A horn sounded.
‘That’ll be for you, then,’ Jim said.
‘I reckon,’ said Harry. ‘How do I look?’
Jim stood back and looked his boss up and down.
‘Not quite sure what I’m supposed to say here, if I’m honest, boss.’
‘Am I presentable? These are new jeans, you know. So’s the shirt.’
Jim gave Harry a grin.
‘You look fine,’ he said. ‘Who’s looking after Smudge?’
‘Ben and Liz,’ Harry said. ‘Didn’t take much persuading.’
Jim turned away from Neil’s grave and walked Fly back to where he’d parked the tractor. Harry followed alongside.
As he climbed up into his tractor, Jim said, ‘You’ll be fine, boss. You might even enjoy yourself!’
‘Sod off,’ Harry said, but he couldn’t hide the smile.
With Jim and Fly leaving, Harry turned to the car that had beeped its horn. Walking over, he watched as the passenger window slowly slid down into the door.
Harry ducked down to look into the car.
‘Hi,’ he said.
‘Hi yourself,’ Grace said back. ‘You ready?’
‘I’m all yours,’ Harry said and climbed in.
‘You could be very sorry you said that,’ Grace laughed, then she eased the car onto the road and Harry, the smile on his face making his scars ache, joined in.
THE END
Author’s Note
Snaizeholme, apart from being a wonderfully strange name, is a place I remember from my own childhood in the dales. My dad, like many people up there, did a bit of rough shooting and still does. And one place he would head out to in the early mornings with a couple of friends was Snaizeholme. I went along with him a number of times as well, not just to Snaizeholme either, but down at a farm near West Burton (not the one Harry meets Andy Bell at, though!)
The Red Squirrel trail in Snaizeholme is very much worth a visit, not just because you’ll get to see the valley itself, but for the Red Squirrels themselves, and who could say no to that? For more information, just do a quick search on the Internet for ‘Snaizeholme Red Squirrel Trail’. There’s a good chance that you’ll see roe deer, too.
As to the theme of Blood Sport, I was very aware from the off that I didn’t want the focus to be on the actual dog fights themselves. Instead, and as I hope with the rest of the DCI Harry Grimm Crime Thrillers, I wanted this to be about the characters. The idea for it actually came from something I’d read about a serial killer who was also a doctor. It struck me as so strange and more than a little terrifying how someone whose profession was to care and to heal could also be someone who would then kill those they were supposed to look after. So, why not a vet*?
A few other things to note …
Yes, Harry has finally gone on a date! This was actually supposed to happen in book 6, but it just didn’t feel right. However, romance has finally walked into Harry’s life in the dales, (much to many readers’ relief I think, judging by the number of messages and comments I’ve received about it!) so it’ll be fun to see where it all ends up.
Harry has his own dog! I resisted this for a good while, because Fly is such a wonderful addition to the team on his own. And I hadn’t really planned on Harry getting a dog in this story either. However, when he discovered what had been going on in those sheds, he just ended up with a puppy in his arms. Funny how that sometimes happens when you’re writing, the characters just deciding things for you.
I’ve had a few comments/queries about how I write, or don’t, a Yorkshire dialect. This was a conscious decision back when I started with Grimm Up North. My hope was that the story would be read a little wider than just the UK, so I wanted a broader appeal. Also, and as an example, I felt that dropping every ‘H’ and ‘T’ could’ve become distracting, not just in the writing, but more so in the reading, as could littering everything with reet this and by ‘eck that! So, what I’ve tried to do (whether I’ve succeeded or not is for you to decide!), is ensure that there’s a tone to how the characters speak that is reminiscent of the dales. That way, I’m not littering everything with phrases like, ‘ow ist ‘e?’ (How are you?), and, ‘ee, that’s reet grand, like,’ (Wow, that’s fantastic!)
*A note here to say that the Wensleydale Vets practice is superb, serving the local community wonderfully. I would also like to especially thank Director and Veterinary Surgeon at the practice, Amy Cockett, for her advice on the .32 humane killer.
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About David J. Gatward
David had his first book published when he was 18 and has written extensively for children and young adults. Blood Sport is his seventh DCI Harry Grimm crime thriller.
For more information:
www.davidjgatward.com
[email protected]
Also by David J. Gatward
THE DCI HARRY GRIMM SERIES
Grimm Up North
Best Served Cold
Corpse Road
Shooting Season
Restless Dead
Death’s Requiem
The 8th book in the DCI Harry Grimm Crime Thriller series will soon be available for preorder!
Blood Sport: A Yorkshire Murder Mystery (DCI Harry Grimm Crime Thrillers 7) Page 27