Hartlepool author publishes cosy murder mystery series just in time for Christmas

Mike Nevin, 62, has released the first three publications in his Hilda series after first putting pen to paper in 2006.

The series initially began as sci-fi novels but soon changed course after Mike created his signature main character, Hilda.

Mike, originally from London, said: “When we first lived here, I was doing an open university course and part of that was to create a character, and I decided to create a character called Hilda, from St Hilda’s Church, and from my grandma. She was always full of life and would never enter a room without people knowing she was there.”

He continued: “She is the type of person I wish I could be. She never wondered about what people thought of her and she went throughout life living it to the full. I wanted to have a protagonist who was fun and lovable but at the same time cheeky.”

Mike has always had an interest in writing – working in marketing for much of his life – and was fortunate enough to win a bursary from Bloomsbury Publishing house where he was given advice and commentary on his novels.

He said: “Sometimes when you write, you are not planning to write what you write. Things seem to just jump out at you and take a life of their own.”

His first book of the series, Hilda and the Stolen Diamonds, takes Hilda and her best friend Pearl on an adventure across the United States.

Here, they are pursued by a jewel thief as the pair search for Pearl's twin sister, managing to uncover two murders along the way.

Mike’s second and third books, Hilda and the Hidden Gardens Tearoom and Hilda and the Millennium Mystery, are also available to buy.

He has decided to self-publish his first three novels – which are available on Amazon – and hopes his creation will reach many people across the country.

Mike is currently in the process of writing his fourth book in the Hilda series.