The Whitstable Pearl series is now coming to TV on 24th May! 'What Colin Dexter did for Oxford, Julie Wassmer is intent on doing for Whitstable' Daily Mail Pearl Nolan always wanted to be a detective but life, and a teenage pregnancy, got in the way of a police career and instead she built up a successful seafood restaurant in her coastal home town of Whitstable - famous for its native oysters. Now, at 39, and with son Charlie away at university, Pearl finds herself suffering from empty nest syndrome . . . until she discovers the drowned body of local oyster fisherman Vinnie Rowe, weighted down with an anchor chain, on the eve of Whitstable's annual oyster festival. Is it a tragic accident, suicide - or murder? Pearl seizes the opportunity to prove her detection skills and discover the truth but she soon finds herself in conflict with Canterbury city police detective, Chief Inspector Mike McGuire. Then another body is discovered - and Pearl finds herself trawling the past for clues, triggering memories of another emotional summer more than twenty years ago . . .

1971. A middle-aged man, wracked with grief, walks along the beach at Whitstable in Kent... A boy approaches him and, taking him for the famous vampire-hunter Doctor Van Helsing from the Hammer movies, asks for his help. Because he believes his stepfather really is a vampire...So begins the moving and evocative new novella by Stephen Volk, published by the British Fantasy Award-nominated Spectral Press in May 2013 to coincide with the centenary of the most celebrated and beloved of Hammer's stars, Peter Cushing.

The Rough Guide to Kent, Sussex and Surrey is the most comprehensive travel guide to this beautiful region. Discover the area's highlights with stunning photography, itineraries and colour-coded maps, plus up-to-date listings and information. You'll find detailed practical advice on what to see and do, from ancient castles, magnificent gardens and modern art galleries to award-winning vineyards, white-sand beaches and walks in the South Downs National Park. Comprehensive, up-to-date reviews highlight the best B&Bs, campsites, cafés, restaurants and pubs for all budgets, giving you expert advice on which of Whitstable's famous oyster bars or Brighton's buzzy beach bars to try first. Whether you're visiting for a weekend or a longer stay, The Rough Guide to Kent, Sussex and Surrey is all you need for the perfect trip.