From Pages of the Past newsletter, 4/19/19 issue

While I learned about Lindsay Downs from reading some of his Regency writings, I’ve since learned that he is a master craftsman with whatever project he undertakes. His Upson Family Mysteries, set in the 1960s, are just as enjoyable. I’m happy to introduce you to Lindsay Downs this week. Welcome, Lindsay!

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Lindsay, what drew you to write historical fiction?

The challenge of having to dig into the past to uncover even the tiniest fact which will bring the story to life. For example, in one of the books in the Upson PI Mystery series, the time frame includes December 7, 1941, the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. I wanted to find something which was being broadcast on the radio that would have been interrupted so the announcer could tell the listening audience what was happening. I did, a professional football game being played in New York City between the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants.

In the Upson Family Mystery series, I have the two main characters following the trail of a murderer to South Vietnam in 1964. Researching the weapons the American soldiers used, much to my amazement in 1964 the M14 was the one, not the M16 as I had thought. In one of the following books, I have a suspect arrested. This person, being a soldier had his Article 31 Rights read to him. However, it would take 16 years before the police could read the Miranda Rights to a civilian when they are arrested.

Got to love research.

Do you have a favorite era to write in? What do you enjoy most about that era?

Currently, I’m writing two series. The first An Upson PI Mystery starts in 1940. I’ll continue this series up to the early 1960s. In these books, I have to be careful in regards to technology. The same for the cars, clothes, weapons. Not to mention questioning a suspect. They may even get tuned up in a broom closet with a phone book which leaves no marks.

The other one, An Upson Family Mystery starts in 1964 and will continue to the late 1990s. Here we have advances in technology. Fax machines. Copiers. Not to mention the cars, different clothing. Even in the field of medicine, there were advancements compared to the other series. Then there’s the Vietnam War which comes into the books. Later, anti-war protests.

Do I like one over the other? No. They both are challenging.

Do you have any favorite methods you use in researching your books?

Not really. I’ll use the search engine, Bing, type in what I’m looking for then see what comes up. Sometimes one response will lead to another then another.

If I think there might be a need to use the information later one I’ll print out the important parts of the search.

Tell us about one of your favorite characters from one of your books.

Singling out one of my four main characters could be detrimental to my health. You see, they are private detectives and carry firearms. If I pick one then the other three might come after me. That I wouldn’t like. So let’s start with Norton Upson. After college, he spent ten years in the Army before starting his detective agency. He hired his high school sweetheart, Maggie Neilson, as his office manager/secretary. Of course, they get married partway through the book, The Case of the Boarding House Murder. In short order, she hangs up her typewriter and picks up a pistol and becomes a private detective with Norton.

Their first son and my third favorite character, Edward, graduates college then becomes a UH-1 pilot in South Vietnam. Wounded he returns home and joins the family business. In his first case, he meets Sally Grayson, my fourth favorite, who is attending night school while working as a unit secretary at a Los Angeles hospital. In her spare time, she’s trying to what happened to her older brother in South Vietnam. She, in turn, joins the detective agency and with Edward end up in South Vietnam where they close one case and start hunting down her brother.

Like I said at the beginning, how can I pick one? I love all four of them

What challenges have you found with writing historical fiction?

Being not only accurate to the year the book takes place in but even the month. Example- In The Case of the Missing Spook I needed to find two songs that were released in 1964 and would have been on Armed Forces Radio Service in August. After about an hour of searching, I find them-Surfin’ USA by The Beach Boys and I Want to Hold Your Hand by The Beatles.

When Sally Grayson became a private detective she needed a pistol. My first thought was a Colt Pocket Hammerless .32 caliber. The problem with that, the weapon was discontinued after 1945 and we are now in 1964 so I couldn’t use that one. So I made life and research easy for me. She and Edward both carry the Colt Commander 9mm.

Do you have a current historical fiction work in progress? Can you give us a little teaser about it and let us know when we can look for it?

As of today (written January 27, 2019), I sort of have an idea for the next book. This will be an Upson Family Mystery and set in Los Angeles in September 1964. Instead of Edward Upson and Sally Grayson solving the case Edward’s young brother, Thomas, and his twin Norton, Jr. will be handling this one. I’ve chosen them for several reasons but the primary one is because the person who was assaulted is a high school friend of theirs. I might also include hate crime into the storyline which means the criminal could be charged under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That’s about all I can say at this time.

Do you write in any genres other than historical fiction?

In the past, I had tried my hand at several different ones but never felt all that comfortable writing them. I am very comfortable with what I write now.

Is there anything you’d like to share with us that I didn’t ask you about?

Besides the two series, I’ve talked about I also write Regency mystery and Regency romantic suspense. If you were to ask me which I liked writing the best, that would be hard to answer.

You can find Lindsay’s books here:

Regency romantic suspense: https://tinyurl.com/y8uyldv7

You can find Lindsay here:

Lindsay Downs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindsay.downs.7

Norton Upson Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/norton.upsonpa.58

ABOUT LINDSAY DOWNS:

Who doesn’t love a really good story? I sure do and that’s why I enjoy writing them. I’ve been writing since 2006 with my first contract in 2008.

Being retired I get to spend 6 to 8 hours a day writing.

Would I trade what I do for something else? Not on your life. Just think, I get paid to kill people. On paper that is. And I’ve come up with some really imaginary ways.

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