Barnabas Tew and the Case of the Missing Scarab

Barnabas Tew, a detective in Victorian London, is having a hard time making a name for himself, probably because most of his clients end up dead before he can solve their cases. His luck is about to change, though, for better or worse: Anubis, the Egyptian god of the dead, notices him and calls him to the Egyptian underworld. A terrible kidnapping has occurred; one that promises to put an end to the status quo and could perhaps even put an end to the entire world. It is up to Barnabas (along with his trusty assistant, Wilfred) to discover the culprit and set things to right. Can he turn his luck around and solve the most important case of his life?

Purchase Link - mybook.to/Barnabas

Q&A

Columbkill Noonan is our guest today, and she’ll be talking about her book, which is the first installment in the best-selling Barnabas Tew series, “Barnabas Tew and the Case of the Missing Scarab”, since today marks its first birthday! We’ll be talking about (what else?) Egyptian mythology!

“Missing Scarab” is based on the mythology of Ancient Egypt. What interested you specifically in Egyptian lore?

Egyptian mythology is very rich and layered…there’s no shortage of personalities and stories to choose from. Add to that the fact that many of the gods and goddesses are outlandish (having the heads of jackals and crocodiles and falcons and what-not) and you’ve got a treasure trove of raw material to work with.

Did you have a favorite god or goddess while writing the book?

I really like Anti. He was grumpy and a bit of a curmudgeon which played delightfully alongside Barnabas’ own unique personality.

A least favorite one?

To be honest I enjoyed them all, even the villains. Maybe especially the villains…

The second book in the series, “The Case of the Nine Worlds”, is set in the nine worlds of Viking mythology. How are the mythologies of Egypt different from those of the Vikings? How are they similar?

They are similar in that there is a large pantheon of gods and goddesses in both, and the politics in both are extraordinarily complicated. And they both have a focus on “good” vs. “evil”. One big difference is that in Egyptian mythology good and evil fight on a daily basis, whereas in Viking mythology things tend to be a bit more cyclical, and the ne’er-do-wells, if you will, are more tolerated and less ostracized than they are in the Egyptian world.

How did you approach researching for these books?

I’m lucky to teach at a university, with all the resources a university library can provide. I like to get books from the library (or from a bookstore, or Amazon) and write out “profiles” of each of the gods and goddesses. Then I use that to choose the ones to include in the story, and construct a plot around their personalities.

Do you enjoy that process?

I do, I have the most fun in the research part. I’d say it’s my favorite.

What other mythologies interest you?

The Mayans are fascinating, with so many interesting stories and characters. I’m also very interested in the Hindu and Buddhist worlds. Mongolia is also a place I am fascinated with; I’m trying to find a way to incorporate a trip into the Mongolia of the Khans for poor Barnabas and Wilfred into a future book.

Can you tell us where Barnabas and Wilfred might go next? A sort of “sneak preview”, if you will?

I’ll give you a hint: I’ve mentioned it somewhere in the answers above!

Author Bio – Columbkill Noonan lives in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, where she teaches yoga and Anatomy and Physiology.  Her work has appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines. Her first novel, “Barnabas Tew and the Case of the Missing Scarab” by Crooked Cat Books, was released in 2017, and her latest work, “Barnabas Tew and the Case of the Nine Worlds”, is set to be released in September 2018.

In her spare time, Columbkill enjoys hiking, paddle boarding, aerial yoga, and riding her rescue horse, Mittens. To learn more about Columbkill please feel free to visit her website (www.columbkill.weebly.com), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ColumbkillNoonan) or on Twitter (@ColumbkillNoon1).

Social Media Links –  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColumbkillNoonan/

                                       Twitter: https://twitter.com/columbkillnoon1?lang=en