Des says:

I’m a bit obsessed by 1960s crime stories from London. When I was a young journalist, I met up with old gangsters like Mad Frankie Fraser, Tony Lambrianou, Charlie Kray. Ray the Cat even came to my leaving do at the Hackney Gazette as I set off for The Times. Ray was the guy who stole Sophia Loren’s jewels when she was filming The Millionairess with Peter Sellers. All dead now, though I remember them all vividly.

Stealing from those memories, I was keen to see Porter and the gang return for Book 2 in the trilogy - this time investigating the sad story of a young actress who went missing in 60s Soho.

Along the way, they cross continents and meet some incredibly unsavoury people. People get battered and obscure clues are unscrambled.

I spent a lot of time in Bristol researching the complicated relationship between the city and the Transatlantic slave trade. That, and World War II, also crop up in this story alongside the gangsters.

The cases bring unwelcome publicity for Porter, still struggling with his mission from the Fates.