Who are your North East heroes? Brian Johnson, lead singer of ACDC – he is just a legend. And, of course, the First Lord Armstrong. He is one of Britain’s forgotten geniuses. He was one of the most successful and enlightened nineteenth century innovators and is credited with being the ‘inventor of modern living’. I am incredibly proud and humble to continue to tend Bamburgh Castle as an Armstrong. Buying Bamburgh Castle felt like coming home for the First Lord Armstrong who had family connections with Bamburgh. It’s how I feel wherever I am in the world when I return home. When a cantankerous old woman dies at her home in the sleepy, picturesque village of Bamburgh, DCI Ryan doesn’t think much of it—except, that is, for the small matter of it having been his wife who happened to find her body. Then another body turns up amongst the sand dunes at the base of the mighty castle fortress, and he decides it can’t be a coincidence…

Louise was born in Northumberland, England. She studied undergraduate and postgraduate Law at King’s College, University of London and then abroad in Paris and Florence. She spent much of her working life in London, where she was a lawyer for a number of years until taking the decision to change career and pursue her dream to write. Now, she writes full time and lives with her husband and son in Northumberland and Edinburgh. She enjoys reading all manner of books, painting, travelling and spending time with family and friends. The sense of place is as keen as ever and the more I read, plus the more I visit the area in real life, I can easily picture the scene. It's nice to see Bamburgh and Bamburgh castle take centre stage after a previous series cameo as the castle in particular is such an iconic part of the county that it deserves its own nod. Characters are carefully and convincingly drawn and the pacing of the story is just right. Because of the two different threads the investigations are perhaps not as in depth or drawn out as they may have been in the past, but it works for this book and I think the balance is just about right. Of course, Northumberland is covered in most of the major travel books, with small sections, but when it comes to specific books on travelling in Northumberland here are your best options I loved Hawkins “The Girl on the Train” – and this is Paula Hawkin’s second full-length novel – and was delighted to find that Into the Water is based in Northumberland. The town in the novel, Into the Water, is, however fictional. It might not have received the critical acclaim that The Girl on the Train did, but it’s a great read with a mix of twists and turns. And no, I couldn’t put it down until I finished it!

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The crime and investigation didn't grip me at first, but what held my attention was the fantastic characters. While I enjoyed Holy Island, I wasn't sure how I felt about the romance aspect of the story as I thought it felt a little abrupt. But 18 books later, Ryan and Anna's relationship is still going strong and I began to enjoy their chemistry much more easily. Struggling to find a killer that is hiding in plain sight, while navigating small town politics and pagan rituals that muddy the waters, romance is blossoming between the two tortured souls, threatening to slow down the investigation. “Sycamore Gap”, the second novel in the DCI Ryan series of novels is an excellent novel about the adventures of the handsome and troubled Detective Chief Inspector Ryan. What bothered me about this book (and I really loathe being critical because its so readable) is the fact it’s the third book in this fine series to use almost identical plot and character development to drive the story. Seriously. The ideas – the structure, the character, the psychopathy, the ability to fool peers and family for decades, everything, have been used not once, but twice before. In fact, when a new character was introduced, I had the fleeting thought, ‘oh, please don’t make this person behave like…’ Well, Ross did. I even eye-rolled when it became evident the storyline was the same. I mean, how many times can a small police station tolerate this kind of thing? Even one of the characters makes a joke about it towards the end. Not sure that lets Ross off the hook. It’s just as well the characters are so damn loveable and, after 18 books, we’re invested in them, and the overall story so gripping you keep reading. But I confess to feeling disappointed that, yet again, this particular plot device and type of character was used. Is there one place you always like to visit that you would recommend to others? I love motorcycling. One of my favourite routes takes me along the Wooler to Chatton Road. I always stop and pull over above the hill from Weetwood Bridge to take in the views across the River Till, a tributary of the River Tweed, and the Hortons. I like the view and the tranquility just listening to the birdsong as you look across to Cheviot. Buy into the Water set in Northumberland here 5. Sharon Bolton – Dead Woman Walking – starts in Northumberland National Park

Northumberland: Including Newcastle, Hadrian’s Wall and the Coast (Bradt Slow Travel) – Updated in 2019 and includes 30 walks, chapters on Hadrian’s Wall, the coast and Northumberland National Park. > Buy this superb walks in Northumberland book now.When a cantankerous old woman dies at her home in the sleepy, picturesque village of Bamburgh, DCI Ryan doesn’t think much of it―except, that is, for the small matter of it having been his wife who happened to find her body. Then another body turns up amongst the sand dunes at the base of the mighty castle fortress, and he decides it can’t be a coincidence… And oh.. how could I forget Doctor Alex Gregory. It was good to see you again. Only wish there were more scenes with him and Ryan. But it was equally good to see him and Mac working together. Thinking of a creative venture that would take her away from her job, she fell pregnant with her son. Motherhood was a very exciting prospect for L.J. Ross, though she was still unsatisfied with her career that would not give her the flexibility she desired to have as a mother.

