Here's a brand new cover for a book not out until August 2015!
What's the cover story? Peter Bartram explains...
" The front cover of my first Crampton of the Chronicle mystery, Headline Murder, features an old-fashioned sit-up-and-beg typewriter.
It reminded me of the time I had an interview for my first job on a newspaper. The editor asked me whether I typed.
Naturally, I replied “yes”. (I mean, how hard can it be? All the little keys have letters printed on them.)
When I arrived in the newsroom on my first day, I was somewhat nonplussed to discover the typewriter I’d been given - not unlike the one of the front cover of the book - was so old the letters on the keys had worn out.
The only way I could find which key belonged to which letter was to press it gently and sneakily peek at the letter on the end of the typebar which came up to hit the carriage. I thought I was pretty subtle about it, but I suspected there were a few sniggers around the newsroom.
I’ll say this, though: it was a great way to learn in double quick time how to type."
It's August 1962, and Colin Crampton, the Brighton Evening Chronicle's crime reporter, is desperate for a front-page story. But it's the silly season for news – and the only tip-off Crampton has is
about the disappearance of the seafront's crazy-golf proprietor, Arnold Trumper. Crampton thinks the story is about as useful as a set of concrete water-wings. But when he learns that Trumper's
vanishing act is linked to an unsolved murder, he scents a front-page scoop.
Powerful people are determined Crampton must not discover the truth. But he is quite prepared to use every newspaper scam in the book to land his exclusive. The trouble is it's his girlfriend, feisty
Australian Shirley, who too often ends up on the wrong end when a scam goes wrong.
Crampton has to overcome dangers they never mentioned at journalism school before he writes his story. Headline Murder will keep you guessing – and smiling – right to the last page.
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