Murder in Machu Picchu: The Perfect Book Title?

Jan 1

I had the great privilege of visiting South America this winter, and one of the stops was Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes) and the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu. Getting there was a feat in and of itself, with planes, trains, buses, and taxis employed more times than I want to recall. It was an undertaking, for sure, but well worth it.

I could speak easily and at length on how the Peruvian landscape and its people touched me. A farmer plowing a field with two oxen. Another farmer down the way using a new tractor to do the same job. A utility worker turning his back to the road to take a pee. Dogs, both wild and tame, owning the night.

I could also go on about how travel has a way of transforming a person, but that’s not what this blog post is about. It’s about writing murder mysteries!

Let's just say this: Machu Picchu Citadel is a virtual wellspring of inspiration when it comes to mystery, murder, and mayhem. Sun worshiping. Sacrificial altars. Burial chambers. Stone passageways. Sketchy staircases. Unsuspecting tourists! Not to mention a train ride where anything could happen Agatha Christie style. What more could a writer ask from such a setting?

Murder in Machu Picchu? I don’t know. Maybe I’ll leave that to someone else, and simply remember the transformative spirit of this wondrous place.

**The Sacred Inca Trilogy**

Condor (Hanan Pacha), Puma (Kay Pacha), and Serpent (Ukhu Pacha). The heavens, the earth, and the underworld.

Machu Picchu Citadel

Where nature was worked into every aspect of its design, from windows that align with the movements of the sun, to a condor-shaped tomb that carried the dead to heaven.