There’s something about an island @LucyBurdette

LUCY BURDETTE: This summer we had planned to take a trip to Iceland that was cancelled when the country was moved to the “Do Not Travel” list. We were disappointed, but there's been a lot of disappointment over the last couple years and we know by now to count our blessings and make the best of a situation. So instead of Iceland, I made reservations for a few days at Mohegan Island off the coast of Maine. It's a tiny place, with a winter population in the 60s, as none of the tourist places are open. Visitors take a ferry about 12 miles out into the Atlantic to get there. We did a lot of hiking, and one day came to a cliff above the sea. The map told us that we should stay back from the edge as tidal currents and undertow would make rescue impossible. Can you hear the wheels turning in my mind? 

I can't really turn off my mystery writer brain when we are away from home, so as we sat out on the porch of our inn, I couldn't help noticing which people looked like locals who might make good characters in a new series. It seems to me that people who live on islands are different, a tougher breed than the visitors. In lots of cases, the climate is not necessarily appealing to outsiders during the off-season, so the residents are reduced to a small set during the winter, or the summer, depending on the latitude. Islands are obviously harder to get to, which might make them more alluring to visitors. Hard to reach = got to have it. Locals depend on tourist dollars, but probably resent the intrusion as well--at least some of the time.

You can drive to Key West of course, where my series is set, but it’s a long haul down a string of smaller keys. This is not so good for a criminal, because unless you own a boat or a sea plane, there’s only one road out. You can have a getaway car poised, but then you have to drive three hours to reach the landmass of Florida where you can disappear into Miami. The sheriff’s department is almost sure to pick you off before you arrive.

We visited Lord Howe Island about five years ago when we went to Australia, and it was probably the hardest place to reach that we’ve visited. (Most beautiful as well.) It took two flights, one from Melbourne to Newcastle and another from Newcastle to Lord Howe. The runway on that island is short enough that if the wind is blowing, either the flight from Newcastle doesn’t go, or a lot of luggage must be offloaded. This happened to us. In fact it happens often enough that they are prepared and distribute packages of gray sweats/pajamas and toothbrushes to all the folks missing their bags. (All of those gray pajamas came in large or extra large so you can imagine I was the height of fashion.)

Here's the sign that we spotted at the beginning of a hiking trail on Lord Howe. 

I always meant to write a short story about this experience, and even tracked down the one-person police station. Imagine someone getting pushed off the cliff... What if the killer had nothing to wear but those silly gray pajamas—like half the unlucky visitors without luggage? One day I'll get back to that.

But meanwhile, are you drawn to islands? Is there one you think would make a great mystery setting? Island book recommendations?

(Unsafe Haven, my upcoming thriller, opens on the island of Manhattan. You can read the first chapter here.)