Murderous Travels by Daniela Hartinger

 Next stop: Isles of Scilly

Remote and stunningly beautiful, yet at times wild and rugged: Welcome to the Isles of Scilly – or Ynysek Syllan as the archipelago is called in … do you know? Yes, Cornish, the once extinct but now revived language of Cornwall! Here, 43 kilometres off the coast of Cornwall, the mild Gulf Stream ensures more than 2,000 hours of sunshine each year, along with seemingly endless sandy beaches and exotic plants that bring a touch of the South Seas. Sounds too idyllic for crime fiction enthusiasts?

Fear not, my dear travellers, for the Isles Scilly offer all the ingredients for a captivating murder mystery: close-knit island communities, isolation during rough seas, small islands with limited hiding places, legends and pirate tales, all set in a scenic atmosphere. The (fictional) murder rate for a population of slightly more than 2,000 people is unnaturally high – but isn’t that often the case when mystery authors and great locations collide?

The Isles of Scilly comprise around 140 islands and islets, and only five of them are inhabited. Just about the right number for a book tour!

As I’m sure you’re still relishing the memories of the previous stop of our Murderous Travels tour, it’s only fitting that we head to the Scillies with

Robert Goddard’s Name to a Face.
Landscape gardener Tim Harding travels from the French Riviera to the Isles of Scilly to

uncover dangerous secrets.

We arrive at the archipelago’s main island, St Mary’s, the only island with public highways. It is here that Emma Jameson’s Jemima Jago series begins with A Death at Seascape House. This cozy mystery series, currently consisting of books, is set entirely in the Scillies.

As we move on to our next island, it’s time to roll up your sleeves, for we will travel in style. Take your seat and an oar in a gig, the traditional Scillonian rowing boat. The islands host regular competitive gig racing events, and you can still find traditional boat builders here.

We head towards Tresco as a storm approaches.

This is the ideal moment to retreat to a cozy pub and read What We Did in the Storm
by Tina Baker beside a crackling fireplace.
We continue our journey once the skies are clear.

 St Agnes is linked to the island of Gugh by a tombolo, a type of sandbar that is exposed only at low tide. Naturally, we wait patiently for the tide to recede and pass the time with an intriguing and atmospheric read.

Death on the Rocks is the first book of Hannah Ellis’ brand-new cozy mystery series, featuring Lily Larkin – amateur sleuth with a passion for ice cream!

At St Martin’s, we encounter another temporary passage, where a tidal causeway connects the inhabited island with White Island – not to be confused with the much smaller White Island off the coast of Samson (both uninhabited). Wouldn’t that make a great twist for a murder mystery? 

While thinking about that, why not take a look at

Hannah Dennison’s Death at High Tide, 

the first book of a two-book mystery about two sisters inheriting an old hotel.

To read a review of this book, click on the title above.

 Upon reaching Bryher, the smallest of the inhabited islands, we must mention Kate Rhode’s Detective Inspector Ben Kiito series. Make sure you have enough room in your luggage, as there are currently seven thrilling books in the series, with Hell Bay being the first.

Before we wrap up our thrilling tour of the Isles of Scilly, consider grabbing a non-fiction book that will soothe your travel cravings when you're back home in your cozy reading nook

In The Life of a Scilly Sergeant, Sergeant Colin Taylor shares humorous and sometimes absurd anecdotes from his years on the Scillonian police force – anchor thieves included!

 Until next time, and happy reading!
Daniela

Daniela M. Hartinger grew up raiding the shelves of her local library for children’s detective novels and ended up devouring Agatha Christie and the like. She has combined her literary passion with her enthusiasm for foreign languages to work as a freelance book translator. She also dabbles with writing and can’t resist a bar of chocolate – which, nowadays, she must share with her ever-hungry toddler son. 

www.danielahartinger.com