In each other's pockets

Why are many of us (me included) so fascinated by small town crime? I mean, there is a lot more crime in urban areas and a city makes an intriguing background for detectives and criminals alike. But somehow I tend to gravitate toward small towns with dark secrets (just recently I read "Outback", a crime thriller by Patricia Wolf that is set in a really small town in Australia).
Maybe somehow crime is more visible in small towns and rural areas? Or is it the fact that on the surface everything seems so peaceful and friendly but when one digs deeper, one finds all kinds of hidden dark secrets. From my experience, I can say that there are some heinous crimes committed in rural areas. You would think that because everybody knows everybody, the perpetrators are caught quickly. This is not necessarily the case. Because people depend on each other, they don't want to be the ones who are talking to the police. Or they fear making enemies in an area they cannot move away from. During the summer and fall, I live in a tiny fishing community of 46 people in Newfoundland. One of my neighbours has installed surveillance cameras because he and his family don't feel safe - although only relatives of his live on his street.
There can be lots of drama in the smallest of places and sometimes it boils over. This is fodder for my mystery thrillers. By the way, I didn`t use to lock my house door in the past. But after some events, I have changed my mind.