As was the case for the first two Daniel Sawyer thrillers, my travelling experiences are the main inspiration for this next installment where crime, wild escapades and adventure come together into a hear-stopping story. In the case of The Money Trail, it was a trip to the island of serendipity which gave me the initial idea. 

The old Mitsubushi jeep which features prominently in the novel is based on the actual vehicle The Rainforest Hideaway lodge uses to transport guests from the main road to the cabins, set deep in the Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve. The rutted hill track is also based on real recolllections (the painful vertebrae in my back injured days earlier while on a dive boat is testamant to that). To stay at this wonderful, rustic cabin based paradise, check out the Rainforest Hideaway Facebook page.

The abandoned tea factory featuring in The Money Trail was also a real place, high in the hills near the Sri Lankan town of Ella. I stayed at a wonderous working farm and tea plantation called Amba Estate (Amba means Mango in the Sinhalese language). The old factory was really in the middle of nowehere and we were able to wander around it trying to imagine it as a thriving business back in the day. The "hermit" is also loosely based on a real, very friendly character we met there, the owner's nephew who still lives in the adjacent house (not a shack like in the story however).

I highly recommend the Amba Estate if you're visiting Sri Lanka and want to get away from the usual tourist traps.