PR – Personal Radio
PTT – Press to Talk
QC – Queen's Counsel (a very senior barrister)
RCJ – Royal Courts of Justice
RCS – Regional Crime Squad
RLH - Royal London Hospital
Rozzers – the police
RTA – Road traffic Accident
RT car – Radio Telephone car, nowadays known as a Pursuit Vehicle
SCG – Serious Crime Group
Scruffs – Dressing down in casual clothes in order for a detective to blend in with his / her surroundings
SFO – Specialist Firearms Officer
SIO – Senior Investigating Officer
Sheep – followers of Christ; the masses
Skipper - Sergeant
SLP – Self Loading Pistol
SNT – Safer Neighbourhood Team
SO19 – Met Police Firearms Unit
SOCO – Scene Of Crime Officer
SOIT – Sexual Offences Investigative Technique
SPM – Special Post Mortem
SPOC – Single Point Of Contact
Stinger– a hollow spiked tyre deflation device
TDA – Taking and Driving Away
TDC – Trainee Detective Constable
TIE – Trace, Interview, Eliminate
TIU – Telephone Investigation Unit
TPAC – Tactical Pursuit And Containment
TSG – Territorial Support Group
TSU – Technical Support Unit
VODS – Vehicle On-line Descriptive Searching
Walkers – officers on foot patrol
Trumpton – the Fire Brigade
VFR - Visual Flight Rules - Regulations under which a pilot operates an aircraft in good visual conditions
Author’s note
So, there we have it, you’ve reached the end of the book! I sincerely hope that you’ve had as much fun reading it as I did in writing it. If you have, can I please ask that you to spare a few moments of your valuable time to leave an honest review on Amazon. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just a line or two saying whether you enjoyed it and would recommend it to others. I really can’t stress how helpful this feedback is for indie authors like me. Apart from influencing a book’s visibility, your reviews will help people who haven’t read my work yet to decide whether it’s right for them.
A lot of the feedback I received from my first book came from readers who praised the gritty realism of the story. That’s was good to hear because I always try to keep my writing grounded in the real world and ensure that procedural matters are described as accurately as possible. Of course, there are unavoidable times when, to keep the flow of the story going or to maintain the intensity of the drama, I occasionally have to apply a sprinkle of artistic licence, but I do endeavour to keep these to the minimum.
You know, I actually I started writing my first book, Jack’s Back, in 1998. I must have been a bit naïve in those days because I assumed that it would be an absolute doddle to combine my writing with a very demanding job and a hectic family life. When I first started out, I had no doubt that story would be finished within a year. Of course, realistically speaking, there was no way that was ever going to happen; no matter how hard I tried – and I did try – my work had a nasty habit of always getting in the way, so much so that I eventually conceded defeat and decided to shelve the writing project until I retired. That meant that, between penning those first few chapters and completing the story, a whooping twenty years odd had passed.
I’m pleased to say that my writing has speeded up a bit since 1998, and since Jack’s Back was published I’ve managed to write this book and a novella called The Hunt For Chen. Plus, I’m already 60,000 words into Turf War, the third book in the Jack Tyler Thriller series. This is called scheduled for a summer 2020 release.
It’s safe to say that I’ve grown quite fond of Tyler, Dillon, and the rest of the team – even Murray – over the years, and I sincerely hope that you will grow to feel the same way about them that I do.
I’ll sign off by saying that if you haven’t read it yet, why not give Jack’s Back a try? And while you’re at it, pop over to my website, www.markromain.com, and grab yourself a free copy of The Hunt For Chen.
Best wishes,
Mark.
About the author
Mark Romain is a retired Metropolitan Police officer, having joined the Service in the mid-eighties. His career included two homicide postings, and during that time he was fortunate enough to work on a number of very challenging high-profile cases.
Mark lives in Essex with his wife, Clare. They have two grown-up children and one grandchild. Between them, the family has three English Bull Terriers and a very bossy Dachshund called Weenie!
Mark is a lifelong Arsenal fan and an avid skier. He also enjoys going to the theatre, lifting weights and kick-boxing, a sport he got into during his misbegotten youth!
Mark’s debut novel, ‘Jack’s Back’ was published in December 2018. You can find out more about Mark’s books or contact him via his website or Facebook page:
Markromain.com
Mark Romain – author
Turf War
Coming Summer 2020
Chapter 1
The recruitment
It was a warm Saturday night at the beginning of May, and the City Centre was buzzing with noise, lights, and a keen sense of expectation. There was music, laughter, the occasional blare of a horn or wail of a siren; a feeling that the night was young and full of potential – anything could happen, and probably would.
Already heaving, Cosmopolitan Manchester would only get busier as more people flocked in for a well-deserved night out, all intent on letting their hair down, blowing off some steam, and having a little fun.
The streets felt energised, and a party mood prevailed amongst the customers spilling out of jam-packed establishments onto adjoining pavements.
Although the Haçienda club in Whitworth Street West, on the south side of the Rochdale Canal, had closed in the summer of 1997 there were still plenty of clubs, bars and pubs in which to party away a Saturday night.
Unfortunately, the venue Conrad Livingstone was about to visit wasn’t one of them.
The Gallagher brothers were belting out Wonderwall on the car radio and his idiot driver was singing along,
