Northbrook resident Libby Fischer Hellmann didn’t set out to become a mystery writer, but after a long—and very successful—road through journalism and then public relations, that’s where she wound up. Known for her Ellie Foreman and Georgia Davis mystery series, Hellmann came out with her seventh novel this December. Publisher’s Weekly called Set the Night on Fire (Allium Press) “a top-rate standalone thriller...that explores a fascinating period in American history.”

A mystery about a young woman who is being stalked in modern day Chicago, the book flashes back to the late 60s and also follows the lives of six middle class kids living in Old Town at the time. Young and idealistic, they are all searching for something, and the definition of family—however one defines it—seems to be a common thread that runs throughout the novel, tying past to present.

 “Writing this novel took lots of research and remembering,” said Hellmann, adding that she, too, was young and idealistic in the 60s.

“When I finished writing it, I was able to put that time period behind me,” she said. “But a real sadness came over me as well, that all that passion and energy, all that desire we had to change the world really did nothing. Big corporations really run the world, and it seems politics are worse than ever. No matter what we do, I guess we can’t change that.”  

Originally from Washington, D.C., Hellmann received her B.A. in history from the University of Pennsylvania and a masters degree in film from New York University.  She worked in New York as an assistant film editor at NBC before returning to Washington, where she worked for PBS’ public affairs production department. She even helped produce PBS’s nighttime broadcasts of the Watergate hearings.

Hellmann moved to Chicago in 1978 and took a position at the public relations firm Burson-Marsteller. She went on to found Fischer Hellmann Communications in 1985, conducting speaker training programs, presentation skills programs and classes in crisis communications. She moved to Northbrook in 1986 and published her first novel, An Eye for Murder, in 2002. Although she still works with clients, her time is now mainly spent on her writing career. 

“It still takes me just as long to write a novel if I’m working or not,” she said. Typically, that means a year’s worth of time before a book is done.  Hellmann recently finished her next book, which is set in Iran during the revolution of the 1970s, and is working on another, set in Cuba.

Asked who her favorite author is, Hellmann said she greatly admires Chicago writer Sara Paretsky, author of the V.I. Warshawski detective series.

“She was really a pioneer for women and writers in Chicago,” commented Hellmann. “Her characters are strong women in strong roles.”  

But another famous female mystery writer, Sue Grafton, is a bit too structured and formulaic for Hellmann.

“I like it when things go off on tangents, off the beaten path,” she said.

The toughest part of her work, Hellmann says, is getting women readers interested in the genre.

“I think there is the thought that crime and mystery novels are for men,” she said. “Eighty percent of books are bought by women and I think that there are a lot of women who would truly enjoy reading more mysteries.” 

Hellmann’s books are available at The Book Bin and on Amazon.com.  For more information, visit www.libbyhellmann.com.