Fleet Street writer's new book set in Stratford

Tony Bassett’s new book, Heir To Murder, published on December 4, begins when a long-suffering neighbour of loud music fan Miles Kenworth bursts into his flat to complain. He is shocked to find the viscount’s son lying in a pool of blood

Since the furious neighbour is found standing over the body, police think they have an open and shut case. But astute Detective Sergeant Sunita Roy refuses to accept the obvious and probes more deeply to reveal the truth.

The book is available as an ebook or paperback through Amazon.

Heir To Murder, which also features Sunita’s middle-aged boss, DCI Gavin Roscoe, has been published by The Book Folks, an independent London publisher specialising in crime fiction.

Other books in the West Midlands series (in order) are: Murder On Oxford Lane, The Crossbow Stalker, Murder Of A Doctor and Out For Revenge.

The previous books in the series were mainly set in Redditch, Warwick and Stratford.

Tony worked on regional and national newspapers for more than 40 years, mainly for the Sunday People. He reported on crime, show business, human interest and consumer topics.

Tony decided to set this string of novels in Warwickshire and Worcestershire after spending many happy years working as a newspaper reporter in the region.

He says, “I really enjoyed my years working as a journalist in the Midlands. I made some great friends and found it such an interesting place. For me, it was the obvious place to set a series of novels because you have the beauty of the Malvern Hills and the Cotswolds; the charm of Worcester and Stratford-upon-Avon and the country villages; and the intrigue and fascination of Birmingham’s urban landscape.”

Tony first developed a love of writing at the age of nine when he produced a magazine at his junior school in Sevenoaks, Kent A few years later, his local vicar in Tunbridge Wells staged his play based on the Biblical story of Naboth's Vineyard.

At Hull University, Tony was judged Time-Life Magazine student journalist of the year in 1971.

Tony, who has five grown-up children, is a Life Member of the National Union of Journalists. He lives in South-East London with his partner, Lin.