The new novel 'Fair Play' is a self-aware take on the golden age of detective fiction

Summary

NPR's Book of the Day: Summary of "Fair Play" by Louise Hegarty

NPR's Book of the Day, hosted by Aisha Roscoe, delves into Louise Hegarty's debut novel, Fair Play, a self-aware homage to the golden age of detective fiction. Released on May 7, 2025, this episode explores the intricate layers of Hegarty's storytelling, blending traditional mystery elements with profound themes of grief and narrative self-reflection.

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Introduction to "Fair Play"

The episode opens with a brief discussion by Andrew Limbong, highlighting the resurgence of interest in golden age mystery novels, particularly among female readers. He shares feedback from listeners who express a preference for classic mystery narratives over modern crime and thriller genres. This sets the stage for introducing Fair Play, positioning it as a novel that honors and reimagines the traditional detective story.

Andrew Limbong (00:02): "For all of you golden age mystery lovers, today's episode is for you."

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Plot Overview

Aisha Roscoe provides a succinct overview of Fair Play, outlining the novel's premise centered around Abigail, who hosts a New Year's Eve murder mystery dinner party at an Airbnb. The evening takes a tragic turn when Benjamin, Abigail's only sibling, passes away, intertwining the planned mystery with a real-life loss.

Aisha Roscoe (01:52): "Today in the new novel Fair Play, two things can be true. Abigail can be hosting a New Year's Eve murder mystery dinner party at an Airbnb."

Louise Hegarty (02:10): "Our sincere condolences to Abigail on the tragic and sudden passing of your dear brother."

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Character Development and Detective August Bell

The introduction of August Bell, a Hercule Poirot-esque detective, marks a pivotal turn in the narrative. August emerges unexpectedly to assist Abigail in unraveling the mysteries surrounding her brother's death, serving both the plot and providing a familiar framework for fans of classic detective fiction.

Aisha Roscoe (03:20): "And then you have this great detective who shows up, August Bell. How would you describe his contributions to the story and the plot of the story?"

Louise Hegarty (03:33): "August Bell, we first meet him in part two of the book, and he kind of suddenly springs up out of nowhere. He's very much in that vein of like, a Hercule Poirot type of detective."

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Meta-Narrative and Genre Commentary

Hegarty employs a meta-narrative technique, wherein Detective August Bell is cognizant of his role within a murder mystery novel. This self-awareness allows the novel to playfully critique and engage with established genre tropes, creating a layered reading experience.

Aisha Roscoe (04:11): "So much of the way August Bell talks is, like, he's very blunt about, this is the way murder mysteries work. These are the rules."

Louise Hegarty (04:38): "The idea of having a detective in a murder mystery who is aware that he is a detective in a murder mystery novel... It's a playful nod to the reader."

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Exploration of Grief and Narrative Structure

Unlike traditional murder mysteries that treat death as a mere plot device, Fair Play delves deep into the emotional turmoil of grief. Abigail's obsessive revisiting of her last moments with Benjamin reflects the human need to find meaning and narrative coherence in the face of loss.

Aisha Roscoe (05:26): "It's a lot going on because you have, like, the murder mystery of, like, who killed Abigail's brother Benjamin. And then you also have the mystery of, like, Abigail's brain, like, the story that she's telling herself."

Louise Hegarty (06:27): "We've all grieved. Abigail is examining this last Christmas with her brother in minute detail, hoping that everything that happened after will suddenly make sense."

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Author's Insight and Genre Reflection

Hegarty discusses her intention to merge the comforting structures of golden age detective novels with the raw emotions of personal loss. She reflects on how her characters and readers alike seek familiar narratives as a refuge from trauma.

Louise Hegarty (04:38): "It's a playful nod to the reader, using that structure to look at the emotions around grief and sudden death."

Aisha Roscoe (07:06): "It's interesting because murder mysteries are often puzzles to be solved, but this book forces you to confront the emotional aftermath."

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Themes and Human Experience

Fair Play transcends the boundaries of genre fiction by intertwining the intellectual pursuit of solving a mystery with the universal experience of dealing with mortality. Hegarty emphasizes the human tendency to create narratives to make sense of inexplicable events like death.

Louise Hegarty (08:10): "Death is the one thing we will never figure out. We assign narratives to our lives to make sense of them."

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Conclusion

NPR's Book of the Day effectively captures the essence of Louise Hegarty's Fair Play, highlighting its innovative blend of classic mystery elements with profound emotional depth. The episode underscores how Hegarty honors the golden age of detective fiction while contemporizing its themes to explore the complexities of grief and human resilience.

Aisha Roscoe (08:36): "That's Louise Hegarty. Her debut novel is Fair Play. Thank you so much for talking with us today."

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Notable Quotes

• Andrew Limbong (00:02): "Whether you're looking to engage with the big questions of our times – or temporarily escape from them – we've got an author who will speak to you."

• Louise Hegarty (04:38): "The idea of having a detective in a murder mystery who is aware that he is a detective in a murder mystery novel... It's a playful nod to the reader."

• Louise Hegarty (08:10): "Death is the one thing we will never figure out. We assign narratives to our lives to make sense of them."

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*For those interested in exploring Fair Play, Louise Hegarty's debut novel is available now, offering a fresh and introspective take on the beloved detective genre.

Transcript

[Andrew Limbong]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. A couple weeks back in the Book of the Day newsletter, which you should subscribe to, by the way. It's a fun time over there. I wrote a post about how mystery, crime and thriller books are super popular, particularly among women. And I got a huge chunk of readers emailing me back saying, listen, I love mystery books and not crime and thriller novels or I don't care for thrillers. But what I do love are golden age mystery novels. So first off, my my bad, maybe mysteries shouldn't be grouped in with thrillers. Secondly, for all of you golden age mystery lovers, today's episode is for you. It's an interview between NPR's Aisha Roscoe and author Louise Hegarty, whose new novel Fair Play is very much in this tradition. That's ahead.

