My heartfelt thanks to all veterans, past and present. God bless you!
~ * ~
I turned on
the local news on Saturday morning and heard a story that should pique the
interest of most mystery writers. Imagine that.
The Delaware
River runs between New Jersey and Delaware. For the last couple of weeks people
have been hearing loud (lots of base) music. It starts in the early evening and
ends around two or three o’clock in the morning. It’s equal opportunity music,
meaning it’s rock, jazz, salsa, classical and who knows what else?
The people in
both states hear it, and it sounds like it’s coming from the Delaware side of
the river.
Needless to
say, it’s driving people nuts and interfering with their sleep. There have been
numerous complaints to the police about the noise, and yet no one has been able
to determine where the music is coming from. Apparently the music suddenly stopped,
but many people have said they’ve heard it occasionally over the past few
months. It was only recently that it became a nightly event.
By the way, I
don’t live in either state, but across the country. However, how could I, in
good conscience, pass up sharing this story?
Would this
inspire a mystery? Of course, it would. The story could take so many different
directions.
Ghostly music
trying to lead the authorities to a murder scene? Maybe someone is purposely
trying to drive people nuts. It could be an elderly woman who can’t hear the
music without the volume turned up. She could be a little crazy and she’s
buried bodies in her basement over the years. Maybe someone is trying to make
some kind of point.
If you
presented the original scenario to seven hundred mystery writers, they could
probably come up with at least five hundred ideas. (You have to draw the line
somewhere. I figured five hundred was a good cutoff point.)
You could add
something to the music. Maybe the music suddenly stops and a loud scream is
heard from one side of the river to the other, and then the music starts in
again, like nothing ever happened. Or a dog could howl soulfully.
Anything can
inspire a good mystery, so why not music with a secret source? I kind of like
the little old lady idea, although it reminds me a bit of “Arsenic and Old Lace,” which you should watch if you haven’t seen it – talk about crazy
people and good laughs.
There’s
always the possibility that some kids are playing a prank. What if that prank
went awry?
Oh, here’s
one. What if it turned out the music was coming from an old cemetery and the
only music anyone heard was from a specific time period, like the 1880s or the
1920s? Since I don’t believe in ghosts, I’d have to come up with another idea
for the source of the music. I know, plenty of people do believe in ghosts, so
I’ll leave those story ideas to them.
If an
individual decided to look for the source of the music, bear in mind that
curiosity killed the cat, figuratively speaking.
I wish
someone would take this news item and run with it. Create a good mystery. I’d probably
read it.
Can you think
of a good storyline with the music in mind?
Until next
time, pay attention to any unusual stories you hear on the news. You might come
up with a unique idea.
CLICK HERE to
visit Marja McGraw’s website
CLICK HERE
for a quick trip to Amazon.com
A Well-Kept Family Secret and Bubba’s Ghost are now available in audio format. Prudy’s Back! is in the
works. Just thought I’d mention it.
If you’re
looking for something light, you might give One Adventure Too Many a
try. These are all Sandi Webster Mysteries.
What an intriguing post, Marja. And what a bizarre happening. I'm going for military testing of a new drive-the-enemy-crazy weapon, and of course there's a murder--a subcontractor employee who doesn't like the idea and is going to spill the beans to the newspaper and his company boss has him taken out.
ReplyDeleteFun!
I'd read that in a heartbeat, Madeline. :) I wonder if they'll ever find the source of the music. Lots of base makes me think of a kid. Thank you so much for commenting and for coming up with an idea.
DeleteI live quite close to Delaware, though the DE Water Gap is a bit further away. It's an absolutely beautiful part of the northeast. If there were a music mystery there, I think it would have to be in the woods, near a waterfall. Perhaps behind it? Hmm. I need to give this some thought. Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteLOL I hope it does bring inspiration, Amy. So many people have looked for the source that you'd think it would have been found by now. Thank you so much for commenting!
DeleteYou're right, Marja. The story could be used in so many different ways. The first thing that hit me was that it screams "paranormal" so the cemetery scenario is a definite possibility. We never know where ideas will come from, do we?
ReplyDeleteI like the cemetery idea, too, Pat. You should use it. :) You could have fun with that. A very old cemetery in an old town? How much fun would that be? Thank you so much for commenting!
DeleteThanks for the information, but With your imagination, I'm sure you could come up with a pretty good "mystery music"novel yourself. How coincidental would it be if everyone who commented here wrote one, we could put them in a box set and name it, The Mystery Music Series. LOL!
ReplyDeleteNow we know who thinks outside the box, Evelyn. I never would have thought about something like that. You all could have a lot of fun putting that together. :) Thank you so much for commenting!
DeleteIdeas are everywhere. What I find intriguing is how writers use the same spark to come up with so many different stories. By the way, Arsenic and Old Lace is a favorite film. I've watched it many times and always find something new to increase the enjoyment. The Teddy Roosevelt bit always brings a laugh.
ReplyDeleteI hope someone uses the Mystery Music, John, although I'm sure there are already stories with something along these same lines. I'm with you. Arsenic and Old Lace is one of my favorites, too. We need more movies like this that will brighten our days. Thank you so much for commenting!
DeleteI lived in Delaware for two years while my then-husband was in the air force stationed at Dover. The town square still contained a whipping post and tourists remarked that George Washington once told residents not to change a thing until he returned there. But he never did. I wouldn't be surprised if ghosts of the Revolutionary War, or whipping post victim, weren't responsible for the music. : )
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have the premise for a ghost story, Jean. Something to think about. :) Thank you so much for commenting!
Delete