Where It All Goes Down
Tupelo Landing, North Carolina
The entirety of Three Times Lucky takes place in the made-up small town of Tupelo Landing in North Carolina. It's a distinctly Southern setting, and the small-town aspect of it makes so that the community is very insular, close, and involved in each other's business. In fact, everyone in town comes to Miss Lana's café each day to catch up with the latest news:
By 7:30 half the town had crowded into the café and rising seventh grader Skeeter McMillan—tall, slender, freckles the color of fresh-sliced baloney—had claimed the counter's last spot. (1.80)
Tupelo Landing is the sort of place where you can't do anything without all your neighbors knowing about it. Everyone knows where everyone else lives, what they're doing, and what issues they're having—and everything travels through word of mouth. Miss Rose, Mo, and Dale can't even eat lunch in the front yard without the whole town showing up. This might be overwhelming to some people (especially those who value privacy), but it's just the way of life in Tupelo Landing.
This small-town setting heightens the sense of urgency as the mystery unfolds. In such a small town, the betrayals by certain residents are all the more shocking, and there's a sense that the murderer could be lurking anywhere.