Upcher, Caroline 1946- (Carly McIntyre, Hope McIntyre)

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Upcher, Caroline 1946- (Carly McIntyre, Hope McIntyre)

PERSONAL:

Born 1946, in London, England; daughter of a British army officer (father).

ADDRESSES:

Home—Amagansett, NY. Agent—Joy Harris, The Joy Harris Literary Agency, Ste. 617, 156 5th Ave., New York, NY 10010. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Author, journalist, and editor. Hutchinson (publisher), London, England, secretary, c. 1964; Pan Books (publisher), London, junior literary agent, c. 1965; then worked variously in film and publishing, serving as a production secretary, script girl, story editor, coordinator of movie tie-in books, and editor; editorial director for fiction at Pan Books, London, eleven years; then editorial director for other publishers, including Random House UK; became editor at Miramax Books, New York, NY.

WRITINGS:

NOVELS

(As Carly McIntyre) Next of Kin, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 1990.

(Ghost writer; with Naomi Campbell) Swan, William Heinemann (London, England), 1994.

Are You Superstitious?, Fourth Estate (London, England), 1996.

Falling for Mr. Wrong, Trafalgar Square (London, England), 1996, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2002.

The Asking Price, Orion Books (London, England), 2000, published as Down by the Water, Harper Collins (New York, NY), 2001.

(With James and Nanci LaGarenne) Within a Whisper, Morrow (New York, NY), 2001.

Grace and Favor, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Love Thy Neighbour, Orion (London, England), 2001.

The Visitors' Book, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2002.

The Boathouse, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2003.

(As Hope McIntyre) How to Seduce a Ghost, Piatkus (London, England), 2005.

(As Hope McIntyre) How to Marry a Ghost, Piatkus (London, England), 2007.

Contributor of articles and profiles to such publications as Condé Nast and Mirabella.

SIDELIGHTS:

Love is a central theme in Caroline Upcher's novels. In 1996 she published Falling for Mr. Wrong, her first book released under her own name. It tells the story of Polly, a literary agent with the inability to find Mr. Right. Upcher mined her knowledge of the film and publishing industries to add authenticity to Polly's adventures. A contributor for Kirkus Reviews called the book a "muddled but agreeable love story of sorts," and a contributor to Publishers Weekly wrote that "Polly is a likable spaz, and Upcher paints the literary and film worlds in delicious detail."

Within a Whisper resulted from an online contest, conceived and coordinated by Upcher and co-sponsored by Redbook and HarperCollins Publishers, to find the greatest love story in America. The novel is a fictionalized account of the true-life love affair of James and Nanci LaGarenne, who won the competition, and recounts their relationship from childhood sweethearts to a couple fighting to save a marriage that had succumbed to disappointment and hardship.

Down by the Water tells the story of Hope Collins, a twice-married mother of three who still has a fondness for her ex. A Publishers Weekly reviewer wrote that "Upcher's lovers are all star-crossed in this with-it, literate sitcom about who's right for whom," calling it "an enchanting ride."

The Visitors' Book combines the classic country-house murder mystery with a love story, set in a weekend cottage where the characters go to escape the bustle of London. Carol Haggas, reviewing for Booklist, wrote that "amid the bed hopping and back stabbing, Upcher … populates this fast-paced story with memorable, if rather two-dimensional, characters." A contributor for Publishers Weekly called the work "a satisfying read."

Grace and Favor follows the lives of two sisters separated by an ocean and by decades of lost time. Their mother's suicide sent them as children to different households; when they finally reunite as adults, one is a mild-mannered mother of two obnoxious teenagers, and the other a famous writer whose wealth has afforded her neither happiness nor contentment. Booklist reviewer Carol Haggas described the novel as "a complex yet compelling story of family ties stretched nearly to the breaking point." "Though a little too dark for pure escapism," remarked a Publishers Weekly contributor, the novel "will appeal to Upcher fans and readers looking for something to tote along on the Hamptons Jitney."

How to Seduce a Ghost is the debut novel in a mystery series featuring the character of Lee Bartholomew, with Upcher writing as Hope McIntyre. The main character is a ghostwriter who has recently been assigned to write an autobiography for a television star, but her work is distracted by a recent string of house fires and the murder of one of her neighbors. Lee was described by Library Journal reviewer Jane Jorgenson as an "appealing protagonist in this funny and charming debut mystery that will also appeal to chick lit readers." The novel was called "a page-turner with a socially redeeming message" by a Publishers Weekly contributor, and as "hilarious and heart wrenching" by Booklist reviewer Jenny McLarin. McLarin concluded that the "sparkling debut is a winner all the way." How to Marry a Ghost finds Lee attending her mother's commitment ceremony, only to get caught up in a murder investigation when the son of her latest biography subject—also a guest at the event—is killed. "This funny, complicated, and wise mystery is sure to gain the author new fans," remarked a Publishers Weekly reviewer. The main character's "real intelligence and curiosity serve her well in solving this finely crafted mystery," noted Jane Jorgenson for Library Journal.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, June 1, 2001, Kathleen Hughes, review of Down by the Water, p. 1850; July, 2001, Carol Haggas, review of Grace and Favor, p. 1984; December 15, 2001, Carol Haggas, review of The Visitors' Book, p. 705; October 15, 2002, Carol Haggas, review of Falling for Mr. Wrong, p. 389; September 1, 2005, Jenny McLarin, review of How to Seduce a Ghost, p. 71.

Choice, October, 1997, review of The Visitors' Book, p. 19.

Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 2001, review of The Visitors' Book, p. 1578; September 15, 2002, review of Falling for Mr. Wrong, p. 1347.

Library Journal, May 15, 2001, Jodi L. Israel, review of Down by the Water, p. 166; September 1, 2005, Jane Jorgenson, review of How to Seduce a Ghost, p. 71; November 15, 2006, Jane Jorgenson, review of How to Marry a Ghost, p. 64.

Publishers Weekly, August 19, 1996, review of Falling for Mr. Wrong, p. 63; June 18, 2001, review of Down by the Water, p. 59; July 23, 2001, review of Grace and Favor, p. 52; August 27, 2001, review of Within a Whisper, p. 55; December 10, 2001, review of The Visitors' Book, p. 53; November 11, 2002, review of Falling for Mr. Wrong, p. 43; July 25, 2005, review of How to Seduce a Ghost, p. 51; October 30, 2006, review of How to Marry a Ghost, p. 40.

Times (London, England), June 7, 1997, Christine Koning, "Mr. Misunderstood: Novels in Brief," p. 12.