Damien Boyd creates crime books based in Somerset

The titles of his novels as he says have a sense of menace about them, you only have to look at the titles such as ‘Head in the sand’, ‘As the crows flies’, ‘Dead Level’, ‘Dead Sentence’, ‘Heads or Tails’ or ‘Dead Lock’.

The former solicitor, now a full time writer, calls Burnham-on-Sea ‘home’ even though he now lives in Devon.

But as he says all his books are based in Somerset and follows what happens in the career of DI Nick Dixon, who like the author moved back home from London.

DI Nixon works at the Express Park where Avon and Somerset Police are based in Bridgwater.

Damien Boyd has written eight books so far and is currently writing his ninth which has the working title of ‘Beyond the Point’ as it is set in Hinckley Point.

Talking about his books, Damien, 51, said: “Writing gives me the opportunity to spend time with characters who have become really good friends.

“It gives me the chance to tell stories many things of which (excluding the murders) have happened to me.

“In Swansong I was able to re-visit my boarding school days in Taunton.

“I think every author has lots of themselves in their books but one of the things I am able to do is promote Somerset.

“I enjoy doing my research for the novels which usually takes three months before I start writing them.

“I like to keep up to date with what is happening in forensics and the law.

“I read as much as I can so I get my facts right and all the crime techniques are up to date.

"This means when doing research I can end up writing scenes I did not think about originally and it means it is a better plot.

All Damien’s novel follow in chronological order.

There are not years between them as the first one is set in October and the latest one is nine months later.

Dead Lock by Damien Boyd is published by Thomas & Mercer as a paperback original on May 31.

It will cost £4.99 and the eBook is £3.98.