Murder in the most unexpected places

Do you ever find yourself thinking of murder when you’re driving along?

It became a regular occurrence for me. I’d be driving through the gentle hills of the South Downs in East Sussex, on my way to my next food hygiene inspection, when a murderous image would spring to mind.

While there were some chefs and business owners I could have gladly murdered, we’re talking fiction here.

And on one bright, sunny morning, as I headed across the South Downs towards the village tearoom that was due an inspection, a vivid image burst into my mind.

The busy tearoom hummed with the murmur of congenial conversation, interspersed with the chink of fine china. While the affluent customers sipped Earl Grey or bit into fruit scones, layered with clotted cream and jam, murder was being committed in the tranquil hills beyond.

The prospect of a brutal murder in such a peaceful, bucolic location encouraged me to pull over and make notes in the small pad that accompanied me everywhere. As I drove along the winding lanes, every tree, ditch or hedgerow became the ideal place to hide a body.

While I, a humble environmental health officer, used his local knowledge and contacts to track down the killer. Between inspections, of course.

The idea of an ordinary person, solving complex murders, led to the creation of the Downland Murder Mystery series, currently standing at 10 novels.

And like Colin Dexter, who used the dreaming spires of Oxford to such great effect in Inspector Morse, I wanted the setting to be an integral part of the stories.

To discover more about the stunning settings and their part in the Downland Murder Mysteries, check out the full blog post by following this link to my website.