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- Julie Wassmer
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- Strictly Murder front cover
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- Kerry Godliman
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- The Street – photo by Gerry Atkinson
Julie Wassmer’s Whitstable Pearl Mystery crime novels have been described as “a delightful combination of seafood, murder and a multi-tasking heroine on the north coast of Kent”. Here, Julie tells us about her latest book, Strictly Murder, and how the novels are about to become a major new TV drama series starring Kerry Godliman.
You were a TV drama writer for many years. What made you switch to writing crime books?
For almost 20 years I’d been writing TV series like BBC’s Eastenders, ITV’s London’s Burning and Channel 5’s Family Affairs but I had always wanted to write a crime novel and when I moved to Whitstable in 1999, I knew this would make the perfect setting. I fell in love with this town and wanted to pay tribute to it but I also wanted its main character to personify Whitstable – as Pearl Nolan does.
Like the oyster, Pearl is a Whitstable native, a woman on the brink of 40 who chose to give up her police training following an unplanned pregnancy. For twenty years she’s brought up her son, Charlie, while managing a successful restaurant called The Whitstable Pearl, and just as she decides to revisit old dreams by starting up her own detective agency, she discovers the dead body of a local fisherman on the eve of our annual oyster festival. This brings Pearl into contact with a city detective, DCI Mike McGuire of Canterbury CID and their ‘will they/won’t they’ relationship forms a serial element in the books – the emotional cliff-hanger.
The books have been snapped up for a new TV drama series, Whitstable Pearl. What can you tell us about it?
There can’t be many people in Whitstable who failed to notice the filming that was taking place in Whitstable and other parts of Kent over the last few months. The 6-part TV series, Whitstable Pearl, began shooting in October 2020, with Pearl played by the wonderful Kerry Godliman (from Channel 4’s After Life series with Ricky Gervais). The production company behind it is Buccaneer Media, (makers of Marcella starring Anna Friel) and the series was commissioned by the streaming service, Acorn TV. It will feature two of my books: The Whitstable Pearl Mystery and Disappearance at Oare.
Was it a challenge shooting throughout winter? Also, when might we get to see Whitstable Pearl?
A wealth of talent is involved in the production, including David Caffrey (director of Peaky Blinders and Line of Duty), Ashleigh Jeffers (production designer of Game of Thrones) and Midsomer Murders producer, Guy Hescott. The cast and crew worked extremely hard, within strict COVID-19 guidelines and in harsh weather conditions, but finished shooting in January – right on schedule – with many local people and businesses providing fantastic services for the production. In its own starring role, Whitstable proved itself to be as stunningly beautiful in winter as it is in summer – perhaps even more so. Whitstable Pearl is expected to screen on Acorn TV in late spring – so not too long to wait!
And what next – more books to come?
Funny you should ask that… I have just finished the 8th book in the series, Strictly Murder. You might guess that it features the world of dance – tango, to be precise. As with the dance itself, there are strong emotions at play; passion, jealousy, competition – and murder, of course, are all played out in our wonderfully telegenic town of Whitstable. Will Pearl and McGuire finally get together? You’ll have to wait a while to find out…