Mary's stepmother to teach whodunits

Nils Meilvang/Scanpix
Susan Donaldson will be teaching at the Copenhagen University.

Crown princess Mary's stepmother, Susan Donaldson, will be teaching a course in crime fiction at Copenhagen University

Students who sign up for a course in crime fiction at Copenhagen University might finally discover whether the butler did indeed do it. And their instructor, Susan Donaldson, as the stepmother of crown princess Mary, might have inside knowledge in the lives of butlers.

Donaldson, who writes under the penname Susan Moody, married Mary's father, John Donaldson, after Mary's mother died of heart disease.

Susan Donaldson will teach the course titled 'Detective Fiction' along with Charles Lock, a professor in English literature.

The course, which will be offered as an elective at the English Department for students in their first years, is designed to give students insight into the workings of a detective novel. Elements such as plot construction, crime motives, judicial jargon, and forensic evidence will be introduced. It will also discuss the detective story as a literary genre.

Moody, who has written a number of crime novels featuring the amateur sleuth Penny Wananwake, held a similar position at the University of Tasmania. She has also been a member of the British Crime Writers' Association and president of the International Association of Crime Writers.

John Donaldson is currently employed as a professor in mathematics at Copenhagen University.

Source: /ritzau/
denmark.dk
Link: Susan Moody biography