The setting of the DS Gayle thriller series

Exeter is a vibrant, busy and attractive city with a small-town footprint and a friendly atmosphere.

Sometimes called Oxford-on-sea, this small and beautiful university city, settled for at least two thousand years, is an eclectic mix of modern, old and truly ancient and I wanted from the outset to feature is as much as possible in the Peter Gayle books, almost as a character in itself.

Never-the-less, I sometimes have to take geographical liberties for the sake of security, privacy, commercial considerations or dramatic effect, sometimes creating fictionalised locations within the city or its surroundings.

In the latest book, No Middle Ground, due out in November, I have altered certain aspects of the Combined Court House, its immediate environs and the streets and alleys between it and the central shopping area of the city. Other examples throughout the series include Risingbrook school in book one, the ice rink mentioned in book two and The Old Mill carvery which has featured in more than one book as well as the homes and/or workplaces of the characters. Otherwise I try to remain as accurate as possible to the true feel and topography of the city, both in order to please those who either live in or have visited Exeter and to do the city itself justice.