I think about setting a lot. Anyone whose read either of my novels would attest that location is as much a character as my protagonist and villains. So I was appropriately pleased when the editor of Mystery & Suspense magazine spotted the advance reviews for Shadows of Kalalau reached out, inviting me to submit an article about location. Namely, why setting thrillers in the tropics can make for exceptional reading.

I’ll be the first to admit a thriller can be staged anywhere. Yet, We readers love contrast; we consciously (or not) delight when expectations are flipped upside down. When a character or setting reveals itself to go against the stereotype. And that, I argue in the article, is what makes the tropics so perfect. Think about it. Soft sand, strong drinks, laid back vibes. The picture postcard of vacation dreams. But beneath the serene veneer lies a world of danger. And we, readers and unwitting vacationers, can find ourselves far from home, in a foreign culture, where our own sense of infallibility is our greatest vulnerability.

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