Derek Thompson grew up in London and started writing fiction in his teens. After spending a year in the US, he returned to London and subsequently moved to the West Country. He wrote a commissioned piece for The Guardian in 2008 and entered the world of freelance writing in 2009. His short fiction has featured in both British and American anthologies, and can be found online. He has also written comedy material for live performance and radio.

Derek Thompson writes the Thomas Bladen Thrillers and the Detective Craig Wild Mysteries.  Derek's latest novel, West Country Murder, is out now.

West Country Murder

THE WEST COUNTRY CAN BE WILD.

A literary festival. A dead body. No fingerprints.

At first PC Marnie Olsen thinks the man in the car is asleep. But the lack of movement and strange tilt of the head are a deadgiveaway.

The only clue is a book signed by local author Juliette Kimani, who is holding court at the Wiltshire literary festival.

This could be a real breakthrough. If only the writer wasn’t flatly denying ever having met the man . . .

Detective Craig Wild discovers that the victim was using a fake name. What did he have to hide?

If Wild can find the man’s real identity he might just crack this case. But first he must deal with some very dangerous people.

MEET THE DETECTIVE
Detective Craig Wild couldn’t cut it in London. Now he must swap the Met for Mayberry, a sleepy Wiltshire backwater where ambition goes to die. He’s always been a loner, even when he was married. Like many long-time coppers, it's the job that gives him his sense of self and a purpose. He’s a good copper — most of the time. But his method is to follow his nose, disregard his superiors and get the job done.

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