A journalist-turned-crime writer has released his sixth novel, set in the city where he spent part of his newspaper career.

Tony Bassett, pictured, worked on the Worcester News for three years before later going on to the Sunday People.

He has based his series of six crime novels in the West Midlands, with the latest book, It Never Rains, set in Worcestershire.

The plot is centred around a gang which burgles a Premier League footballer’s mansion near the cathedral city while he is away at a match.

The player’s son is then kidnapped and his bodyguard shot dead, prompting a race against time to find the missing teenager and bring those behind the raid to justice.

The latest release follows the success of ‘Heir to Murder’, the previous book in the series, which won first place in the Mystery and Suspense (Police Procedurals) category in the American Fiction Awards three months ago.

Tony, who spent more than 40 years working on regional and national newspapers, told the Worcester News he decided to set his series of novels in the region after enjoying his time as a newspaper reporter in Worcester.

He said: “This is the first book in this series that features Worcester to a large extent, and the city’s famous cathedral actually plays a part in helping detectives solve the mystery over the boy’s disappearance.”

“I returned to Worcester recently and was pleased to see that, despite huge changes, all the great historic features from the 1970s, such as the railway viaduct, the cathedral, the bridge, and many of the shops, are just as I remembered.

“Worcestershire is a wonderful part of the world in which to set a novel because of its charming market towns and countryside together with its proximity to Birmingham. Thanks to these inspiring places, I have been able to conjure up plots covering both urban and rural crime.”

The novel, released by London publishers The Book Folks, is available as an eBook or paperback through Amazon.