Langley-Hawthorne, Clare 1969-

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Langley-Hawthorne, Clare 1969-

PERSONAL:

Born 1969, in Canada; married; children: twin sons. Education: University of Melbourne, Australia, law degree; also earned a master's degree. Hobbies and other interests: Painting and the New York Times crossword.

ADDRESSES:

Home—San Francisco, CA. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer and lawyer. Practiced commercial law and worked as an economist in the health care industry.

WRITINGS:

Consequences of Sin: An Edwardian Mystery, Viking (New York, NY), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

In her first novel, Consequences of Sin: An Edwardian Mystery, Clare Langley-Hawthorne tells the story of Ursula Marlow, an Oxford graduate and suffragette who has no desire to marry, despite the fact that her wealthy father is fostering his assistant, Tom Cumberland, as the perfect husband. When Clare receives a call from an old friend, Ursula, whose lesbian lover has been murdered in their shared bed, Clare decides to investigate the case herself when she takes umbrage with the overbearing Edwardian men involved in the investigation. Other murders ensue, and the long-sheltered Clare finds herself in the jungles of South America where she is investigating a link to the murders. In the meantime, Clare also becomes attracted to Lord Oliver Wrotham, another chauvinist and a lawyer who works for her father. "Inspiration for Consequences of Sin came mainly from two sources, my grandparents' experiences living and working in Lancashire, England[,] and a trip down the Orinoco River in Venezuela that my husband and I took in 2000," noted the author on her Web site. The author's debut received praise from reviewers. "This debut novel introduces an intriguing new female sleuth with broad appeal," wrote Barbara Bibel in Booklist. A Kirkus Reviews contributor noted that the novel contained "an engaging heroine, the lure of romance, a rapid pace and the requisite period detail." Other reviewers also commented on the romantic aspects of the novel. A Publishers Weekly contributor, for example, wrote that "romance readers should appreciate the conflict between the heroine's … [true love interest] and her sense of duty to … her father."