When I began planning 'The Leiston Riddle', one of the first decisions I made was about where the murder would take place. Not just any backdrop would do. I needed a setting with atmosphere, history, and the kind of quiet menace that makes a murder mystery truly unsettling.
That’s when Suffolk called to me. Suffolk, with its windswept coastline, sprawling heathlands and close-knit villages, offers a unique blend of beauty and isolation. It’s a place where the mist hangs low over the fields in early morning, where narrow lanes twist through centuries-old parishes, and where everyone knows each other—or at least thinks they do. That kind of landscape creates the perfect breeding ground for secrets. There’s a certain timelessness in Suffolk. You can stand on the edge of a crumbling cliff or inside a church that’s stood since the Middle Ages and feel history pressing in. It makes you wonder: what stories have these walls heard? What might still be buried—both literally and metaphorically—beneath the surface?
Of course, Suffolk isn’t just scenery. It’s a character in its own right. In this novel, the setting isn’t just where things happen—it shapes the mystery, the people, the mood. The quiet villages might seem sleepy, but still waters run deep.
Over the next few posts on this blog, I’ll be sharing more about the characters, the twists, and how Suffolk continues to shape the story I’m telling. For now, I’d love to know: what do you associate with Suffolk? Have you ever visited somewhere that felt like it was hiding secrets?
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