Why set my murder mysteries in Lincolnshire?

A good story needs a great plot, interesting characters, and a setting with a dark, intriguing past. Lincolnshire has it all.

In the east, the soft rolling hills of the Wolds give way to sandy beaches and salt marshes.. The west is mostly flat with big sky views and cottage-fringed village greens surrounded by glorious woodlands … but don’t get too comfortable, an English village is the perfect place for a murder … or two.

Even though my mother’s family hail from Lincolnshire, it’s the history that has piqued my imagination. Romans, Normans, even Vikings have all left their mark on the faces and landscape of this beautiful county. During World War II, its flat countryside was ideal for the Royal Air Force to launch planes into Europe. Many did not return, so no wonder there are strange sightings and creepy tales surrounding these abandoned airfields.

Like most curious travelers, I tingle with delight at the prospect of a spooky adventure. Do you also fancy being a ghost hunter or a detective looking for the supernatural?  Then the city of Lincoln is the best place to start.

Wander along the half-timbered buildings that cling precariously to narrow streets and groan under the weight of past misdeeds. Feel a slight chill? More than a few ghosts are lurking in the shadow of the gallows of Lincoln Castle.

The cathedral is, of course, the jewel in Lincolnshire’s crown. Dominating a large hill, its stained glass windows look down on quaint lanes and wild, windswept fields. Here whispers are caught in the hedgerows, and secrets lie among the forgotten gravestones.

Dig a little deeper and you will find something witchy this way came. At Gainsborough, there are a large number of hexafoil carvings and it is said a curse still lingers at Belvoir. It’s hardly surprising then that spectral spirits and ghastly ghouls inhabit the length and breadth of this county.

But, there is a lot more to this surprising county than just its ghostly delights.