Possessed by a hungry ghost?? Where the heck did that come from? I get asked that every time when I tell someone about Possessed by Murder.
To be honest, I have no idea.
When Henrietta Bathers first showed up in Murder at First Sight, I had no clue I would be writing a book about her. She was simply a character who wandered into the story and made herself at home.
Henrietta makes me laugh. She’s kind and sweet, but she’s also stubborn. So stubborn.
When she entered Amelia’s body, I knew I didn’t want someone scary sharing body space with my favorite lead character. I also decided my ghostly character should have a funny quirk that led to Henrietta’s obsession with food. Can you imagine suddenly having taste buds again after decades of not being able to eat? I would gorge myself on chocolate. (Especially as the calories wouldn’t count since they go to someone else’s body.)
Food is such an amazing concept. We need it to survive, but it is so much more than fuel. We turn to food when we need comfort. We celebrate with it. We share it with the people we love. Certain smells and tastes can remind you of a person, a holiday, a kitchen, or a moment you thought you’d forgotten.
Think about chicken noodle soup.
Maybe that was the soup your mother made when you were sick as a child. You’ve never quite managed to get the recipe exactly right yourself, but the smell of it simmering on the stove can still take you back. Suddenly, you’re six years old, wrapped in a blanket on the couch, safe and secure because someone is taking care of you.
Or celebrations.
You finally got that promotion you’ve been working towards and to celebrate you go out for a fancy dinner or cook that expensive steak you’ve always wanted to try.
Those long evenings with friends, when nobody is in a hurry to leave. You share dishes, steal bites from each other’s plates, and laugh all night.
Or after a bad day, there’s the simple pleasure of a cookie warm from the oven. Sometimes that’s enough to soothe your soul.
Now imagine having all of that taken away. Imagine dying, but your spirit is confined to your hometown. You watch the world change around you while the years turn into decades. People you love grow old and die, their souls not bound to the same constrictions as yours. The landscape changes. Technology advances. The world keeps moving, but you don’t.
And you’re alone.
Then, one day, someone comes along who can see you. Not only can they see you, but they can help you. When they decide to hold an impromptu séance, the opportunity to possess them appears so you latch on tight.
After decades of being a ghost, you can experience the world again.
Wouldn’t food be one of the first things you’d want?
Henrietta’s food obsession started as a quirky character trait. But I quickly recognized Henrietta wasn’t simply hungry because she liked food. She was hungry because food is one of the things that makes us feel alive. For someone who has been dead for decades, that’s a powerful thing to rediscover.
Or, quite possibly, I was just hungry while writing Possessed by Murder.
About the Author
JP writes cozy mysteries with quirky characters that make her laugh when they disagree with the laid-out plans for their story and take her on a different path. She lives in Winnipeg, Canada, and hates the cold weather but loves the winter months because they’re a great excuse to hibernate with a cup of tea or a glass of red wine. When she’s not writing or reading, she spends her summers in the garden and her winters plotting how to win her neighbourhood Christmas display competition. They don’t know it’s a competition, but she plays to win nonetheless.
You can also connect with her on Bluesky.
