Book Extract: Not My Valentine by Tony Bassett

I’m pleased to be welcoming Tony Bassett to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for Not My Valentine, book seven in the Detective Roy & Roscoe crime fiction series. 

The most romantic day of the year turns into a nightmare…

Having returned from a date with her new boyfriend, Lydia is fatally attacked in her home. A burglary gone wrong or a planned assault?

Detectives from Heart of England Police investigate and try to find out more about the victim. She was much loved by family and colleagues. But maybe someone loved her too much.

Attention turns to Lydia’s boyfriend, Roman, when it transpires that he is the son of a local crime boss known to associate with the feared West Side Gang.

DS Sunita Roy believes he is hiding something, but will have to tread carefully – the criminals have connections in the force.

Despite having strong intuition, Roy is struggling. There is something missing from the picture and it could be a secret taken to the grave.

Tony has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy it. 

*****beginning of extract*****

Detective Sergeant Sunita Roy and her boyfriend, DI Tom Vickers, have raced to an address in West Bromwich amid fears that Aiden Pagett, a key witness in a murder case, may have been shot in a drive-by shooting. They are about to discover that the shooting is being investigated by DI Laura McLachlan from a different force, West Midlands Police.

CHAPTER 25

Sunita thrust her warrant card in front of a stern-faced constable standing behind the cordon. ‘DS Roy, Heart of England CID,’ she said. ‘Do you know who’s the SIO here?’

‘That would be DI McLachlan,’ he replied. ‘She’s just over there, speaking to one of the SOCOs.’

They observed a tall, slim woman in a blue-quilted jacket standing halfway along the front path outside Pagett’s home. A white tent covered the front doorway and porch.

As soon as she saw them approaching, McLachlan ended her conversation and turned towards them. ‘Can I help you?’ she asked with a vague smile.

‘We’re from Heart of England,’ Sunita explained, showing her warrant card again. ‘DS Roy and DI Vickers. I was here just a few hours ago in connection with one of our cases.’

‘Really?’ replied the inspector, shaking both their hands. ‘DI Laura McLachlan, West Midlands Homicide Unit.’

‘We’re looking into the Lydia Squires murder in Worcester.’

‘I’ve heard about the case, obviously,’ said McLachlan with a nod.

‘The victim’s brother-in-law has been living here,’ Sunita explained.

‘What details have you got?’ asked McLachlan as Sunita outlined what she knew about Pagett.

‘We’ve found out the flat was rented by a company in the name of MQZ Properties (Wolverhampton) Limited,’ said the West Midlands officer.

‘What’s actually happened, Inspector?’ asked Vickers.

‘Eyewitnesses say the victim arrived in that white van and walked up the path,’ said McLachlan. ‘Just as he unlocked the front door, two men in a black Range Rover Evoque drove past in a southerly direction. The vehicle slowed down and a hail of bullets was discharged. The car then drove off at speed with the sound of screeching tyres. We’ve tried to trace it, but it looks as though it had false plates which have no doubt since been changed.’

‘Who was actually shot? Aiden Pagett?’ asked Sunita.

‘We haven’t identified the dead man yet,’ said McLachlan.

‘He’s dead?’ said Sunita, open-mouthed.

‘Yes. He passed away shortly after the shooting, which was about half past five this evening.’

 ‘Has the dead man got a beard?’

‘Yes.’

Sunita and Vickers exchanged anxious glances.

‘It said on the news he was critically injured,’ said Vickers.

‘That’s probably because when the press first called our media office, we refused to confirm he had actually died,’ said McLachlan.

Grey-haired Home Office pathologist Dr Silas Reynolds overheard their raised voices from inside the tent, where he had been inspecting the body. He emerged in his white overalls.

‘Sunita!’ he cried. ‘An unexpected pleasure. And you’ve brought that old rogue Tom with you. I expect you’d like to know what’s happened to this poor fellow, wouldn’t you?’

‘Yes,’ said Sunita. ‘Have you finished your initial examination?’

