you're not writing?

I love hiking and the outdoors, although athleticism has never been my forte. One of the best parts of living in Vancouver is the abundance of hiking trails and nature paths. There are mountains to explore and ravines to traverse. Sadly, summer is usually a short affair lasting no more than a couple of months. So in the winters, I end up watching too much TV – supernatural horror is my jam– and working through my TBR pile of mysteries. I love discovering new authors.