I’ve got this thing about maps. I don’t know where it started. Maybe it began when I attended boarding school at St. Joseph’s Convent of Mercy in Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland. Geography was part of the curriculum. We spent a lot of time on topography, learning how to read contour lines, elevations, and sea level. On an exam, you’d have to find items and interpret a topological map.
Maps or charts as they are called in aviation, were an important part of obtaining my private pilot’s license. Before a trip, a pilot uses a compass to plot a course on an up to date chart. The chart has all kinds of information such as landmarks to look for from the sky, elevations, radio frequencies, power lines, etc. This was an exciting part of flying-getting out the chart, the pencil, and the compass to plot the course.
Whenever I go somewhere new, I look for a map. Walking maps, hiking maps, any guide that tells me more about the area, gives me the lay of the land. I love to explore and try out hikes and walks that put me into nature, especially in Ireland.
So, I’m happy to share with readers who sign up for my newsletter a map of Clare Island. The island in Death on Clare Island is real. Now you can use the map to follow along with Star as she solves the mysteries of her life.
I hope you enjoy the book and the walk through Clare Island.