Unraveling 1930s London: The Moquette Mystery’s Creative Journey
Andrew Martin‘s latest detective novel, “The Moquette Mystery,” plunges readers into 1930s London where a fragment of railway moquette becomes the pivotal clue in a murder investigation. The story follows department store employee May Mitton, originally from Halifax where much Tube moquette was historically woven, as she seeks the truth. The book’s core concept, proposed by publisher Graham Coster, evolved from Martin’s earlier non-fiction work, “Seats of London,” emphasizing the belief that while transport writing can often be “dour,” moquettes introduce “colour, romance, and beauty.”
For the novel, Martin and his team designed a unique purple, flower-like moquette with a yellow background and ominous black accents. This design deliberately suggested natural forms and differentiated itself from the era’s famous red and green Underground patterns. Martin expresses a particular fondness for the 1938 red and green moquettes, such as Marion Dorn’s ‘Colindale’ (‘Leaf’) pattern, commissioned by Frank Pick. Pick favored these colors, with red symbolizing urban life and green representing the countryside, believing green fostered a “serene” atmosphere—a sentiment Martin shares, advocating for more green on contemporary trains.
Martin also shares insights into his writing process, which involves observing characters on trains for his “Reading on Trains” newsletter, a valuable exercise for a novelist. He advises aspiring historical fiction writers to utilize old photographs, deeming them a quicker and richer source for historical props—like clothing, cars, and décor—and character inspiration compared to extensive reading. If given the chance to revisit 1930s London, Martin envisions riding the 1938-stock red Tube trains, perhaps smoking a cigarette, and witnessing iconic departures like the Flying Scotsman from King’s Cross or the Cornish Riviera Express from Paddington.
(Source: https://londonist.com/london/books-and-poetry/the-moquette-mystery-andrew-martin)
