Crime writer Lynn Phillips signs at Borders (From Watford Observer)

Crime writer Lynn Phillips signs at Borders

AVID readers of the Watford Observer might recall Northwood author Lynn Phillips’ debut novel, which introduced us to the intriguing world of detective Greta Pusey and her colleagues at Shady Lane police station. Lynn had to get permission to appropriate the name of the road on which Watford police headquarters stands, but beyond that link to reality she stresses the books are entirely fictional.

Lynn recalls: “My imagination was sparked off by seeing the police station in Shady Lane and who can resist something like that?

It probably does no harm however, that one half day a week Lynn is a volunteer reception officer at Ruislip police station.

“They gave me a medal a couple of weeks ago,” says Lynn. “They gave medals out to several people who had been there for five years and we had a little party with speeches. We have 98 volunteers at our police station alone.”

Now with her third book published and her fourth title under way, Lynn says her work is moving further away from her initial subject matter of crime and punishment.

“The inspector at my station gave me some very nice quotes for my latest book, Watford USA, but he said I hadn’t got the facts quite right and I said no because I’m writing fiction.

“My books have started to veer away from crime as the narrator, Greta, has taken over. She’s a police officer but it’s her personal life we focus on as she’s a bit naughty.”

The books so far have all had the name of a character in the title. The first was Superintendent Wood, the second is Greta’s mate DS Moon and the third focuses on rookie recruit North, a slim blonde whom Greta sees as a threat as she continues to pursue her boss, DI Derek.

Meanwhile, Greta is trying to get to grips with a baffling case involving Chinese illegal immigrants, infected pet food and disappearing factories in the Hertfordshire hamlet of Nasty, while at the same time keeping up with her love of rollerblading and succumbing to the charms of Ari, her Greek lover who wants to get married and settle down.

Lynn had already begun the book when the case of the Chinese cockle pickers came to light but she admits her novel came quite close to the truth.

“It was absolutely invented,” says Lynn. “It’s an absolute fluke because I wrote all that before the cockle pickers’ story came out. People will think I’m copying that story but I’d aleady written the book.”

So are there parallels between Lynn’s life and Greta’s? “It’s not too not autobiographical,” says Lynn. “But then we all have common experiences.

“I’ve had quite a naughty life, but not the sort of naughty life Greta has. I’ve been married three times, but I think the present one is the one. I met all of them in the same club in Soho.

“I have great fun being Greta when I’m writing. I’d written a lot of material before this series but it didn’t make it somehow. It’s all about finding your voice and my voice is Greta Pusey.”

For the fourth novel, Greta will leave her comfort zone of Watford and its environs and head for Watford, California.

“There’s not really a place called Watford. I tried hard to find one but I’ve based the story on this news item about a chap who was 111 and had been in the American navy in World War One and they discovered he never got his medal. So they gave it to him and then he died. I’ve made him into one of the Pusey family.

Lynn has her own wartime memories.

“I was in the land army during the war. I was a milker in Suffolk. I adored the cows and missed them terribly when I had to leave. I was only there for a year as it was nearly the end of the war. After that I worked at the Ministry of Information in Mallet Street in London. I suppose without realising there are echoes of that in the books as well.”

Lynn will be signing copies of North of Watford on Saturday from noon and you can hear her on Three Counties Radio on Friday afternoon between 2pm and 4pm.