A FORMER Northwich journalist has fulfilled a lifelong ambition and released his first novel.

Howard Linskey started his career in writing as a junior reporter, at the Northwich Guardian, in 1994.

And after reporting for both the Crewe and Warrington Guardians and a career change to the world of car sales, the 43-year-old is preparing for his debut crime novel, The Drop, to hit the shelves.

The father-of-one, who lived in Lostock Gralam, said he was ‘buoyed’ by the enthusiasm of his agent to put pen to paper and pull together his various ideas of gangster crime and violence in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

“I had always wanted to write fiction,” he said.

“When I was writing as a job I got home at night and the last thing I wanted to do was more writing.

“You get these story ideas and they stay in your head for a few years.

“I had them over a period of about five to six years but had never really written anything down.

“I always had the idea of a hero who didn’t believe he was a gangster because he doesn’t do all of the dirty work as he thinks he is above it all.”

And Howard, originally from Ferryhill, County Durham, said that after taking inspiration from his upbringing in the north east, the writing just ‘flowed’.

“I had an idea of the plot, and after writing stories set in New York and Prague I was writing about a place I knew far better,” he added “When its your place you become more instinctive.

“It brings back memories of growing up there as well.”

Howard is now working on his next offering - the second novel in the trilogy.

And talking of his success, he said: “It is really lovely and it is very strange in a good way.

“It would be lovely to write full time one day but it is something you’ve got to build on.”

The Drop, published by No Exit, will be available in bookshops from April 29, priced at £7.99.