A former Worcester journalist has released his sixth crime novel set in the West Midlands.

Tony Bassett's new book, 'It Never Rains', is centred around a gang that burgles a Premier League footballer's mansion near the city while he is away at a match.

The plot thickens with the kidnapping of the footballer's stepson and his bodyguard being shot dead.

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As storms lash the county and river levels rise, detectives race against time to find the missing teenager and bring the criminal mastermind behind the raid to justice.

The novel, released by London publishers The Book Folks, is available as an eBook or paperback through Amazon.

Bassett, who worked on the Worcester Evening News for three years, said: "This is the first book in this series that features Worcester to a large extent, and the city’s famous cathedral actually plays a part in helping detectives solve the mystery over the boy’s disappearance."

All six books in the series, including 'Murder On Oxford Lane', 'The Crossbow Stalker', 'Murder Of A Doctor', 'Out for Revenge', and 'Heir To Murder', are set in Worcestershire and Warwickshire.

The previous book in the series, 'Heir To Murder', recently won first place in the Mystery and Suspense (Police Procedurals) category in the American Fiction Awards just three months ago.

Bassett, who spent more than 40 years working on regional and national newspapers, mainly for the Sunday People, decided to set his series of novels in the counties after enjoying his time as a newspaper reporter in Worcester.

He said: "I returned to Worcester recently and was pleased to see that, despite huge changes, all the great historic features from the 1970s, such as the railway viaduct, the cathedral, the bridge, and many of the shops, are just as I remembered.

"Worcestershire is a wonderful part of the world in which to set a novel because of its charming market towns and countryside together with its proximity to Birmingham.

"Thanks to these inspiring places, I have been able to conjure up plots covering both urban and rural crime."