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[Aisha Roscoe]

Today in the new novel Fair Play, two things can be true. Abigail can be hosting a New Year's Eve murder mystery dinner party at an Airbnb.

[Louise Hegarty]

In this envelope you will find a character carriage which gives you information that no one else knows. You will see that there are specific.

[Aisha Roscoe]

Instructions, but you should Abigail can also be in deep mourning for Benjamin, her only sibling.

[Louise Hegarty]

Our sincere condolences to Abigail on on the tragic and sudden passing of your dear brother.

[Aisha Roscoe]

Fair Play is the debut novel of Irish author Louise Hegarty. It honors the golden Age of crime novels just as it turns the genre on its head. She joins us now to talk about it. Welcome.

[Louise Hegarty]

Thank you so much. I'm delighted to be here.

[Aisha Roscoe]

So when we first meet Abigail, I mean it seems like a setup for like this typical murder mystery and I've kind of gotten into cozy murder mysteries now. I like them. You know, you have the usual elements. It's a country house, a gather and of friends and associates, and, you know, someone who you don't know very well. Can you tell us more about how your novel begins?

[Louise Hegarty]

So it begins, they have gathered together at a country house to ring in the new year. But they're also there to celebrate their friend Benjamin's birthday. His sister Abigail has devised a murder mystery game that they all play. The next morning. Everyone wakes except for Benjamin.

[Aisha Roscoe]

And then you have this great detective who shows up, August Bell. How would you describe his contributions to the story and the plot of the story?

[Louise Hegarty]

Yeah, so August Bell, we first meet him in part two of the book, and he kind of suddenly springs up out of nowhere. And he's very much in that vein of like, a Hercule Poirot type of detective. And he's there to facilitate Abigail. She's trying to uncover the clues around her brother's death. And it's also about providing her with kind of a comforting pathway through that and a comforting narrative that she's familiar with because she's a big fan of detective novels.

[Aisha Roscoe]

So much of the way August Bell talks is, like, he's very blunt about, this is the way murder mysteries work. These are the rules. And then he also goes on page 23, I said this, I'm not gonna get to this, to chapter 22. Like, it's meta, right? Like, what made you decide to put together the book in that way and to wink at the audience that way?

[Louise Hegarty]

The idea of having a detective in a murder mystery who is aware that he is a detective in a murder mystery novel, and he's aware of the tropes of the genre, and it's all kind of wink, wink, nudge, nudge at the reader. It's a playful on a murder mystery and using that structure to look at the emotions around grief and around sudden death. I suppose I was thinking a lot about those original Golden Age detective novels. I mean, that period between the wars where people were coming out of the First World War, dealing with a huge amount of trauma, who were grieving and looking for familiar narratives as a comfort. And so ultimately, that is what Abigail is doing.

[Aisha Roscoe]

It's a lot going on because you have, like, the murder mystery of, like, who killed Abigail's brother Benjamin. And then you also have the mystery of, like, Abigail's brain, like, the story that she's telling herself. I wanted you to read this part where she's thinking about her last Christmas with her brother, which is just a few days before his death.

[Louise Hegarty]

Benjamin came over to my house on Christmas Eve and left on Stephen's Day. We had breakfast on Christmas Day morning and unwrapped presents. We went for a walk before lunch. During the meal, we took a call from our aunt. It was a normal Christmas. Benjamin was in a good mood.

[Aisha Roscoe]

And then over the next, like, few pages, Abigail keeps repeating and then striking through and repeating and adding details and subtracting details. And she's replaying it over and over in her mind, trying to make sense of it. Where did you get this idea from? Has this happened to you?

[Louise Hegarty]

You know, well, I think we've probably all lost somebody and we've all grieved. And it is that kind of normal thing that you do that you look back at the last time you saw them or kind of recent visits with them and you start examining everything that they did. Suddenly becomes a very important thing. You start looking for clues as to what was going on for them or what was happening. Abigail, she's kind of stuck in examining this last Christmas with her brother in minute detail, hoping that she'll remember something where everything that happened after that will suddenly make sense.

[Aisha Roscoe]

Yeah, it's interesting because murder mysteries, you're often not dealing with the grief of the murder or the pain of the murder. It's just like it's a puzzle to be solved. This book kind of forces you with that other hard part.

[Louise Hegarty]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I'm a big fan of those detective novels myself and the characters in them. You know, people are dropping dead all around them and they don't really seem that pushed. You know, there's not a huge amount of grieving for people who died. And from the reader's point as well, like, I'm never that upset when someone dies in a murder mystery. Cause that's the point of it.

[Aisha Roscoe]

Yeah, no, yeah.

[Louise Hegarty]

And I mean, there is that kind of puzzle to be solved, and they're a form of escapism as well.

[Aisha Roscoe]

It makes me wonder, like, are fair play mysteries kind of like the horror stories that I like? A way to consider mortality in a safe way and a fun way, because there are rules. Like you can't have supernatural happenings. It can't just be an accident.

[Louise Hegarty]

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I agree with that. I mean, I think death is kind of the one thing. I mean, we will never figure out that mystery. And as people, what we do is assign narratives and stories to our lives in order to make sense of them. I think the idea of trying to make sense of death is such a large part of human existence.

[Aisha Roscoe]

That's Louise Hegarty. Her debut novel is Fair Play. Thank you so much for talking with us today.

[Louise Hegarty]

Oh thank you so much.

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