What inspired me to write about cold reservoirs?
Where did the inspiration come for ‘Cold Case on the Moor’?Â
The idea came a few summers ago during a heatwave in England, which lowered the water levels in the reservoirs. This led me to ponder the kinds of odd and horrid things that might be unveiled in their depths.
This thought brought back a childhood memory of visiting the drowned village at Thruscross Reservoir with my dad. A Yorkshire village was submerged to create Thruscross Reservoir in the 1870s. During low water levels, its ruins emerge, allowing people to walk among the building foundations.
The haunting memory of those mud-slicked ruins inspired me to write a novel about them many moons later.
These reflections on droughts and submerged villages intertwined with a narrative I had been contemplating about a mishandled case by DCI Henry Ward.
Sitting down to write ‘Cold Case on the Moor,’ I wove all these elements together.
What would readers find interesting about this novel?Â
The story is about Maureen Villers—a respectable accountant and happily married mother of two—who went missing in 2007.
DCI Henry Ward led the original investigation into her disappearance, but when few clues were found, the case went cold. With her case shelved, Maureen’s family could do little but mourn her loss and struggle to carry on.
And then, fifteen years later, during a hot summer, Maureen’s remains are found at the bottom of a reservoir.
Seeking the opportunity to put things right, Henry carries out his own private investigation into Maureen’s murder to find out what really happened to her.
His prime suspect is Maureen’s husband, a well-respected police officer, but he claims he’s innocent. So, could the killer be linked to Maureen’s work or even her tennis hobby?
Henry must determine if the Maureen her family knew truly reflects who she really was, in order to offer them closure.
Where can you buy ‘Cold Case on the Moor’?
It’s FREE with Kindle Unlimited, and paperback and hardbacks are also available.Â