My Favorite Real-Life Locations from the Thomas Austin and FBI S.W.O.R.D. Series

One of my favorite parts of starting a new book in my Thomas Austin or FBI S.W.O.R.D. series is choosing a location to focus on, and living in the Pacific Northwest means I never run out of interesting places to set a story.

So I thought I’d share a few of my favorite real-life locations that have made their way into the books—places that shaped the stories just as much as the characters did.

Point No Point — Hansville, WA

This is the location that started it all. The lighthouse overlooks the beach in Hansville and is one of my most-visited spots. I’ve had many book brainstorming sessions here with my wife while walking the beach with Pearl. Dogs are allowed on leash, so it’s one of her favorite places too.

There’s also a staircase nearby that shows up during an important scene in The Bones at Point No Point (Thomas Austin #1). If you’re in the area, you can hike up and see it for yourself. And if you’re making a day of it, Hansgrill in town is a great place to grab lunch afterward.

Second and Third Beaches — Washington Coast

This is one of my favorite places in the world. It’s so beautiful and awe-inspiring, it almost doesn’t look real. There’s also a lot of great hiking and camping in the area. We’ve taken a few family trips out here and always loved it. I’m hoping we make it back one of these summers, but writing about it in The Secrets of Second Beach (Thomas Austin #11) was a good way to revisit it in my head when we couldn’t make the trip. The photo above was taken by my lovely wife while my son and I took in the view.

Foulweather Bluff — Hansville, WA

This one is just a short drive from where we live in Hansville, and I think it’s one of the more underrated spots in Kitsap County. You follow a roughly half-mile trail through the forest, and then it opens up to wide views of the water on one side and marshland stretching out toward the trees on the other. It’s usually pretty quiet—most of the time, we have the beach to ourselves.

The only downside is that, since it’s a nature preserve, dogs aren’t allowed, so Pearl has to sit this one out. But it’s still one of my favorite places to go and always worth the visit.

Pike Place Market — Seattle, WA

This one’s a little more crowded than my usual picks and probably the most touristy spot on the list, but I still love it and have gone back many times. The market has great food, fresh produce from local farms, interesting shops, and some of the best people-watching in the city. If you go in the middle of the day on a weekday, the crowds usually aren’t too bad. And the fish toss is still fun to watch, no matter how many times you’ve seen it. There’s also a nice view of the water from the edge of the market.

Hoh Rainforest — Olympic National Park

The Hoh Rainforest in western Washington is one of those places that sticks with you—green in every direction and a little otherworldly. I’d been wanting to use it in a book for a while, and S.W.O.R.D. #4, Beneath Hemlock Skies ended up being the right story for it.

Right now, the only road into the Hoh is closed due to storm damage. Last I read, repairs were expected to begin in mid-April, with plans to reopen the area to the public not long after. It’s one of the most memorable places I’ve visited in the Pacific Northwest, and I hope to visit again once access is restored.

New York City — from The Nightmare at Manhattan Beach

My wife and I lived in New York City for several years, and while the Pacific Northwest is definitely home to us now, we still enjoy visiting. We were able to make a short trip back last summer after nearly a decade away, and it reminded me of everything I liked about the city.

There’s great food, great nightlife, and Central Park is still one of my favorite places anywhere. Mostly, I just enjoy the people and the people-watching. Living in a small beach town with a couple thousand people and then landing in New York City is always jarring—but it’s the kind of jarring I like. Being surrounded by that many different kinds of people is exciting.

That’s a big part of why I made Thomas Austin originally from New York, and it was a lot of fun to bring the story back there in The Nightmare at Manhattan Beach.

There are a lot more places I could add to this list, but these are a few that have stood out the most. One of the best parts of writing this series is getting to revisit old favorites and explore new spots. If you’ve been to any of these places or if a scene in one of the books ever inspired you to plan a visit, I’d love to hear about it in the comments. As always, thanks for reading!