AN author has been inspired by his decades of service working in local government to pen a new murder mystery novel.

John Murray, from Orford, has released his latest read Old Money – a sequel to Double Entry in his Accounting for Murder series.

The 68-year-old formerly worked in finance at councils across Cheshire, Merseyside and Wales from the 1970s until retiring in 2011.

These roles often saw him tasked with investigating potentially fraudulent insurance claims.

And he has drawn inspiration from his four decades of experience in the field when penning his latest book, which is out now.

John, who has also worked as a self-employed risk consultant, said: “I often had to investigate fraud and the mindset and techniques are not so different from those needed to investigate a murder.

“Whilst an amateur detective doesn’t have the backup and access to databases and forensics the police have, he can sometimes have more knowledge of the people and situation involved.

“He might also have less pressure to get a result and be able to get the right result.”

Old Money follows the story of a self-employed accountant called Frank Hill, who turns amateur detective in order to prevent a great injustice.

A murder takes place on a the set of a horror film at a castle in Wales, where the sleuth and his wife Sian have taken minor parts.

He faces rumours of ghosts, buried treasure and sabotage in an investigation that places a huge strain on his marriage and family.

Old Money is available both in paperback or as an ebook, and is being stocked on Amazon.

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