Being a writer for a living is beyond a dream come true. It's something I have wanted since I was a teenager and to be able to do it is still something I have to stop and pinch myself about. And I owe it all to Sam Pope.

The Sam Pope series has changed my life, and over the twelve books, I feel like I've created not just a deep and rootable hero, but also a connected thread of rich characters that have helped bring it all to life.

But it's all I've written for five years.

I wanted to try something new, and this Friday sees the launch of the first DS Jack Townsend novel. A gritty detective novel set in the heart of Buckinghamshire, it sees the scouse detective on the hunt for a serial killer as he adopts to a new town and a new team.

Early reviews have been incredibly positive, and I cannot wait to to share a brand new character and story with you. (I say brand new character, Townsend was in The Kingdom - Sam Pope 8) but this really steps away from Sam Pope and the hard hitting action I've been writing.

Let's hope this incredible journey I've been on continues with another hero at the front of it...