Mystery, Murder, and the Grandfather Paradox
From left to right: Angus McLean, Terry Carson, Naomi Kuttner and Kirsten McKenzie
On saturday 24 May, I had the absolute pleasure of MC’ing the "Mystery in the Library" event at Pukekohe Library, hosted in association with the Ngaio Marsh Awards. It was a fantastic afternoon full of laughter, clever insights, and the sort of creative energy that only a room full of writers, readers, and mystery lovers can generate.
The panel featured three brilliantly entertaining New Zealand authors:
🕵️♂️ Angus McLean
A retired detective and private investigator, Angus is the prolific author of more than thirty crime novels, including the popular Bow Street Runners series for middle-grade readers. His mix of real-world experience and accessible storytelling is clearly hitting the mark!
👻 Naomi Kuttner
Naomi had us all in stitches as she talked about her latest book The Retired Assassin’s Guide to Country Gardening. It follows Dante, a former hitman seeking a quiet life in the fictional town of Te Kohe—until the bodies start piling up. Sadly, copies of Naomi’s book hadn’t arrived in time for the event (curse those postal gremlins!), but I downloaded it the moment I got home. Cozy mystery with edge? Yes, please.
🐘 Terry Carson
Terry, a former lawyer turned crime writer, wowed us with tales of colonial crime and elephant-related murder. Yes, really. His debut novel Sergeant Kelly’s Elephant features what might be the only elephant-assisted murder in New Zealand crime fiction. As Terry quipped, “If you're going to commit murder in a book, why not go big?”
The panel was a riot of ideas and anecdotes, and the audience was just as sharp. A huge thank you to the Franklin Local Board representative Andrew Kay for attending and supporting the event—it’s always heartening to see local government backing local creatives.
And as always, Angus was mobbed by grandparents eager to get their hands on his Bow Street Runners series for their grandchildren—proving once again that murder and mayhem never go out of style!!!
And speaking of sharp minds… After the panel, an audience member approached me and said, quite seriously, “I don’t believe in time travel—because of the Grandfather Paradox.” I did my best not to choke on my water. I smiled, nodded, and told him that, as a time travel author, my personal approach is simple:
👉 Avoid the science. Enjoy the ride.
Messy family dynamics and existential dread? No thanks! I don’t write Andy Weir-style science fiction that hinges on calculations and crop viability (though I did enjoy The Martian). My kind of time travel is all about atmosphere, character, and immersion. Want to touch a Roman coin and get transported to the edge of the Empire (Ithaca Bound)? Or use a London mixing bowl to tumble back to the 1860s New Zealand gold rush (Fifteen Postcards)? Just roll with it!
Although we missed Craig Sisterson—who was busy organizing literary goodness from London—I made sure he got a well-deserved shoutout for the huge amount of work he puts into promoting New Zealand crime fiction through the Ngaio Marsh Awards. Thanks, Craig!
Hosting events like this reminds me how lucky we are to have such a vibrant, diverse literary scene here in Aotearoa New Zealand. From cozy killers to historical whodunnits, there’s something for every reader.
And if your tastes run to time travel… or vampires (have you met the charmingly sinister residents of The Vampires of York Tower yet?)… well, you’re already in the right place.
Until next time,
Kirsten x