Christa Bakker: Cozy Mystery Author Interview #2

carolemarples
Nov 29, 2025
4 min read

My Author Buddy

Christa and I have known each other for about four years. We met online in a critique group, progressed to video calls, and then met in person for the first time this year. That was a bit weird as we felt like we knew each other but didn't. Luckily, we got on ... well, she's agreed to do this interview at least.

This writing lark can be both lonely and daunting, so it's great to have someone at the end of a WhatsApp message.

So here's ...

Christa Bakker

For readers who might be new to your books, can you tell us a little about yourself and your cozy mystery series?

Sure! I’m Christa Bakker, and my series, The Saint-Maurice Mysteries, is set in the Beaujolais wine region of France, where I used to live. My sleuth is a photographer who takes Whoops-did-my-skirt-just-fly-up pinup pictures to empower women in a fun way, but then, of course, all these murders get in the way.

✍️ The Craft of Writing

How did you first discover and fall in love with the cozy mystery genre?

I grew up in a house where Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers were abundantly present, as well as their Dutch counterpart, Havank. But it wasn’t until I started writing my own take on the mystery that I discovered there was already a separate genre that I fit neatly into.

Are you a plotter, or do you discover the story as you go along?

I would consider myself a plotter, as I start every story with a copious amount of notes and a set cast of characters. I always know the murderer up front, but other than that, I let the voices in my head guide me ;)

How do you keep your series fresh and maintain reader interest across multiple books?

I love figuring out weird ways to kill people! Fictionally, of course. But not every method fits every character, so with each book comes a whole new challenge, which makes my books quite distinct from each other. But my main characters’ lives move on beyond the book, so there’s always more to find out about them and their friends, families and situations in the next book.

What's the most challenging part of writing a cozy mystery (e.g., creating a believable amateur sleuth, crafting fair clues, avoiding gore)?

I always want to make sure the reader doesn’t know whodunnit before I want them to know. So I create ridiculously complicated storylines that sometimes I have trouble keeping straight myself! But I always make sure there’s a satisfying solution, no matter how much it breaks my brain.

🏘️ Writing the Cozy Life

What are the essential ingredients for a truly great cozy mystery?

Engaging characters! The reader is there to have a good time, so the characters have to feel like friends, no matter what silliness they get up to. The food, the warm setting, the perplexing plot – they’re not interesting unless you care about the characters experiencing them.

What qualities do you think your main character possesses that makes them an effective amateur detective?

No sleuth can do without a bit of curiosity, but I dislike when that’s the only reason they get involved in the mystery. My Julie has a certain disarming quality that makes people open up to her. If they trust her to take pictures of their bottoms, they'll trust her with minor secrets.

How would you describe your sleuth in three words?

Strong, sassy, smart (can you tell I like alliteration?)

Do you have a favourite side character who keeps sneaking into more scenes than planned?

Ha! Well, Beau, her sidekick, has become near and dear to my heart. I love a character that has more to them than meets the eye. But he was always supposed to be quite front and centre. I think the village people, especially the annoying ones, are the characters I just couldn't help including in every story. Because they're just such a delicious minor frustration to add into the mix of troubles for my sleuth!

What’s your favourite method of killing your victims?

I'm drawn to poison, because it's so diverse. But I do try to vary murder methods. The crazier the better!

☕ Personal & Reader Connection

What's one real-life skill you learned or picked up while researching one of your books (e.g., baking, knitting, gardening)? Alternatively, what real-life skill(s) have you brought to your writing?

Ooh, I had to think about that one. It's usually me putting my various interests into my writing, but as Julie is a photographer, I've had to immerse myself in f-stops and apertures to make sure I used the correct lingo. I don't know if it's actually improved my picture-taking abilities, but it's certainly taught me some tricks.

What is the best piece of writing advice you've ever received?

Keep at it. The more you do it, the better your writing will become.

What is the worst piece of writing advice you've ever received?

Write what you know. I get it, that's easier, and it's absolutely where you should begin. But how boring would my stories be if all I could write about were the daily struggles of a middleclass mum?

What's one thing you want your readers to take away from your books, aside from a solved mystery?

I think that's probably similar to the best writing advice: Keep at it. Whatever it is you're trying to do, no matter how life seems to conspire against you, keep going. If you're not fine now, you will be fine in another way.

What’s Next for You?

Can you share anything about your next project?

British, seaside, book group. I am already having fun working out the characters sleuthing alongside Mrs Yety, the vicar's wife. There will be scones, there will be elderberry wine, there will be banter and puzzling deaths, but justice will prevail.