tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379287241318002122.post2430246066434047798..comments2024-01-28T08:54:32.914-06:00Comments on That's interesting...: "Dancing with the Virgins" by Stephen BoothBill Garthrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08552459555883204060noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379287241318002122.post-78635562237547675252013-12-21T15:21:26.608-06:002013-12-21T15:21:26.608-06:00That's an unusual problem, Tony. Well, maybe n...That's an unusual problem, Tony. Well, maybe not for you, given all the mysteries which seem to be set in the UK. But I don't expect to have that problem here in Nebraska. :)<br /><br />I understand how it could be jarring, though - especially when the location is such an important part of the mystery series.<br />Bill Garthrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08552459555883204060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379287241318002122.post-8876060958493112552013-12-20T22:59:42.969-06:002013-12-20T22:59:42.969-06:00Bill, I read Black Dog with interest because I hap...Bill, I read Black Dog with interest because I happen to live on the edge of the Peak District National Park and the events are set within a few miles of my home. Unfortunately this turned out to be a disadvantage, because the author invented a town as the base for his fictional police force. This jarred with the otherwise accurate geography, and distracted me from enjoying the book. I kept thinking - where is this place meant to be? <br /><br />This made me think about the settings for such stories. Authors have various choices: they can choose a real location and keep the geography accurate throughout, which is fine if it's a big city police force but perhaps more difficult in a smaller area (the small, local police force might be offended at being portrayed). Donna Leon manages this with her Commissioner Brunetti series set in Venice (Italy, that is…), but I don't know what the Venice police make of it! Similarly, the Morse series set in Oxford manages to get away with it.<br /><br />Or the author can invent a town in an indeterminate location (e.g. Midsomer in the long-running TV series). <br /><br />Or the author can use a real town but change the name, as Martin Walker does with his Bruno, Chief of Police series set in a small town in the French Dordogne (the fictional town is called St Denis but is in fact based closely on Le Bugue, as I accidentally discovered when reading the first Bruno book shortly after staying in Le Bugue).<br /><br />All of these approaches work for me, but Booth's does not, so I don't plan to read any more of them.<br />Tony Williamshttp://www.quarry.nildram.co.uknoreply@blogger.com