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All the stories are based in the fictitious town of Heckley, in the southern Pennines of Yorkshire; an area that was once called the Heavy Woollen District. The prosperity that the woollen industry brought for some has long gone, the mills have fallen silent, but a legacy of large, often remote, Victorian properties remains. That, coupled with easy motorway access to the conurbations of Manchester and West Yorkshire (this is the cross-roads of England, where the A1 and M1 intersect the M62) make this an area that is attractive to major criminals.

Not far from Heckley, we have the real-life birthplaces of the Yorkshire Ripper, the Black Panther, the Moors Murderers, Michael Sams and Dr Shipman, plus numerous, less famous, others. Even Haigh and Christie, who did their murderous deeds in London, were born not far from here. So there is no need for exaggeration when writing about the nefarious activities of the citizens of Heckley. "Trouble at t’mill" has taken on a whole new meaning and Charlie’s beloved moors, in all their moods, provide a fitting backdrop to the stories.