Apart from the editing, which her husband proudly did, she did not have to pay anything, and was pleasantly surprised when the novel took off. She has been publishing as an Indie ever since. The DCI Ryan Mysteries are set in Northumberland, which is a region of England that the author is particularly familiar with, given that she grew up there. These are fast-paced mystery and murder novels peppered with a bit of romance and humor.

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LJ Ross said: "I feel especially grateful to my readership for their unstinting loyalty even 18 books into that series. I'm especially proud as an indie author and publisher who did not have anywhere near the same marketing spend as those placed #1 and #2 (or indeed the majority of the others on that list) who belonged to major publishing houses. We don’t see much of Anna in this book, but just how many bodies will this lady find? Or be in the middle of a mystery. Can we not have her in the book without being part of the case?! When I started this series, I loved how the books built up to be one big conspiracy, wonderfully connected.

To find out more about the many philanthropic ventures Louise has founded and sponsored through her publishing imprint, Dark Skies Publishing, please visit ‘Philanthropy’. The main case on which the title is based was interesting but got lost because of the other one. It almost felt like an afterthought since there was lesser focus on it. I did not feel really invested in it. It didn't take me long to get on Ryan's side, and I was soon immersed in the investigation, too. There are some great twists along the way, and I also appreciated that the big reveal happened earlier on, allowing more progression regarding how this affected the characters involved, keeping you fully invested in their individual developments.

Publication Order of DCI Ryan Books

Sounds like a great route! Do you have one favourite shop or business you think everyone should know about? Cubby’s the newsagents in Seahouses. I go there every morning to collect the papers. Come rain or shine the people there are always happy to chat and smiley. My wife Claire and I like to eat at The White Swan at Warenford. It is very down to earth with good food and friendly people. The bar is always full of locals and visitors rubbing shoulders. Thank you for sharing that with us! Your childhood there sounds incredible! The castle is one of my favourite places to visit – there’s absolutely nothing like it. Bamburgh Castle is steeped in history, myths, and legends. Do you have a favourite tale associated with the castle? As someone who loves the sea and used to be a volunteer RNLI crew member with Seahouses Lifeboat, I’m very proud that the first ever lifeboat was commissioned and launched at Bamburgh by Dr John Sharp, a trustee at the Castle in 1786. Additionally, I’m also fascinated by Bamburgh Castle’s past as a royal citadel and home to the Anglo Saxon kings of Northumbria, which was the inspiration for Bernard Cornwell’s Last Kingdom books and the TV series. They tell the saga of Uhtred, the English heir to Bebbanburg who was captured and raised by Danes and who is driven to regain Bebbanburg. While Cornwell’s Uhtred is fictional, there are parallels to a real life Uhtred in history who fought the Vikings. Every year a team of archaeologists from Bamburgh Research Project come to the castle to hunt for new evidence and finds to shed light on Bamburgh’s 3000 year old past. I had the pleasure of meeting Bernard Cornwell and his charming wife Judy several years ago. Bernard and I are both adopted. Bernard had found his blood father whose surname was Oughtred. Tracing his family tree, he discovered his descendent had been a Lord of Bamburgh Castle. As he had owned the castle through his bloodline, he joked that it should, by rights, belong to him. I told him he could have it – as long as he paid the heating and electric bills! The castle stayed in Armstrong hands! Francis, please can you tell us a bit about you and your connection with the North East? I’m Francis Watson-Armstrong. My ancestor is Sir William George Watson Armstrong, a visionary inventor, engineer and scientist who was known as the ‘Magician of the North’. He bought Bamburgh Castle in 1894 aged 84 and spent the remaining years of his live restoring the Castle into one of Britain’s finest coastal fortresses. Now it’s my job to look after his legacy and keep it in safe hands so it can be passed on to future generations and enjoyed by people the world over.