New crime novel from ex-Worcester reporter

New crime novel from ex-Worcester reporter

A former Midlands journalist has called on his past experience to write a new crime novel, Out For Revenge, which has been published after months spent researching the drug trade in Birmingham.

The book is the fourth by Tony Bassett (pictured), who mainly worked for the Sunday People, both in its newsroom and investigations department, during a 40-year career in journalism,. He is currently working on his fifth novel – one of a series featuring lead character, middle-aged DCI Gavin Roscoe and his 25-year-old female sergeant Sunita Roy.

“Unlike London, where the drug crime is widespread, there is a small number of organised drug gangs in Birmingham who are widely known about and who compete for customers. I thought this would make an interesting subject for this novel.

“I’ve also used my experience of working as an investigative journalist to show how a police informer can infiltrate a drugs gang,” he added.

Out For Revenge focuses on the drug trade in the West Midlands and is set in and around Birmingham. It has been released on Amazon by London publisher The Book Folks.

Tony started his career as a general news reporter on the Worcester Evening News and after taking early retirement from his reporting career, he decided to write a series of crime novels set in the West Midlands. The first, “Murder on Oxford Lane,” was published in January 2022.

Tony began his writing career at the age of nine when he produced a magazine at his Kent junior school. Then in his teens he wrote plays – including one staged at his local vicarage.

At Hull University he won a Time-Life student journalist award, which helped launch his career in journalism.