When I was looking for the perfect setting for the Tea by the Sea series, I didn’t have to think very hard. Cape Cod was the natural choice.
In any sort of mystery novel series you need a fairly constant turnover of people. Victim, villain, numerous suspects, all popping up and being mysterious. Popular tourist locations provide that turnover, giving the author a completely different set of people, motives, red herrings and all the rest for each book in the series.
To take advantage of a tourist location, it helps if the amateur sleuth is in the tourist business in some way. My protagonist’s grandmother owns a B&B on Cape Cod Bay. Good variety of guests there. My character herself operates a traditional afternoon tearoom on the B&B property. Not only does she get people stopping by for tea, but it’s a good place for B&B guests to spend time. Nothing like family arguments around the tea table to provide fodder for murder. This setting gives the characters an opportunity to air their dirty laundry, while being overheard by the amateur sleuth.
Tourist locations are a big help to the author for adding description and mood to the books. There’s a reason popular tourist locations, such as Cape Cod, get lots of visitors and that’s often the scenery. As the property in my series is situated on the bay, I have the full use of a wonderful range of description. Calm seas, tempestuous storms, beautiful sunsets, boats of all sizes and types sailing by. People walking on the beach or swimming in the bay. (Or being chased by deranged killers across the cliffs). Characters head out on whale watching tours, load up the car for the beach, or a stroll on the fishing pier in my town of North Augusta. (North Augusta is not a real place, but it’s mentioned as being close to North Truro.) They enjoy ice cream on the pier while watching dolphins play in the waters below, or downing a huge bowl of clam chowder at a local restaurant. Is there anything more romantic than an ice cream on a pier at sunset? I don’t think so.
The third advantage, for me personally, of setting my books in Cape Cod is that I get to visit! I call it research.
I’m not the only author who believes Cape Cod is a great place for a mystery series. Here are some others readers would enjoy.
Elementary, She Read by Vicki Delany
(Yup, me again). The first in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series. In the town of West London, based on Chatham, Gemma Doyle owes a popular-with-tourists store called The Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium which is situated next door to Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room.
Murder on Cape Cod by Maddie Day
First in the Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries. The title of this one says it all! The protagonist owns a tourist-focused bicycle shop in the “quaint, seaside hamlet of Westham, Massachusetts”.
Murder is No Picnic by Amy Pershing
Third in the Cape Cod Foodie Mysteries. Cape Cod with the emphasis on food. Yummy. In this one, a clam bake and blueberry buckle are on the menu. Sounds good to me!
Murder’s No Votive Confidence by Christin Brecher
First of the Nantucket Candle Maker Mysteries. Nantucket might not technically be part of Cape Cod, but to tourists it is, so I’m including this book. In this series the protagonist makes and sells candles. Nothing tourists love more than candles!
The Cape Cod Mystery by Phoebe Attwood-Taylor
And then there’s a true American Classic. First published in 1931, this was the first of 24 Asey Mayo books inspired by the authors own family’s long history on Cape Cod.
For most of us, summer is vacation time. And we all love a good beach read. Whether you’re sunning yourself on the beach or just dreaming about it, you can’t beat a book set exactly where you’d like to be.
***
