Strange but True: Tales from Authors with Sharon Lynn

Author Sharon Lynn has come across so many strange things in her book research--many that you might find unbelievable but are completely true!

In this episode of Strange but True: Tales from Authors mystery author Sharon Lynn takes us to some pretty neat places with strange histories around the United Kingdom—some of them have a starring role in her Cotswold Crimes Mystery series! (And she has photographic evidence…see below!)

Strange but true: research surprises from Sharon Lynn

I had the fortune of living in the elegant city of Bath when I was a teen which is why Maddie, my main character in A Cotswold Crimes Mystery series lives there. The Bath Abbey features in every novel as it is a place of solace for Maddie. I have been there dozens of times, and have taken tours every time I visit. You would think I’d heard it all. 

But no.

Last time, I learned about hunky punks. It’s such a marvelous phrase I can’t believe I’d never heard it before. Hunky punks are what those in Somerset call gargoyles or grotesques on churches. 

The hunky punks adorning the Bath Abbey were restored in the 1900s and most retain their original design. However, some stone masons give their works a modern twist. For example, the Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire boasts an alien gargoyle inspired by the Alien film franchise.

Nearby in Bristol, with its seafaring history, you find the unusual around every corner. An original Banksy of a man hiding outside a window as a husband looks for him graces what was a public health clinic across from the council offices. 

In contrast to the multi-story size of many of the city’s murals, are graffiti done on pieces of used gum that have been smashed onto the street. 

And no trip to Bristol would be complete without touching the door of the Hatchet Inn, said to be made of human skin. A local explained to me that the skin was supposed to ward away demons. In my mind, it seems more like an invitation.

Considering that the inn, founded in 1606, was frequented by the infamous pirate Blackbeard, the association to evil is deserved. Taller than the average man, Blackbeard hyped his intimidation level by lighting cannon fuses under his coat so he appeared to be marching out of hell as he approached. I preferred to spend my free time down the road at the Hole in the Wall Pub where Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Treasure Island.

All in all, Bristol is a great location for authors and artists looking for inspiration.

If you’re looking for ghosts, Scotland is the place for you. Edinburgh offered a number of creepy delights including Grey Friars kirkyard where J.K. Rowling found names for her characters. The graveyard is said to be one of the most haunted places in Britain. With over 100,000 bodies buried in a plot of land not designed to hold that many, you can feel it when you walk by. 

The friars, however, found that the decomposing bodies made great fertilizer, and their herbs were the best in the city. I still have a hard time swallowing that fact.

My most recent research centered on Glastonbury Abbey (the music festival is out of town on a farm). Book 4 in A Cotswold Crimes Mystery series, Death Takes a Knight, features King Arthur who lived there. 

Whenever you see a fun fact in a novel look it up! You’ll be surprised at how many strange things are true.

Death Takes a Bath: A Cotswold Crimes Mystery Book 1 was awarded runner-up for Pencraft Award for Literary Excellence in Mystery. Death Takes a Fall: A Cotswold Crimes Mystery Book 2 won the Silver Medal IPPY Award for Best Mystery, CIBA Murder and Mayhem Long List, and the Silver Falchion Reader's Choice. Death Plays a Fire: A Cotswold Crimes Mystery, Book 3 will be released Dec 4, 2024, with book 4 coming out Nov 29, 2025.

Sharon Lynn was raised in Arizona, but it was living in England as a teenager, and every return trip since that inspired the setting of A Cotswold Crime Mystery series. I’m a professor of theater, film, and writing. My husband and a border collie/mini-Aussie mix keep me entertained and on track. My passions are storytelling, mentoring young writers and filmmakers, traveling, and cooking. (Check out my recipes and writing tips in Recipes to Kill For a cookbook by Desert Sleuths.)

Follow Sharon’s adventures here on Substack or on her website, Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram.