Locations

A question arrives - why did I choose to set the tvdetective series in Devon, and specifically Plymouth?

Like many a good question, it sounds simple but requires a fair chunk of thought and a longer answer.

The first and most straightforward reason is that I'm familiar with the city, after living there for almost ten years.  Some authors like to invent whole towns and countries, even universes, but I think there's plenty to go on in this strange world of ours, so I prefer to stick with what we've got.

It's more than just knowing a place, though. The location has to have enough about it to make it interesting to a reader.  In that, I reckon Plymouth certainly succeeds.  Take the history, those hundreds of years of naval tradition, the centuries of growth of the city, then the horror of the bombing of the Second World War, and the enormous effect that had on the Plymouth of today.

There are also the contrasts an author looks for - the affluent areas, particularly those of the old Victorian gentry, and the more gritty, inner city ones.  There are wonderful contrasts in the geography too, from the stunning Hoe and waterfront, to the functional concrete grid of the shopping centre.

And moving outside of Plymouth, where else could a writer need than Devon, and the south west of England? There's such beauty, such wonderful places - and more than a few odd and mysterious ones too - and such brilliant characters, inhabiting everywhere you might choose to go.

I'm often told that my love of the south west comes through in the tvdetective series, and I'm delighted by that.  It's absolutely true, I've never been happier anywhere. I came to Devon as a career move in 1996, with the idea of staying for two or three years.  I never left, and hope I never will.

One more thing to mention here.  To those of you who've been asking - and so very kindly doing so in a polite way. for which I'm grateful! - all the copies of The Balance of Guilt have now been printed, and should be with you in the next few days.  Apologies again for the delay.

Finally, if you've got a question you'd like to ask, feel free to get in touch.  You can do so via the contact page - www.thetvdetective.com/contact.html  Or, if you'd just like to leave a comment on my ramblings, the clever people who run the tvdetective website have set up a new way to do that, via the blog page - www.thetvdetective.com/blog.html