New crime and mystery novel set in Hastings is released

Lionel, The Watch and The Walk-In Wardrobe follows a second-hand bookseller in All Saints who has a liking for unsolved mysteries. However, his obsessive nature backfires when he finds himself investigating a major event that puts his own life in danger.

Author Ned Lawton’s debut novel exhibits his love for Hastings, its ‘sense of mystery’ and its ‘dramatic’, historic festivals. He has spent many weeks here in his caravan, immersing himself in festivals and parades such as Jack in the Green, Pirate Week and the Bonfire Parade, which feature heavily in the storyline.

Speaking about his passion for Hastings, Ned said: “I have always been interested in the theatre, especially the set designs and costumes that help to transport both actors and audiences into different and exciting worlds.

"Standing in All Saints over ten years ago and watching my first Jack in the Green Parade, it seemed to me that I was taking part in some outdoor theatre production and I absolutely loved the whole spectacle.

"This was one of the main reasons for buying a static caravan in the area so that friends and family could also experience the same festival atmosphere that had made such a big impression on me.

“This all seemed like the perfect backdrop for my first novel and decided to make the main character, borderline obsessed with ensuring he always wore the most outrageous costume in every parade.”

The story is unique in the way it has been written as Ned had to defy his partial sight-loss to create the ‘spellbinding’ narrative, using ‘hacks’ like drawing maps of the story’s locations and building a spreadsheet of the timeline to ‘always keep sight of the bigger picture’.

After being diagnosed with Macular Dystrophy, a genetic eye disorder, and being unable to continue designing stage sets, Ned was forced to adjust the way he expressed himself.

He said: “I’ve always needed to have an outlet for my creativity and when I found it harder to do that visually, I started painting with words.”

To order a copy of Lionel, The Watch and The Walk-In Wardrobe, visit: www.pegasuspublishers.com/books/all/lionel_-the-watch-and-the-walk-in-wardrobe.