Dipping into the box of memories

[John Dean]

Railways have always played a part in my life. My grandfather worked on the recovery trains in World War Two and my father helped found a railway museum so it is not surprising that I shared his interest as I grew up.

Which is why, when it came to giving DCI John Blizzard a hobby, I turned to railways and gave him a fascination with restoring steam locos, partly because of a childhood spent among locomotives and partly because I knew a real-life Detective Inspector with a similar interest.

Writers are like that. We dip into our box of memories for inspiration and the results can be surprising. Railways were only meant to be a sideline for Blizzard but in The Railway Man (The Book Folks) they took centre stage as the unveiling of a restored loco is ruined by murder, putting a dampener on Blizzard’s big day.

And why does this come to mind now? Because Dad’s birthday was in June and since his death several years ago he is particularly in my thoughts as the day approaches. He’d have been delighted that I still cherish those railway experiences.

You can buy the book at

https://www.amazon.co.uk/RAILWAY-MAN-Blizzard-murder-mystery-ebook/...