28 October 2019
Les Cowan, author of the David Hidalgo crime thriller series, considers the importance of setting
Are you a country girl or a city boy? Would a week in Las Vegas be a dream or a nightmare? What about a holiday in the Highlands? Is the city exciting and full of possibilities or a world of dangers just waiting to pounce? As in life, so in art - place is important.
Character and plot are often seen as the two sides of the fiction coin. Both are vital, but proportions vary depending on author, genre and style. We may learn little about the protagonists of crime novels beyond the characteristics required by the plot.
But what about sense of place? I would suggest it's also vital, and maybe much overlooked.
