Blood on the Strand

In a raging gale a heavy crate is washed up on the beach near Compass Point. DI Sonny Russell and his sidekick DS Johnny Weeks happen upon it while braving the weather near Sonny’s home. Puzzled, they go to get help to recover it, but when they return it has gone. So begins a thrilling and dangerous search for stolen Nazi plunder. It leads the detectives, ably assisted by an eager young policewoman, Nettie Sharpe, on a twisting trail that encompasses Hastings fisherman, their iconic net huts, ruthless foreign criminals and the shady side of antique dealing. BLOOD ON THE STRAND is a story of intrigue and drama, set on the sleepy south coast in the post-war mid-fifties.

By Chris ODonoghue