‘More or less,’ he replied. ‘The victim has suffered from at least six gunshot wounds to the head, chest, liver and left hand. It’s impossible to give the precise cause of death at this stage, but the chest wound alone would have been fatal within a few seconds.’

‘So the victim would have died quickly?’ Sunita suggested.

‘Almost instantaneously,’ Reynolds replied. ‘If the weapon used was on automatic or semi-automatic fire, these injuries could have been sustained very quickly in a burst of gunfire or a number of short bursts. The poor blighter wouldn’t have stood a chance. He will be taken to the Sandwell Mortuary shortly so I can carry out a full examination.’

‘Could I have a look?’ said Sunita. ‘I want to see if I can recognise him.’

‘Is that all right with you, Dr Reynolds?’ asked McLachlan.

‘Feel free,’ said the pathologist. ‘The poor fellow’s fairly presentable and I’ve got most of what I need.’

While the pathologist stepped away to speak to McLachlan, Sunita braced herself, unsure whether her eyes were about to gaze down on the solemn face and dark hair of office manager Aiden Pagett.

She peered round the tent flap at the blood-splattered body of a man in his mid-thirties lying on his back in the doorway. He was wearing a blue shirt and dark trousers. There was no doubt at all in her mind that, beneath the glow of the arc light, it was not Pagett. Like Lydia’s brother-in-law, this man had receding dark hair and a small beard. But, unlike Pagett, he was short in height. His face was rounder. His skin tone was darker.

She felt relief in a way from a selfish standpoint. She needed Pagett to be alive. She needed to find him. She needed to find out why he had been playing games with the police. But she also felt huge sympathy for the family of the dead man.

Sunita shuddered before withdrawing from the makeshift shelter.

‘It’s not Aiden Pagett,’ she announced.

‘That’s a blow,’ Vickers suggested. ‘Could take a while to work out who this guy really is.’

‘Oh, I know who it is,’ said Sunita as Vickers, McLachlan and Reynolds looked in amazement.

*****end of extract*****

About Tony Bassett –

Tony Bassett is a former journalist who worked on regional and national newspapers in Britain for more than 40 years. He mainly reported on crime, show business, human interest and consumer topics. Now retired, he writes crime fiction.

Tony is best known for his series of novels set in the West Midlands featuring Detective Chief Inspector Gavin Roscoe, an experienced detective and family man, and his sergeant, law graduate and resourceful problem-solver Sunita Roy.

The latest novel (Book 7) concerns a glamorous blonde managing director’s secretary, Lydia Squires, who is planning to settle down with the man of her dreams after a whirlwind romance.

Tragically, her life is cut short on Valentine’s night by a brutal killer. Detectives Gavin Roscoe and Sunita Roy discover Lydia – also a part-time singer – was being stalked by an obsessed work colleague.

Could this man have slaughtered Lydia in a jealous rage or were other, more ruthless forces at work?

The fifth book in the series, Heir To Murder, was judged first in the Mystery and Suspense (Police Procedurals) category in the American Fiction Awards in June 2024.

The other titles in the collection (all published by The Book Folks) are: Murder On Oxford Lane, The Crossbow Stalker, Murder Of A Doctor, Out for Revenge and It Never Rains.

Tony has in addition written a stand-alone thriller Seat 97, about a man shot dead at a London concert hall, which was published by The Book Folks, while two further works (the crime novel Smile Of The Stowaway and the spy novel The Lazarus Charter) were published by The Conrad Press.

Tony first developed a love of writing at the age of nine when he produced a junior school magazine. A few years later, his local vicar in Tunbridge Wells, Kent staged his play about the Biblical story of Naboth’s Vineyard.

At Hull University, Tony was judged Time-Life Magazine student journalist of the year in 1971.

Tony, who has five grown-up children, is a Life Member of the National Union of Journalists. He lives in South-East London with his partner Lin.

Say hello to Tony via his website, Facebook, X and Instagram. 

Not My Valentine is book seven in the Detective Roy & Roscoe crime fiction series and was released in March 2025. Click to buy on Amazon UK and Amazon US. 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.