Y is for Yes, I Wanna Go There

Not for the first time this month, the post has changed at the last minute. The piece I had planned for today will now come tomorrow.

This was prompted by two things: The first episode of a new series of Vera, which I watched last night, and the latest reader review of The Filey Connection.

Let me explain by asking a question. Have you ever read a book set in a real location and thought, “Yes. I wanna go there”?

On Harbour Street was set in an area I’ve visited many times: Northumberland. To be precise, this episode of Vera was filmed in Alnmouth, about 35 miles north of Newcastle upon Tyne.

I’ve always had an affinity with the Northeast. Maybe it’s because my paternal grandmother came from Durham. As far north as Alnwick, the countryside is wild, rugged and largely unspoilt, and there’s something that appeals in the slower pace of life I associate with the area. Not that it’s likely to be any slower than it is in Manchester, but it just seems as if it should be. No wonder creator Ann Cleeves finally settled in Northumberland.

During the precious little free time I have, I’m reading Raven Black, first of Ms Cleeves’ Shetland series, and once again, the setting makes me feel, “Yes, I wanna go there,” and next week, while I’m on holiday, I’ll be tackling the latest Libby Sarjeant, Murder in a Different Place. No doubt I’ll want to go to the Isle of Wight after that.

And it’s not just me. The Filey Connection, the very first STAC Mystery, took its 38th review yesterday, and here’s what reader V L Hadfield said:

Fun to read with well-rounded characters who are believable. Didn’t have a clue who done it coming as a surprise at the end. Enjoyed the descriptions of their seaside holiday and felt that I’d like to go there. Look forward to the next book (my italics).

This lady or gentleman pushed so many buttons for me, but it was that phrase, felt that I’d like to go there which really hit me. I didn’t produce the book as an advert for Filey, even though my wife and I love this little seaside resort on the Yorkshire coast, but if that’s how it made the reader feel, then I can be content that I did a good job.

So feel free to comment. Have you ever read a book or watched a movie which made you want to visit the location(s)?