Interview with Amie McNee

The Tudor dynasty has received more than its fair share of historical fiction, but much of it has focused on the royals themselves—not least the prolonged marital drama of Henry VIII and his six wives. William Shakespeare and the Elizabethan court of which he might considered an extension have also attracted considerable attraction from authors. Amie McNee—as we will learn from this week’s interview about her latest novel, To Kill a Queen, due out next week from Crooked Lane Books—has taken a different approach. Her lead character, known only as Jack, has come from the very opposite of an aristocratic background—although as the title suggests, Jack’s life will cross paths with that of the queen and her famous spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham. Read on to find out more.

You have two previous novels set during the Tudor period. What would you like prospective readers to know about The Rules Upheld by No One and Regrettably, I Am About to Cause Trouble?

All my current books are set within sixteenth-century England! (Though I’m currently writing a book with my husband which is  set in space, which is a little different!). The Rules Upheld by No One was my debut, a book that looks at how we can understand our sexuality and sexual needs within a society that is incredibly rigid and narrow-minded. It was a deeply personal book that was heavily informed by my degree in medieval sex culture and sex work. My second book, Regrettably I am About to Cause Trouble, is a book about witches during Henry Tudor’s reign. It follows Maude, a woman born with a large birthmark, and her journey to discovering her power in a society that deems her worthless. 

And what inspired you to write To Kill a Queen?

I am a crime/murder mystery/whodunit girly. I have always wanted to write one myself. The original idea came to me when I was watching a Doctor Who episode called “The Snowman.” We meet Madame Vastra, a lizard woman, and her wife Jenny—they are a inter-species, lesbian detective couple who help solve mysteries. I fell in love! What a duo! Then slowly, my own story about a queer detective couple in Elizabethan London began brewing. 

Introduce us, please, to your main character, Jack.

Jack was raised by Elizabethan London’s most notorious crime lord and has done some truly terrible things to stay alive during his life. To atone for his sins, he has switched sides and is now working for a justice of the peace, solving crimes and earning just enough money to not starve. Jack dances the line between genders, having been born as Jacqueline but raised as a boy to serve his father’s schemes. 

Jack, although currently on the side of law and order (more or less), is the child of what we might call London’s chief crime boss. What can you tell us about Axe?

Axe is my second favorite character in this book (Justice of the Peace Ben is my number one). He is the cheekiest, most charismatic villain I’ve ever written. 

Jack and Axe have, even compared to most parents and children, a complicated relationship. Could you say a bit about that?

Axe loves Jack deeply and constantly worries about his safety, and yet simultaneously is the one always getting him in trouble, always putting him in harm’s way. It’s this strange, conflicting dynamic that makes Axe such an interesting father figure.  

As you’ve noted, Jack makes a living, such as it is, by assisting the local justice of the peace and coroner. Despite the title, the case Jack is working when the book opens has nothing to do with the queen. What should we know about that?

There was lots of crime in Elizabethan London, and not all murders paid the same if they were solved. When we meet Jack, he is trying to solve a murder of a peasant woman, which will only get him a few coin, but he’s got to get what he can get! Otherwise he’s sleeping on the street. Of course, when the attempted assassination of Lizzy occurs—that has a much higher reward to catch the would-be-Queen-Killer! 

And how does Jack get involved in an attempted assassination of Queen Elizabeth I?

Jack brings a solid knowledge of London’s crime world to the table as an investigator. So whilst the Justice of the Peace and the Spy Master of England might know what’s going on in the courts—Jack has an eye on the underworld, and that can prove very useful! Wielding his lowly connections, our detective proves his worth as a must-have on the team to investigate the attempted assassination.

There are so many wonderful secondary characters in this novel: Mad John, Jenny, Harry, Lizzie. Do you have a favorite, and if so, why?

It is indeed a very colorful cast of characters! Most of them rather unsavory.  We had Mad John the abraham man, which is a man who used to pretend to be sick or mad to get money from people on the streets; we have sex workers, pickpockets, actors ,and even poor Harry who has been locked up in the “madhouse” of Bethlam. As for a favorite, I am rather fond of the Highwayman named Fobwatch, who robs carriages on Bishopsgate Road and sells gossip to those who want information. 

Are you already working on another novel? And if so, what can you say about it?

Always. I am currently writing the sequel to this book, another Jack and Jenny mystery! Currently titled Everyone in London Is Going to Die. Our investigators have their work cut out for them as “Jesus” appears in London, declaring that everyone must follow him or they will be smited by God! Something that actually did happen in real-life Tudor England … 

I am also writing scifi with my husband—which has been the most fun I’ve ever had writing a book. It’s cozy, very silly, and ultimately hopeful. 

Amie McNee is the author of both empowering nonfiction and bold, imaginative fiction. Through her books on creativity, including We Need Your Art, she encourages artists to take up space, embrace their unique voices, and build lives around what they love. Her historical fiction novels—rich with intrigue, defiance, and forgotten women—reimagine the past with sharp detail and emotional depth. Find out more about her and her books at https://www.amiemcnee.com.