Former Eastbourne scene of crime officer offers Murder by the Seaside

It all adds greater authenticity to the book which has been released by Panther Publishing and is available on Amazon on kindle (£3.99) and paperback (£7.99).

For Brian, writing it fulfils a retirement ambition.

In the book, Simon Crofts is a crime scene manager working at major incidents and overseeing the scenes of crime officers under his command.

Their job is to deal with all types of crime from burglary to murder in the seaside towns on the south coast of Sussex.

As author Brian, aged 58, explains: “What starts as a normal week with the suspicious death of a drug user ends with a murder with no known suspect, which will need all their investigative and examination skills.

“Bethany Brooks is an unusual-looking young lady who has had a tough life.

“Having been born to a prostitute who later died from an overdose, she spent her young years in children’s homes, being shunted from one to the other, experiencing the worst that they can offer.

“She has finally found a job that she enjoys and is now happily saving as much money as she can so that she can get a place of her own at last.

“Stevie Johnson is a former DJ and nightclub owner who now works as a medical rep travelling all over the country. He must make as much money as possible to enable his wife Suzie to continue to live the lifestyle that she enjoys.

“Their two-year old twins, which were meant to have saved their marriage, are becoming a bind for fun-loving Suzie, but they are all that Stevie lives for.

“He dreams of taking them away from their current situation and starting a new life with them away from their mother.

“After meeting by accident, Stevie and Bethany end up having a few drinks together.

“What happens at the end of that night means that neither of their lives will ever be the same again.

“Murder by the Seaside tells the story of the forensic investigations into these murders.

“It tells how the SOCOs operate and what their job involves.”

Using his experience, Brian says he wants to explain how SOCOs work within the scenes and how their recovery of evidence helps solve even the most complex crimes.

“I served as a scenes of crime officer in Sussex for more than 25 years.

“On retirement I decided to write a book.

He wanted to put his experiences to good use: “I wanted to tell the story of investigations through the SOCOs’ eyes rather than just another detective story.

“I am aiming the book at anyone who likes crime, and thrillers, especially those local to Hastings and Eastbourne, where the book is set. I have really enjoyed the writing. However, I didn’t realise how difficult it was to get a book published.”

There will be sequels.

Number two in the Simon Crofts series is currently being written, Brian says.

Steps announce Brighton date and new album

West Sussex man reveals "truth" about his sister's murder in 10 Rillington Place

Why pre-booking might be here to stay at Weald & Downland Living Museum

Loxwood Drive-In Movies set for 2021 return

IN PICTURES: Eastbourne Pier turns film star!

IN PICTURES: Images of lockdown across Brighton and Hastings