Life as an Island Writer

Living on Prince Edward Island is very different from life back in Ontario. For the better, in almost every respect. It's peaceful, friendly, relaxed...and there are some things you just don't see here that are, sadly, far more common on the mainland.

When helping a friend unpack at her new place, she mentioned that her boss had told her not to come in the next morning since he was taking some personal time. The reason? Because his cousin had been murdered in Charlottetown.

Now, obviously, murder isn't a good thing. I write about them in my mysteries, because it's always satisfying to find and arrest someone who is so black-hearted that they would commit murder. But it's not something anyone wants to encounter in real life. In entertainment, sure. But the real thing is not at all pleasant.

So unpleasant, in fact, that it's almost unheard of here. Thus far in 2021, this is the only murder on the Island. Last year, there was one in all of 2020. In comparison, 2019 was a crime wave of epic proportions, with two murders all year. I'm just saying, it doesn't happen often, you know?

In fact, PEI has the lowest crime rate of any province in the country. I looked up some stats on violent crime on PEI, and it's quite eye-opening. There were 1,071 victims of violent crime and criminal traffic offences causing death or bodily harm reported by police in Prince Edward Island in 2016. That's all year. Toronto can do that in a week. Hell, that's a Saturday in Chicago. But here? Peace, quiet, and relaxation. It's a great environment for writing.

Anyone who's read my Cameron Vail mysteries knows that they aren't set in a specific city. The first one was, originally, set in a major North American city, but I took those references out to make it more generic. Why? I don't know; it seemed like a good idea at the time. Cameron and Bill could be anywhere; the city isn't the main character to me.

But one thing is for sure: If I ever do identify the city they live in, it won't be Charlottetown. Otherwise, Cameron would be out of a job.