Christine has written nine previous novels, including her recent best-selling Snow Mountains mystery series (Charlotte Pass, Crackenback and Dead Horse Gap).

A former corporate trainer, Lee has two grown children and lives in Newcastle with her husband, Damian, and Honey, her soft-coated Irish Wheaten terrier.

How long ago did you start this book and where did the idea originate?

I began plotting Glenrock in late 2021.

Previously, I'd written a three-book crime series set in the natural environment of the Snowy Mountains, all police procedurals.

For Glenrock, I had been playing around with several ideas, the nature of the relationship that exists between police and journalists being one, as well as the online trolling and growing violence against journalists.

I'd also been mulling over the power differential between junior lawyers and partners in legal firms, and that idea led to me creating the character of Justice Maurice Tempest. Around the same time, I'd been reading about the restoration of the old Victoria Theatre in Perkins Street. Inmates had been re-upholstering seats for the theatre. That led me to developing a fictional program between Corrections and the council which resulted in the creation of the character of Ben Reid.

It was also around the time of the challenges to "Roe v Wade" in the US so the idea of a legal precedent being overturned was also in my mind. It was then a matter of me wrangling all these ideas into a cohesive story.

How long did you spend writing the book? Was it a continual process, or a gradual one, like writing notes or passages and then coming back to it?

It was definitely a gradual process. I always start with the location, and then I begin creating the characters, for example, I might work on fleshing out the detective's character one day and work on the journalist's the next. I think about each character's backstory, why they are living where they are, and how do they cross paths with the other characters, as well as working on their goals and motivations. I write hundreds of notes which I'm always crossing out and coming back to. I usually fill about two notebooks.

Have you sold TV or movie rights for it?

No, that hasn't happened yet, but I'm open to ideas.

How does this book compare for you personally with your previous nine books?

This book feels very personal for me because I'm born and bred in Newcastle, and other than living in Sydney for a while, I've lived here all my life. There's definitely an advantage in being a Novocastrian. I was a teenager in the '70s so I've witnessed Newcastle's evolution. It's also a little daunting. My books are set in real places as opposed to creating a fictional town, which many authors do, and for good reason. With a fictional place you have the freedom to create whatever you want. With a real place you have to do your research and make sure you get the locations right. I know from the feedback I've received from my Snowy Mountains series that readers enjoy reading stories set in their hometown. They enjoy the familiarity of the locations.

The book opens with a man on a morning walk on Anzac walkway along Bathers Way to Glenrock. Have you taken that route?

I definitely have, many times. I live close to the beach so I'm fortunate to be able to admire that stretch of coastline daily.

Have you taken that walk since finishing the book?

I haven't walked the entire way. I have walked from the top of the Anzac Walk to Merewether Beach, but I've driven to Glenrock on a number of occasions.

Do you realise how desirable and cosmopolitan you've made Newcastle sound?

Thank you. Newcastle has indeed undergone a major revitalisation, and in addition to showcasing the beautiful coastal seascapes, I've endeavoured to show both the old and the new Newcastle through scenes set in Carrington, the historic Hill area, Honeysuckle and the harbour.

Do your characters have characteristics of real people or animals? Is the dog CJ in the book like your dog Honey?

Yes! CJ does a perimeter patrol around the yard as does our Honey. Honey also darts from side to side while on a walk so we have to be careful when using a shared pathway. I do note down interesting characteristics in people I meet, though I don't think anyone I know has made it into one of my books. I also write down interesting names when I hear them.

What is your writing process?

I don't write every day unlike many authors I know who religiously write 1000 or 2000 words a day. That doesn't work for me, I'd probably delete most of those words. I think about the story for around four months, writing down everything in longhand in one of my notebooks. It's only when I can see the story in my mind like a movie that I sit down and begin to write. I can usually have the first draft written in four months.

You put great attention to time of day as well as place - have you been through those motions at those places and times? Cold nights in Carrington, darts at the Carrington Bowlo?

I have been to Carrington at night when the wind is blowing straight off the harbour. I have also been to the Carrington Bowlo numerous times, not to play darts, but to do a yoga class followed by coffee.

Do you plan a follow-up book with any of these characters?

I'm still in the thinking about it stage. Stayed tuned.

Do you see another book set in Newcastle in your schedule?

I do. Newcastle and the Hunter Valley have a rich history and a natural beauty with a vast array of amazing locations. As the second oldest city in Australia with much of its Victorian architecture preserved, Newcastle is the perfect setting for a book, movie, or television production.

Lee Christine will be presented an author's talk about her new book on Wednesday, February 14, from 5.30pm to 6.30pm at Charlestown Library (gold coin donation).