I love Murder She Wrote and subject my son and husband to watching it whenever it’s on. My favorite shows are the ones set in her small home town because they show how murder can happen anywhere and usually done by someone you least expect: your friendly neighbor, or someone you’ve known your whole life.

When people find out I write they usually assume I write stories set in Cayman. Ironically I don’t. Until now. Many of my earlier stories were set in places all over the world, usually those that fascinated me or that I wanted to visit. Two years ago I got the idea for a character and decided to put her in my home town to mix things up. My heroine is the daughter of a serial killer, something we’ve never had (that we know of) in Cayman. How interesting would that be? From there, ‘what if’ questions flowed like a chocolate stream. A few months later the idea came for another book, also set in Cayman, and then another. You get the picture. As of a few weeks ago, my DEADLY SERIES is up to four books:

Deadly Bloodlines – Book 1
Deadly Race – Book 2
Deadly Family – Book 3
Deadly Rivalry – Book 4

I was born and raised in Cayman, and thought I knew a lot about the island, but as I’m researching, I’m thrilled to find out things about it I never knew (more story ideas, yay!). But before I tell you about Cayman, I wanted to share what I love most about it: knowing the people in the grocery store, people waving as you drive through your neighborhood, and knowing you can leave your kids to play in a public area and chat with friends without fear they’ll be taken. What’s not to love, right? Here are tidbits that will give you a glimpse into Cayman as a setting.

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HISTORICAL FACTS

  • Christopher Columbus discovered the Cayman Islands May 10, 1503
  • Slavery ended in Cayman May 3, 1835
  • Caymanians participated in WWI and WWII
  • Women got the right to vote in 1958

FUN FACT

  • Caymanians make boats, rope, thatch baskets, and are avid entrepreneurs
  • According to current financial statistics today, the Caymans have the highest standard of living in the Caribbean, and one of the highest GDP per capita in the world.
  • Has major attractions including some of the best duty-free shopping in the Caribbean, Seven Mile Beach, on which a number of the island’s hotels and resorts are located, snorkeling at Stingray City, and the Cayman Turtle Farm.
  • All three islands also offer world-class scuba diving, and the Cayman Islands are home to several snorkeling locations, where tourists can explore offshore shipwrecks.

This is by no means all the interesting things about Cayman, but hopefully it will set the stage for what’s to come. MAWHAHAH!

WHAT MAKES STORY SETTINGS INTERESTING TO YOU?