Bianca Marais, co-host of The Shit No One Tells You About Writing and a celebrated creative writing instructor, shares insights about her intriguing book, A Most Puzzling Murder. The conversation explores the life of Destiny Whip, a reclusive former prodigy unraveling dark family secrets on Eerie Island. Marais discusses themes of isolation, the significance of a plus-size protagonist, and how gothic elements enrich the narrative. She emphasizes reader engagement through puzzles and the personal growth stemming from Destiny's journey.
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insights INSIGHT
Interactive Mystery with Puzzles
A Most Puzzling Murder uniquely combines mystery with interactive puzzles that involve the reader directly.
The story is designed to be engaging for both puzzle lovers and those more interested in narrative discovery.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Interactive Book Launch Events
Bianca created interactive book launches that mirrored her book's engagement with readers.
She wore a gold cape symbolizing the magical royal family in her story during the launch event.
insights INSIGHT
Character Depth in Destiny Whip
Destiny Whip is a vulnerable and smart protagonist, reflecting realistic struggles with loss and insecurity.
In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with Bianca Marais about her delightful and highly entertaining new book,A Most Puzzling Murder (Harper Collins, 2025),
How do you solve a murder that hasn't happened yet? Destiny Whip is a former child prodigy, world-renowned enigmatologist and very, very alone. A life filled with loss has made her a recluse, an existence she’s content to endure until a letter arrives inviting her to interview for the position of Scruffmore family historian. Not only does an internet search for the name yield almost nothing, it’s a role she never applied to in the first place! She decodes the invitation's hidden message with ease, and its promise to reveal her family secrets proves too powerful a draw for the orphaned Destiny, who soon finds herself on Eerie Island. It’s a place whose inhabitants are almost as inhospitable as the tempestuous weather. The Scruffmores themselves turn out to be not much better, a snarled mess of secrets and motives connected by their mistrust for one another. Their newly arrived guest proves to be just as much an enigma to them as they are to her. While Destiny slowly works to unravel the mysteries hidden throughout the ominous castle, she struggles to interpret disturbing nightly visions of what is to come. In the midst of cryptic ciphers, hidden passages, and the family’s magical line of succession, Destiny is certain of two things: one of the Scruffmores is going to die and she’s running out of time to stop it. Interspersed with riddles and puzzles that both Destiny and the reader must solve, A Most Puzzling Murder is a one-of-a-kind mystery that will leave you guessing and gasping until the very last page!
About Bianca Marais:
Bianca Marais cohosts the popular podcast The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, which is aimed at helping emerging writers get published. She teaches creative writing through the podcast and was named a winner of the Excellence in Teaching Award for Creative Writing at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies. She lives in Toronto, where she loves playing escape-room games and writing about strong female protagonists.
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