AN upcoming crime thriller written from the perspective of an autistic police detective has used Jersey as a backdrop to the story.
Dorset-born David Sharp is on the cusp of publishing the second addition to his DI Lancaster series called One of the Few – which follows the neurodivergent officer as he travels to the Island with DS Marie Vidêt to try and solve the mysterious 20-year-old death of retired World War II spitfire pilot Peter Urbawicz that local police first labelled ‘accidental’.
The retired gardner-turned-author, who published his debut novel For All Your Endeavours late last year, has used his own neurodivergent condition of dyspraxia – which affects motor coordination and planning – to influence the story.
The novel is being published by Cranthorpe Milner Publishers.
Explaining the inspiration behind the novel, Mr Sharp said he first discovered the stories of recon spitfire pilots during a visit to the Imperial War Museum in Duxford. His father-in-law also flew those missions during the WWII.
“The more I delved into these exploits, the more I knew I needed to tell some of the stories that had evolved from my research,” the author said.
Mr Sharp added that some of the historical events that are touched on in the novel are based on true events such as the D-Day landings, resistance in Brittany and the fall of the Berlin wall.
“All of these events give historical depth to the suspect characters’ stories, and at the same time give DI Lancaster plenty to unpick to find which is wheat and which is chaff,” Mr Sharp added.
“His uniquely autistic way of looking at things, and his way of working through detail and making never-ending lists, makes him the ideal candidate for investigating complex cold cases.”
One of the Few is set to be released in paperback on 29 September. It is available for pre-order online at Waterstones and Amazon.
Novel blurb
With another mysterious cold case on their radar, DI David Lancaster and DS Marie Vidêt travel to the island of Jersey in the English Channel, to investigate the death of Peter Urbawicz, a retired World War II spitfire pilot, whose death twenty years prior was recorded by the island police as ‘accidental’. With his daughter, Lady Stottard, adamant that her father died in suspicious circumstances, can these two detectives investigate without ruffling any feathers? Can they pick apart the facts and route out the clues to prove his death was not an accident, when said facts and clues have lain buried for twenty years?
When their enquiries trigger a visit from British Counter Terrorism operatives, the case becomes even more complicated, and they are left wondering how an IRA terrorist, a French boatyard owner, and an ex-East German STASI officer fit into their case…
