The July, 2023 version of Camp #NaNoWriMo is upon me, which predictably means it’s time to begin crafting another novel in one of my series. While I’m still keeping my eye on possibly completing the magical #mystery I’d begun last year, this time around Sean Colbeth is getting his seventh #novel, tentatively titled Solitude. I’ve had a hankering to do a “locked room” mystery with Sean for some time now; Downhill was pretty close, given how everyone was stuck in Windeport during a brutal nor’easter; Solitude will take it a step further, setting the events of the novel on a small island out in Windeport harbor.
In some ways, the location is the continuation of a thread from Downhill where I mentioned in passing that there was a mail boat that made daily runs from a wharf in Windeport; it wasn’t more than a hint perhaps that there were island communities out there in the harbor, but it was enough for my writer’s brain to begin building out a small, quiet, picturesque spot where people could, of course, get up to nefarious purposes. I don’t want to spoil anything from Vengeance other than to say it also helps that Sean has a bit of free time on his hands and can spend it away from his village.
It’s also weird that this book will be my fourteenth overall; I’ve been trying to keep to my pace of writing three each year (one during each NaNoWriMo event, essentially), so that has helped to propel me to this point. I have had this fear that the further I got in each series, I would lose my ability to craft unique plots that allowed my characters to continue to grow. Grounding them as real people — and continuing to pay attention to current events — seems to have prevented that from happening to me (so far), though I do sometimes catch myself accidentally repeating a watershed moment written in a prior novel. I also don’t want Windeport to become Cabot Cove; much like the people running the village, I am well aware that becoming known as a nexus for murder will kill tourism (pun intended). Coming up with unique ways to still be in Windeport while not running afoul of this principle is a continuous challenge I enjoy facing.
Solitude is also going to be a book where Sean is totally on his own. Up to this book, he’s traditionally had a supporting cast to help him; this time around, he’ll be left to his wits (and whatever else he can find on the island). I mean, he won’t be totally alone — and it is the modern era, with things like the internet available to the investigation — but this notion that he can show us, as readers, just what sort of investigative chops he has under the worst possible conditions feels like a story too good not to tell. It’s shaping up to be a fun ride, so stay tuned as I begin this journey.
Sean’s fifth book, Bewitched, hits stores on July 4, 2023. I really love this story, especially with the additional backstory I was able to bring to Sean — backstory that has been rattling around in my brain since his first appearance in Blindsided. If you are looking for wonderful summer read for the long holiday week, check it out!