AUTHOR Howard Linskey will launch his new book with a signing at Waterstones in Durham city, on Friday, June 3, from 1pm to 3pm.

Behind Dead Eyes is published by Penguin Random House and is the fifth crime fiction novel written by Linskey, who originates from Ferryhill, in County Durham.

His David Blake trilogy was optioned for the screen by Harry Potter producer, David Barron, and his first novel The Drop was voted one of the top five thrillers of the year by the Times newspaper.

A former pupil of Ferryhill Comprehensive school, the 49-year-old now lives in Hertfordshire but all five of his novels are set in County Durham and Newcastle.