Murder in Middlesex

Where shall I kill my victim? The location for a novel is as important as the plot and characters. They say to write around your own experiences. Whoever “They” are is still unknown to me, but I have taken their advice and will be basing my story around the area I grew up. Mainly Middlesex, West London-ish.

In my last post, which was also my first, I had decided to write a murder mystery and proceeded to think about where the murder should be committed. Wherever the murder had to take place, it had to be difficult. So where would be the best place to make a murder-:

1.      Impossible to do?

2.      With plenty of people/suspects?

3.      Inaccessible to all except the most innocent people?

4.      Interesting to read about?

5.      Within the area I am basing this story?

If you know the area of which I speak, then you’ll know that there is only one choice. It was an obvious choice; but one that I didn’t realise until only a couple of hours ago. For those of you, who are not familiar with Middlesex, allow me to enlighten you. There is an institution just 5 minutes walk from where I grew up. It used to be a prison, but is now a Young Offender’s Institute. There are rumours that it will be converted back into a regular prison, but that is neither here nor there.

So a prison, a lock-up, a place of confinement where all movements are monitored and nothing is done without the consent of whoever is in charge. A murder would be impossible to commit inside a prison. The idea intrigued me so much that I have already made up my mind to write it.

But what are your thoughts on this? Do you think this is a good idea? If you were going to commit a murder, where would you do it?