Thriller in the late Victorian era.. with a few questions

[Guest]

I have a completed outline and treatment for a mystery/thriller that takes place in the late Victorian era in London and the Cotswold. As outlined now, the MC is a canal boatman on the Thames and Severn. Since this forum is international, I thought I would ask a few questions:

1) Do you know what a narrowboat is?
2) Do you think reading about canal life during 1889 in the Cotswolds would be intriguing or distracting in a novel focused on solving unexplained killings?
3) Do you have any stereotypes of what a boatman would be like at that time? Appearance, tendencies, etc.?

Thanks

[Frito]

To keep in mind. We don’t know much about your setting, but your characters do know. It's not an intrinsically interesting setting to me and I know a bit about it.

The sweet spot is for us to accept the people who live this setting, thus you don't describe everything. But you describe enough so we understand how and why without getting bored.

I cannot recall the name, but this seems it could end up similar to a book I tried to read years ago. But there the setting was ocean sailing. A friend loved it, but he was an avid sailor. I found the book spent way too much time on the intricacies of sailing and forgot about the mystery. So I handed the book back to him and avoided that author.

[Jacki]

I think it would make a great setting and if written well, which I’m sure it will be, will provide everything the reader needs to understand the era, industry and immerse themselves into that world.

I would expect a boatman to be well and truly weather beaten with muscular torso and upper arms. I’d also not be surprised to know that he sings, could be a quiet contented hum to a full blown bawdy number. And yes….he would like a few ales too. Cheers