Spirits, ghosts, graveyards and the dark. Pranks and scary stories. Halloween is a creepy time of year. The macabre element of the season intrigues me. A murder at this time of year seems darker, more chilling. I love a thriller or a horror (not the slasher blood and guts kind) at any time of year, not just Halloween.
In Hide and Seek, my characters hide behind costumes and masks, which increases the terror for the victim. Hide and Seek is a mystery that takes place over Halloween, but it’s not a Halloween story. A group of friends gather at a mansion to celebrate a birthday, and a guest goes missing. At the center of the murder investigation is the lingerie bar, where two victims once worked.
After I wrote Hide and Seek, I noticed an interesting detail. My 2nd mystery, No Alibi, also takes place in October/November. I’m sure this was unintentional, so I checked Madness and Murder, my first novel. Yep. November/December. I don’t associate murder with Autumn (Fall) or Winter, but I seem to be drawn to these dark, colder months. I wonder why. I held my breath and checked my current work in progress…ahhh, this one takes place in May. I’m cured.
How much does the weather or the season influence your reading? Do you find a murder mystery more chilling, more foul if it takes place in the Winter rather than in the Summer, or does it make no difference?
I think masks and costumes would make any mystery darker and more terrifying but a mystery is awesome no matter what the season.
Yes, definitely. Thanks for commenting.