AN author has had his first crime novel published.

A Flicker in the Night, by John Dean, of Darlington, is a dark thriller about a series of arson attacks in the fictional northern city of Hafton.

The attacks remind the investigating officers of a previous series of attacks carried out by an arsonist called Reginald Morris, who is now locked away for life.

As Detective Chief Inspector John Blizzard and Detective Sergeant David Colley set out to discover if a copycat is at work, they uncover a dark and deadly secret.

Set in the 1990s, the book was written by Mr Dean 15 years ago. Last year, it was accepted by publisher Robert Hale, of London, which is well-known for its crime series.

A Flicker in the Night, a hardback, is available from Ottakar's, in Darlington town centre, price £16.99, or from libraries.

The second book in Mr Dean's Blizzard series, No Age to Die, is published on October 28 and his third book, The Vengeance Man, has just been accepted.

Mr Dean, 43, a freelance journalist and regular contributor to The Northern Echo, said: "This is a dream come true. Ever since I was a teenager I had wanted to achieve a contract with a publisher like this, but had received so many rejections that I had given up.

"I even stopped writing fiction for several years, but authors are eternal optimists and something made me try again and I decided to give the book one last chance."