Black Country author publishes fifth novel
A Black Country author has published his fifth novel which is a children's book involving a crime drama.
The Summer of 59, written by Colin Nicholls, involves historical aspects from the era he grew up in as a child.
The story follows the adventures of two boys during the school holidays, who are out and about with their dog.
However, while playing along a canal, they spot man who turns out to be a suspect in a jewellery store robbery.
Mr Nicholls, aged 72, from West Bromwich, said: "The basic storyline is the kids enjoying their school holiday.
"It is a very hot school holiday. They are getting out and about, having a laugh and a joke, telling a few Black Country stories, and this central bit of storyline comes in.
"Whilst they are on a barge on the canal, which they have managed to manoeuvre away from the coal yard that was down there, the dog falls into the canal and they spot this chap on the side of the canal who comes off the fields below and he is acting a bit strange.
"He disappears off down the canal and down the hillside into a load of gorse.
"It ends up there has been a robbery at a jewellers and so basically the storyline behind that is they are the only people who have got any evidence of this chap.
"They don't know what he has done at first and it comes out eventually that they are able to help the police."
Within the plot are cultural references from 1959, such as the names of movies that were in cinemas at the time; which Mr Nicholls says would make the book appealing to older readers from the Black Country too.
Mr Nicholls, who grew up in Friar Park, Wednesbury, developed the plot from a school essay he wrote aged 11.
The book is available at stores such as Waterstones, Foyles and WHSmith, priced £7.99.
