If you’ve read my Murder on Location series, you may remember a mention of a castle ruin near the English village of Nether Woodsmoor. In the fourth book of the High Society Lady Detective series, Murder in Black Tie, my characters picnic at the ruin of Cormont Castle.
While Cormont Castle exists only in my imagination, I used a real castle for inspiration, a ruin in Germany. My family and I hiked up a steep path that wound through the forest to reach the ruin on the top of the hill. We had a wonderful time exploring the ruin where wildflowers filled the empty “rooms” and the views out the arched windows and doors were spectacular!
I transplanted some aspects of the castle ruin to the countryside in England, in particular the windows that framed beautiful views and the sturdy, yet crumbling walls.
After a long, steep hike we arrived at the top of of the hill.
Stone stairways, crumbling walls, and windows open to the view–plenty of inspiration for a mystery writer!
Closer view of the stone walls with wildflowers.
Wildflowers now covered the hilltop, filling in the empty spaces in the castle “rooms.”
View through one of the arched doorways at the castle ruin.
Join Olive and Jasper on their picnic to the ruins of Cormont Castle in Murder in Black Tie, Book 4 in the High Society Lady Detective series.
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