MUSE MONDAY
Setting is so important when writing fiction. Without knowing what the story is about, wouldn't you have a different vision if I said the book takes place on the Sahara Desert as opposed to downtown Minneapolis? Please welcome my guest today, Sally Handley, and hear what she has to say about setting.
The last
moderator of our local Mystery Book Club decided to choose books set in foreign
countries. We read: Daphne
DuMaurier’s classic suspense, Rebecca, set on the Cornish coast of
England; Donna Leon’s Death at La Fenice, set in romantic Venice; and Cara Black’s irresistibly French Murder in the Marais set in Paris. The settings in this trio of
books profoundly shapes the reading experience.
Recently I
was invited to stay with friends in Tuscany, and as a result of my book club
experience, I thought it would be a great idea to read books set in Italy while
on the trip. Because I absolutely loved Death
in La Fenice, I loaded Death in a
Strange Country, the second book in the Guido Brunetti series.
My second
selection was Aunti Poldi and the
Vineyards of Etna, the second book in Mario Giordano’s Auntie Poldi series
which is set in Sicily. I loved the first book, Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions, so much that I pre-ordered
book two. It arrived on my Kindle a full month before I embarked on my Tuscan
adventure, and I had to resist reading it until the flight. Am I glad I did!
Reading
these books set in Italy totally enhanced the travel experience for me. I
actually looked forward to getting into bed at night to read these stories after
a day of touring the countryside. The descriptions of the Italian people, the
food, and, of course, the wine made me smile as I recalled the people I’d met
on our travels each day, the food we’d eaten, and, of course, the wine we
drank.
As a cozy
mystery writer, my settings are not quite as exotic as the books I’ve just
described. Almost by definition, the cozy mystery needs to be set in a small
town atmosphere where everybody knows everybody else. Still reading mysteries
set in other countries has caused me to think more about setting as critical
element of the stories I write.
The first
two books in my Holly and Ivy mystery series mostly take place in the
fictitious New Jersey town of Pineland Park. I confess, the neighborhood bears
a remarkable resemblance to the New Jersey town I really lived in for
twenty-five years. Funny thing, Holly’s Tudor house was also quite similar to
mine.
In Full Bloom, book three of the series, my
sister sleuths never set foot in Pineland Park. The story begins with their
arrival in the fictitious town of Reddington Manor, nestled in the Catskill
mountains. They’ve come to visit Holly’s
friend, Kate Farmer. And guess what? Kate’s home bears a distinct resemblance
to my friend’s home in the Catskills. You have to admit that if
“cozy setting” was listed in the dictionary, that picture would make an ideal
illustration.
In a March
4th blog on setting, Author, Editor, and Writing Coach, Lori Freeland sums it up perfectly: “The
way you stage the setting in your story deepens the experience for both the
character and the reader. Whether you’re being blatant or subtle, dropping
heavy detail or sprinkling light clues, how you present a place tells readers
how to feel about it.”
 |
| Tuscany |
I couldn’t
agree more. So as I continue to write cozy mysteries, I will continue to set
them in cozy settings. But you know, I was thinking there’s no reason why my characters
can’t take a trip to an exotic locale. Besides, Holly’s love interest is named
Nick Manelli. I mean a trip to Italy would almost be a necessity. And, really
what’s not cozy about a villa in Tuscany?
Full Bloom
Book Blurb
In the third book in the Holly and Ivy mystery
series, the Donnelly sisters are looking forward to a relaxing stay in the
Catskills after Holly’s break-up with Nick Manelli. Holly and Ivy have their
plans thwarted when, once again, they become involved in a murder
investigation. The day they arrive at Kate Farmer’s house in rustic Reddington
Manor, they discover the body of Kate’s next-door neighbor, Chuck Dwyer, in a
pool of blood on his kitchen floor. In a rush to judgement, the local
sheriff sets his sights on 17-year old Tommy Cranston, but Kate insists Tommy
is innocent. Can the sister sleuths prove that a shifty neighbor, the victim’s
widow and local drug dealers all have better motives for the murder? And can
Ivy and Kate unravel another mystery — the cause of Holly and Nick’s break-up
and the chances of their getting back together?
Excerpt
The full moon lit the yard and Holly could
see all the way back to the recently installed chicken coop. She descended the
porch steps and waited, grateful no deer or other more worrisome critters were
about. Lucky moved down the yard sniffing. The dog squatted and Holly smiled.
“That was quick,” she said into the night air.
Lucky
turned and headed back, but midway down the long expanse of yard she veered off
around the back of the house. Holly rolled her eyes and sighed. She didn’t want
to disturb the peace by yelling for the dog, so she decided to just wait for
her to return.
After
a few minutes Holly remembered the deep ravine that separated Kate’s house from
the Leggett house. She hoped Lucky
hadn’t gone down there and decided she better go find here. No telling what
she’d bring back from down there.
Moving
the flashlight beam back and forth in a wide arc, Holly crossed the yard. She
could feel the wetness of the grass penetrating her slippers.
Turning
the corner of the house, she was relieved to see the dog by the side porch.
“Lucky,
c’mon,” she said in a stage whisper.
The
dog didn’t respond. Instead, she lowered herself onto her front paws. Her butt
up in the air wiggled as she stuck her nose under the porch.
“Oh,
no!” Holly ran over when she remembered Kate said a groundhog sometimes took up
residence under there. “Lucky, no!” She reached for the dog’s collar, attached
the leash and tugged. “Come out of there.”
On
the last tug, Holly lost her grip and fell backwards landing flat on her back.
“Great. Just great,” she said aloud as she struggled her way up to a sitting
position, facing the Leggett house. That’s when she noticed a light in the
window that faced her bedroom. Still holding onto the flashlight, she aimed the
beam at the window. Holly gasped as a man’s ghoulish face appeared. He spotted
her, then quickly disappeared. The light went out.
Holly
scrambled to her feet, caught hold of Lucky’s leash and pulled.
“Let’s
go!” she commanded and this time the dog followed. Together they ran around the
back of the house. Her heart was racing as they bounded up the porch steps.
Inside,
Holly slid the barrel bolt lock, turned the deadbolt and shut off the lights.
Scurrying into the living room, she found the remote and shut off the
television. She mounted the stairs as quickly as she could and went straight to
her bedroom window, peering out across the ravine. She stood watching, trying
to catch her breath. No lights. No movement. No sounds. Climbing into bed, she
pulled the covers over her head. What
fresh hell is this?
Buy Links
Sally
Handley, Writer, Gardener, Sister in Crime
President of the Upstate South Carolina Chapter
of Sisters in Crime (SinC), Sally Handley is author of the Holly and Ivy cozy mystery series. Sally’s
sleuths are middle-aged, sisters who are reluctantly drawn into a murder
investigation. Both find inner strength and renewed purpose, experiencing a
renaissance at an age when many choose to accept the limitations of aging. A
resident of Mauldin, SC, Sally devotes her time to writing cozy mysteries and
gardening and also writes a blog “On Writing, Reading and Retirement” at
www.sallyhandley.com.
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