Revenge Of The Malakim

Travel Guide

Bridlington

There are several crime and key scenes connected with my book Revenge of the Malakim, published by Williams & Whiting.

I wanted to base the book in the North of England, and in particular, the Bridlington region, because I know the area so well.  As a youngster, and as an adult, I visited, holidayed, and even lived in the area. For me, Bridlington, is the quintessential English seaside resort, with architectural juxtapositions everywhere. It often gets overlooked as a destination, with the popular resorts of Scarborough and Filey nearby.

The sea front with its arcades, gift shops, bars and restaurants, the Spa and the new leisure centre, not forgetting the glorious beaches, the Spotlight Theatre, provide everything for the tourist. Then there’s the old town, a place seemingly trapped in time, and offering its own delights. Antique and curiosity shops, cafe’s, fine dining, in fact everything one would want in a High Street.
What isn’t there to like about Bridlington? Well, the majority of local people would, as with every where say crime. So, with my passion for the town and area, I decided to create personable, down to earth police characters, who policed real locations.  For instance, my main protagonist, DCI Will Scott lives in Marton Gate, he drinks in The Martonian Inn. He loves the town, and even has a tattoo on his upper right arm, from his younger days, that says: ‘Bad Brid Boy’.

Bessingby Gate

Murder Scene 1 – Bessingby Gate.  As an area of the town, this would once have been referred to as a council estate. However, the area is gradually being regenerated and offers a diverse range of social classes and properties. The area has a dark past, it is synonymous with two recent and different cases of paedophilia. The first victim is a local councillor living in the area.

Driffield

Murder Scene 2 – Driffield.  I love the town of Driffield, it’s a proud and busy market town, with lots of things going on. Many of the street surrounding the town centre are filled with neat rows of terraced houses. It was in one of these streets, that victim number two met his fate. The local community spirit shows through in the story, as neighbours are supportive of each other.

Flamborough Head.

Murder Scene 3 –  North Landing, Flamborough Head.  I actually used to sit and write there. If there’s a more picturesque bay in England, I’ve yet to find it. North Landing has cliffs, caves, sand and sea. It can be busy, yet conversely, it tends to be quiet. It offered the ideal location for an outdoor murder.

Sandskipper Caravan Park

Sandskipper Caravan Park.  Love them or loath them, caravan parks are an integral part of the English seaside.  The family run sites are great. However, from experience, some of the corporate parks, despite their best efforts, tend to offer the worst service.  I’ve witnessed staff at such parks being rude, loud and uncaring. They manage the parks like a Mafia, no morals, they want the money. Victim number four, meets his end at one such fictional park.

Killingbeck Cemetery, Leeds.

Killingbeck Cemetery, Leeds.  I grew up in Leeds, its not my natural place of birth, but I claim it as my home.  Killingbeck is aptly named and was a good fit for the killer to turn to for a further murder.  It’s on the outskirts of the city, on the road to the East coast.  The connection with Jimmy Savile throughout the book, is brought home when this victim is left by a headstone bearing the Savile name.

Kettering

With the killer moving farther afield, Kettering lies close to the main arterial routes to Yorkshire, the M1 and the A1. I was a police officer there, so know the town well. The killer can travel, and come and go with relative ease. Again, I chose terraced housing because this fills the area closest to the main routes out of the town.

Romford

Tees Drive, Romford.  Romford is easily reached from the M25, so offered the killer a quick escape route.  Tees Drive is a middle class street, where very little happens. Professional people living here, tend to remain private. Some, apparently, like victim number 7, have secrets.

Mystery location

I can’t tell you about this location as it would be a complete spoiler but I can tell you that no one, in fact or fiction, has ever committed a murder here.    It is a totally unique scenario.   But I can tell you from my previous working life that this murder is totally possible – it just hasn’t happened – yet!