Scene of the Crime

[Lydia Sadler]

Where would your crime take place if you were writing a crime novel and why?

[Lee Martin]

Hi Lydia,

If you consider all and all, there probably isn't a bad place to write about. I think a lot of the exotic places have been pretty well covered. If you have the scene of a crime the same as hundreds of others, then it wouldn't be any different than hundreds of others.
I think places like apartments, overseas in usual get-aways, houses, trains, cruise ships, airplanes and so on would be hard to be different.
Maybe some public place would/could be interesting such as airports, hotels,department stores and places like that would be good. With a place that is open and busy with people coming and going all the time would make a good place. Suspects would be quite difficult to come up with.
In my book, Just Another Case, I went to the crime scenes after they had been discovered. I am a retired Forensic Crime Scene Investigator which gave me an edge of finding crime scenes.
I hope these comments were what you were looking for

Lee Martin

[Lydia Sadler]

Hi Lee. Thanks for your response. I agree that many places have been done to death (?), but writers keep coming up with a new twist on an old idea. I like the idea of public places because it hightens the possibly of risk, which I think is a secret thrill for many of the bad guys in the books I read.
In regards to your former profession, what is the first thing you look for when you get to a crime scene?

[I. J. Parker]

Why come up with a new twist? People are murdered in all sorts of places in real life. I like my murders realistic. I don't like weird twists. That's for TV series, and so far they've never been satisfactory. We are all primed for the twist.

Actually that's true of mysteries also. The book works up to the grand revelation at the end -- but wait: there are a couple more pages. Ah! So that wasn't it at all. Surprise! (Or not)

These things are overdone until they become formula.

[Lydia Sadler]

If the storyline or the plot is a familiar one, (and they all become familiar sooner or later), the twist is what makes your story different.
In a movie as opposed to a book, you only have so much time to tell the story. But if you want the reader to keep reading, you have to have a twist at so point to keep them guessing.
This may be overdone as you say, but the formula keeps readers coming back. Thanks for your response.

[carole gill]

I am writing one. I have more than one murder.
First I get my plot fleshed out and then the where is answered according to the storyline.
For example, the first murder takes place in a woman's bedroom. It's not a random killing as he's not a serial killer. he has reasons he wants this woman killed.
He goes to her apartment building and waits for her to go to sleep. It's 1950's New York and he's got a fire escape to wait on--curled up in the shadow. Another shadow.
The second one is when he's murdered for identification--a former friend.
He takes the friend for a ride, they get out of his car and he kills and buries him. (voila! he can now assume that man's identity)!
The third and last one is the murder of a former friend he considers (wrongly and tragically) to be a traitor. This is near the bonny banks of the Mississippi--behind a disused warehouse.
three isn't too bad, right?!

[Lydia Sadler]

Wow, you have a lot going on here. I would like to read this when your ready to share.
Thanks for your response.

[carole gill]

ooh Lydia,
from your lips to an Agent's ears!
you can count on it!
and thanks!

[I. J. Parker]

or drowned? Maybe in a bathtub and then dropped? Or fallen/pushed off a boat? Or dropped from a private plane?
and if not murder:
Or overdosed during a beach party? Or had a heart attack during his morning walk on the cliff? Run over accidentally by a beach buggy on the beach? Fell during an attempt to climb the cliff? Or picking some rare flowers? Or rescuing a dog that went after a rabbit?

[Lydia Sadler]

I like the beach party senario, I.J. Sounds like something out of a Jackie Collins novel, because it doesn't have to be a crime, it could be an accident. It is only when you look below the surface, that you find the crime. Thanks.

[Lydia Sadler]

I like that, so many of the English crime novels I have read have this senario. Thanks, Tin.