A Laois writer has been making waves across the world with her highly successful crime novels.

Best known for her Inisowen Mysteries series, Ballyfin native Andrea Carter has recently released her seventh novel, ‘There Came A-Tapping’, which features Laois locations.

Ms Carter’s books have been published across the world, with buzz in the US surrounding the potential adaptation of her crime series. In 2019, her short story ‘The Lamb’ was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards.

The Leinster Express / Laois Live caught up with Andrea to discuss her Laois roots, her creative process, and her writing journey.

Pictured at her recent book reading in Portlaoise Library were Aoife Moore, Librarian, Author Andrea Carter and Host Claire O'Brien. Photo: Denis Byrne

Originally born and raised in Ballyfin, Ms Carter’s parents were living in Zambia when they decided to move to Laois and renovate an old cottage. It was here that Ms Carter and her siblings were raised.

“We grew up in an old schoolhouse in Ballyfin, attached to Ballyfin College. It was an old Victorian cottage, my parents restored it and still call it home,” Ms Carter said.

“My present book has a touch of a ghost story about it, set in a similar old cottage. I definitely drew inspiration from our home house; growing up, we were always very conscious of the families who had lived there before us. 

"The children that had slept in our bedrooms, the families that gathered in our kitchen. There is a lot of layering and history to an old house,” she said.

“A story that I haven’t told often is that myself and my brother used to see children in the house, I would see a little girl and he would see a boy sitting on the end of his bed. We both saw these children, and we never discussed our sightings until we were adults,” Ms Carter said.

Author Andrea Carter and Host Claire O'Brien. Photo: Denis Byrne

“I told this story at a recent book signing in Portlaoise library; half the audience looked fascinated, the other half seemed terrified!” she laughed.

The writer first began writing for herself as a means to decompress after a long day of working in her own solicitor’s practice. She went on to join a writer’s group in Dublin, and published her first book in 2015.

“I will always remember a friend telling me to write the book you would want to read,” she said.

“I started writing ‘Death at Whitewater Church’ in 2005, I was running the solicitor’s practice and the writing was very cathartic. 

“If I was worried, instead of panicking, I wrote fiction. I wrote this character who was me to begin with, adjacent to who I was, and those scenes never saw the light of day as they were too close to my work. I continued to write that character, and the setting reflected where I was living.”

“One of my proudest moments was when Maeve Binchy asked me to sign a copy of my work,” she laughed.

Pictured: Author Andrea Carter

“I had a short story, a tiny 500 word piece of flash fiction selected for the Irish Times for an anthology, and Maeve Binchy was at the launch. 

It was the first piece of work I had ever had published, and Maeve had her own copy and asked every contributor to sign their own story. That will forever remain a sweet and precious memory to me,” she said.

“Maeve knew what it meant to us when she asked us to sign it, it was so thoughtful and kind. She always supported emerging writers, and we will never forget it,” she said.

The author explained that inspiration for her writing is primarily drawn from locations, be it a peninsula with long, deserted beaches and towering cliffs, or mountains in the midlands shrouded in grey skies and soft heather.

‘There Came A-Tapping’ has a darker atmosphere than Ms Carter’s previous books, painting a picture of moody landscapes, a mysterious disappearance, and an isolation that leaves the main character’s life changed forever.

“The idea for this book came when I was waiting for my husband to come home from filming for a few days,” Ms Carter said.

“He was away filming in the west, and I was waiting in our apartment in Dublin with our dog. He was late, and I was worried. He wasn’t responding to my texts, and I started to write the scene as it was unfolding. It’s the way I handled the fear,” she explained.

Pictured: Andrea Carter's latest title, 'There Came A-Tapping'

“A lot of women write to process fear, it's one of the reasons women are such excellent crime writers. We process our fears through fiction, and I wrote to take my mind off the fact I was worried about him. In my case, my partner did arrive home, but for my character, he didn’t,” she said.

“A couple suddenly arrive at the apartment, claiming to be the new tenants, and main character Allie finds herself homeless and moving to the mysterious Raven Cottage in the Slieve Bloom mountains. Things are not what they seem,” Ms Carter said.

The writer expressed her delight at returning to her Laois roots for her latest novel.

“I have always wanted to write a book set where I grew up, my father is a writer and his books are heavily influenced by Laois,” she said.

“I was ringing my parents with the oddest questions while I was writing it- I remember asking my mother for a wildflower that blooms locally in January, and asking my father for historical research that he obtained from the Leinster Express parish notes from years ago,” she laughed.

“Local places get a mention in this book, including Portlaoise library.  I borrowed so many books from that library from a young age. Agatha Christie was a huge inspiration to my writing, I’m still chasing the high of the twist at the end of Murder on the Orient Express, and it was from Portlaoise library that I borrowed it,” she said.

Set in the Slieve Bloom Mountains, and full of suspense, mystery and supernatural elements, this book will keep Laois readers on the edge of their seats.

Attendees of the book launch and live reading in Portlaoise library were swept up into the latest gripping tale from the Ballyfin writer.

‘There Came A-Tapping’ by Andrea Carter is available at all major bookshops.

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