David keeps book vow to wife Dot.

Byline: DAVE HIMELFIELD

AN AUTHOR who fulfilled his late wife's dying wish to get his first novel published, is to meet his reading public.

Netherthong murder mystery writer David South made a promise to his wife Dorothy, three days before she died from lung cancer that he would create a book from the lines he had penned during the 10-days he sat on his patio in 2000 and worked six hours a day with an A4 notepad and pen.

The manuscript lay in a drawer in their South Yorkshire home for four years, until she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2004.

Mr South, who was born just outside Doncaster and worked in the mining industry eventually fulfilled that promise in 2006.

But after he was approached by booksellers Waterstones, when a staff member read his book A Cut Throat Business he decided to take them up on the offer of a book signing which will take place at the Kingsgate store later next month.

David's late wife Dorothy was the instigator for his first novel, when he wanted to create a "straightforward murder mystery."

"I couldn't understand why anyone couldn't write a decent book without sex and violence," said David, 70, of Holmdale Crescent.

"I'm not a prude, I worked down the mines in South Yorkshire, and Dorothy said, if I was so adamant I should get on and write it."

The result is a novel set in the 1950s in the new town of Bolderdale in the Yorkshire Dales, a normally peaceful town which is shattered by the discovery of a brutally murdered local businessman in local woods. The officer put in charge of the investigation is respected Inspector John Cline.

David said the clues were there from page one for the reader to solve the murder.

And for those who enjoy David's first book, a second is already on the way.

His sister-in-law, and son and daughter, grandchildren and other family and friends who have now read his first book will be providing support for his next work of fiction.

David honestly admits, he wasn't much good at English at school, he was more of a mathematician he says, but he draws on his life experience for his writing.

His determined, well-motivated and focused work could also be due to his motto for life which is, "If a job's worth doing, then it's worth doing right."

CAPTION(S):

* TRIBUTE: Author and former miner David South pictured with his first book PW120809Bauthor-02.jpg