A novel’s setting is as important as its characters. The land of Oz. Hogwarts. Harper Lee’s Maycomb, Alabama. The Wonderland visited by Lewis Carroll’s Alice. We can all picture these settings instantly in our minds. The settings within the story’s main setting are also important, such as Jem and Jewel’s neighborhood in Maycomb and the courtroom in which Atticus defended Tom Robinson.
I love the main settings of my two cozy series: Barton (Veronica Walsh Mysteries) and Garland (Robyn Cavanagh Mysteries). I’ve roamed through both towns alone and with my pair of amateur sleuths. I’ve written about the joy of creating Barton and Garland and their businesses, streets, churches, and residences. Like regular characters in a television show, there are places in Barton and Garland that Veronica and Robyn frequently visit. They each have a favorite restaurant—Veronica’s Hearth and Robyn’s Town Tavern. Veronica has a bricks-and-mortar place of business, the All Things boutique. Robyn operates her accounting business from a home office, but her growing photography career takes her to all sorts of places around Garland. Veronica frequently pops into her best friend’s flower shop for a dose of “floral therapy,” while Robyn often stops in at her friend and client’s bakery for a chat and something sweet from the shop’s display case.
Some of my favorite settings are my characters’ homes. Veronica resides in a Folk Victorian while Robyn dwells in a residence of my favorite architectural stye, an Arts-and-Crafts house. I gave the stars of my series lovely places to live, but I also “built” wonderful houses for their family and friends. Some have been inspired by homes I’ve been in, passed by, or seen in a news article, magazine clipping, or on a real estate website. The grand home of George Bradshaw in Murder, by George (Veronica Walsh Mystery #2), was inspired by a local home I read about in my county’s newspaper a short while before I started writing the book.
I introduce new locations in my cozy towns in each new book, the main setting being the crime scene. Obviously, where the murder takes place is a crucial locale in a mystery. The location of the crime—private or public—may give a clue to whether the killer is a stranger or acquaintance of the victim. In the Veronica Walsh series, deaths have occurred in homes and behind a barn converted into a theater. The crime scene in The Freudian Slip Murder, however, is a fluid. Literally. A lethal dose of antifreeze is added to psychology professor Derek Morley’s bottle of black cherry soda. The poor fellow ingests the soda in one location and dies in another.
I take Veronica and readers to both places in the story. She visits Arden College and Hammes Hall, where Derek’s office is located. She has lunch in the public cafeteria with Professor Miranda Liu, and strolls the quad with student Gretchen Smith. Veronica also spends time in Derek’s home, first at a party where all the characters are introduced, and later with visits to Derek’s wife, Professor Susanna Rafferty.
A new setting that I’m eager to introduce to readers to is Linden Acres, which is featured In The Golden Hour Murder, the upcoming second Robyn Cavanagh Mystery (I hope to soon have a release date for the book). The family farm is lush with apple orchards, a large pumpkin patch, and fields for corn and other produce and has been a gathering spot for the community for decades. The Lindens have welcomed both Garland residents and visitors for holiday activities, school field trips, and autumn leaf peeping. For Robyn, the farm presents an opportunity to build her portfolio, as she is hired by the Linden’s to photograph their farm. Spending time roaming the orchards and fields with Robyn was as relaxing for me as it was for her. I hope to share more with you on The Golden Hour Murder in the coming months.
In what novel settings have you enjoyed spending time? Cozy series are full of wonderful location, from coffeehouses to tea shops, bookstores to libraries, bakeries to barbecue joints. Or do you prefer a spine-tingling sci-fi setting, a sweeping vista of a romance, or a wide-open Western space?
Jeanne Quigley - All Things Cozy 