My new crime novel “Murderous Morning” which will be published on November 9, is set in a remote mining town in the North of the Canadian province British Columbia. Wilderness surrounds Whatou Lake, but while the town is fictional, the wilderness, the mountains, the coast and the ocean aren`t.
I have repeatedly travelled to Northern British Columbia and became totally fascinated by it. The beauty of the landscape is overwhelming. There are areas in British Columbia that no man or woman has ever set foot on. Wild animals like grizzlies, cougars, wolves, caribou, moose and eagles populate the forests and coastal regions.
Whatou Lake can only be reached by plane or boat. For some people, such a remote place equals freedom, as it does for the town doctor Kenneth Griffins. But in a town like Whatou Lake, you cannot escape your neighbours. That is why Fran and Hank Miller, a young couple, decided to live on a farm in the wilderness.
Fran is homeschooling her three children. But Fran and Hank’s attempt to raise cattle fails. Hank gets a job at Watershed Lodge where he guides tourists on bear watching tours. Fran is often alone with her children on the farm, while her husband is away. One day, something terrible happens to this young family.
Watershed Lodge, a rustic tourist destination, belongs to the Sitklat’l First Nation who tries to succeed economically. The Sitklat’l chief’s son Tsaytis plays an important role in “Murderous Morning“. The main character in the book, family lawyer Tessa Griffins, whose love interest Tsaytis once was, meets him unexpectedly at a remote cabin on Beaver Lake.
Tessa Griffins travels in a pickup, by boat, on an ATV and by floatplane. She also hikes on foot through the wilderness. I did all this before I wrote the novel. It was an exciting adventure. I especially liked flying with seaplanes.
