SCENES from Burnham and Highbridge pepper a new crime novel from an author who lived in the area for over three decades.

As The Crow Flies is the first in a series already ‘mapped out’ in Damien Boyd’s head, with a sequel, Head in the Sand, expected to follow soon.

Damien’s debut novel tracks the work of fictional Brent Knoll Detective Inspector Nick Dixon, based at Bridgwater Criminal Investigation Department.

By day Damien Boyd works in private practice as a solicitor but years spent working as an employee of the Crown Prosecution Service, combined with his deep knowledge of the places he’s “known and loved”, has meant that he’s been able to give his novel a real ‘insider’ flash of truth.

The former Herbert Road resident said: “I had an email from a police officer from a custody unit, who was encouraging his colleagues to buy it.

“I think because of my legal background I’m able to get the technical details right, and that’s something a police officer would appreciate.”

While it’s been a few years since the selfpublished author left the Burnham area, he continues to make return visits to really capture the feel of his locations, from descriptions of Hinkley Point to “picking out the street lights along the M4”, he says.

“Head in the Sand opens with the discovery of a severed head in a bunker on the golf course behind Berrow Church. I spent a very enjoyable morning in the churchyard.”

As The Crow Flies is available in paperback and as a Kindle download from www.amazon.co.uk.