BESTSELLING Somerset author Damien Boyd has just released the latest novel in his popular crimes series about Avon and Somerset detective DI Nick Dixon.

In this new crime thriller Down Among The Dead, the detective - who is based at Bridgwater Police Station - sees Somerset's bloody past intertwine with a modern mystery.

“I have long been fascinated by the Battle of Sedgemoor; the last battle fought on English soil and right on Nick’s doorstep too,” Damien said.

"It would have been criminal not to include it in a novel and it certainly made for some very interesting research."

In the book, a badly decomposed body is discovered during an archaeological dig on the Sedgemoor battlefield and Avon and Somerset Police are immediately notified.

A single stab wound from a curved blade indicates a known serial killer arrested 15 years ago - but when DI Nick Dixon starts to re-examine the original investigation he makes a shocking discovery.

Damien, a former solicitor who is based in Burnham-on-Sea, said: “The release comes at a time of uncertainty for all, but I do hope readers will think it worth the wait.”

The ninth novel in the series, Beyond the Point, which centred around Hinkley C, was published in May 2019 and the DI Nick Dixon series has now sold over two and a half million copies worldwide.

Due to the coronavirus, Damien will not be signing copies of Down Among the Dead at GW Hurley in Burnham-on-Sea, but says he hopes to catch up with readers at an event in the autumn.

Down Among the Dead will be officially released on Wednesday, May 6 and will be available in ebook, paperback and audio formats.