Daisy White releases new crime thriller set in Brighton

Sussex novelist Daisy White is celebrating the release of her gripping new crime thriller, Before I Left.
Daisy White. Picture by Claire BrewerDaisy White. Picture by Claire Brewer
Daisy White. Picture by Claire Brewer

The book is the first in a series based in a fictional hairdressing salon in Brighton and set in 1963.

Daisy, who lives in Dialpost, said: “I started writing the first book in the series several years ago,but was distracted by signing two Young Adult series to US publishers.

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“My work has gone progressively darker, and I really wanted to produce a crime novel, so I returned to work on Before I Left and entered it into The UK International Novel Writing Competition.

“I was so excited when it was long-listed, and that gave me the confidence to submit to publishers. Joffe Books are one of the UK’s top independent crime publishers, so naturally they were at the top of my list. Two weeks after submission they phoned and said they loved the book.”

Daisy, who was born in Brighton, interviewed members of her family and amassed a huge amount of research into life in ’60s Brighton before threading the research into the plot.

Protagonist Ruby Baker is a 19-year-old runaway, with some big secrets. She and pregnant best friend Mary find work at a hairdressing salon, but soon discover they haven’t travelled to Brighton alone.

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Someone knows far more about Ruby’s past than she would like and to add to her troubles there seems to be a serial killer targeting young women in the area...

Daisy adds: “Although she is entirely fictional, the idea for Ruby Baker and her job in a hairdressing salon came from various family members’ memories and it seemed natural that if a crime was committed she would want to investigate.

“She is a girl ahead of her time and whatever has happened in the past has made her stronger.

“The hairdressing salon is a hub of community gossip and activity, so she is then presented with the ideal base for Ruby Baker’s Investigation Bureau.”

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Before I Left is available in paperback and eBook from Amazon.

Visit www.daisywhiteauthor.co.uk to find out more about Daisy’s writing.

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