ACCLAIMED novelist, EV Thompson has added to his extensive bibliography with his forthcoming novel Churchyard and Hawke which is published on November 30.

To mark its release, Thompson will be touring Cornwall for a number of book signings and author talks.

The hotly anticipated new novel is a gripping insight into the years when the Cornish Constabulary was in its infancy and follows Constable Tom Churchyard as he escapes the murky slums of 19th century London, for the seemingly peaceful Cornish police force.

Quickly becoming right-hand man to Amos Hawke, now a senior Cornish policeman, Churchyard soon discovers Cornwall's dangerous underbelly; encountering a gang of thieves and brutal murder.

With their investigations becoming ever more complex, will the duo foil the gang's plan to plunder the mansions of the Cornish gentry and will they discover the murderer lurking within the Cornish quietude?

The Christmas tour dates for

Churchyard & Hawke,

including Thompson's switching on of the Christmas lights in Mevagissey on December 5, are: November 30, 10.30am to 1pm at The Bookshelf, Saltash; December 4, noon to 2pm, Waterstones Truro; Dec 5, 4pm to 6pm, Hurley Books, Mevagissey; Dec 7, 11am to 1pm The Bookshop, Liskeard; Dec 12 and 13 from 11am to 4pm at Lanhydrock House, Bodmin.

On Dec 9 from noon there will be a lunch and talk at the English Speaking Union, Cornwall.