The Cornish Snapper: The Granite Mystery
- Martin Hesp
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
An atmospheric West Country mystery by veteran journalist Martin Hesp
The "Sherlock and Watson" of West Country Journalism: Pair a grizzled, world-weary
old-school reporter with a brilliant, tech-savvy young press photographer, set them loose on
the rugged Atlantic coast of far West Cornwall, and watch a classic investigative dynamic
unfold.
About the Book
Set in 2002—a transitional era when digital photography was just beginning to shake up local newsrooms—The Cornish Snapper is a fast-paced, evocative crime novel that is equal parts page-turning mystery and love letter to the vanishing world of regional journalism.
When a beam trawler Mavis Tregony limps into Newlyn Harbour under the pre-dawn
arc lights with two jagged holes punched into her bow, it is flagged as a minor accident. But to Thomas Hamilton—an award-winning, 58-year-old freelance crime correspondent with no
pension plan and a habit of rising late—the scene tells a different story. The heavy police
presence on the fish-quay points to something far more sinister: the explosive escalation of a
bitter, long-running feud between the rival Tregony and Polkerris fishing clans.
With a bloodied pick-up truck found abandoned on a lonely stretch of moorland between
Penzance and St Ives, and no body in sight, Hamilton smells a major story.
Alongside talented young press photographer Veryan Lammoran—who uses her sharp eye and early digital camera gear to capture details the police miss—the duo set out to unravel a tangled web of maritime secrets, ancient family rivalries, and rotten granite.
Character Dynamic: Hamilton & Lammoran
Author Martin Hesp, a 40-year veteran of WestCountry newspapers, masterfully builds a classic, puzzle-solving partnership that readers of traditional mystery fiction will love:
● Thomas Hamilton (The "Dr. Watson"): The seasoned, cynical, and highly proficient old
scribe. Semi-retired to a quiet, creek-side cottage on the River Fal estuary, Thomas is a
traditionalist who navigates the waters in a gaff-rigged wooden boat and a small rowing boat.
He has the reporter's instinct for human nature but is increasingly feeling the pressures of a
changing media landscape.
● Veryan Lammoran (The "Sherlock Holmes"): A sharp, modern, and highly talented young
press photographer. It is Veryan’s meticulous attention to visual detail, her mastery of early
digital zoom lenses, and her sharp observation of the physical evidence that repeatedly
cracks open the secrets that others overlook.
Perfect For Fans Of...
Perfect For Fans Of...
⚓ Atmospheric Settings
Rich, evocative descriptions of the raw Atlantic coast, the bleak moors of West Penwith, Newlyn Harbour fish market, the quiet, muddy creeks of southern Cornwall, and coastal havens like St Ives, Mousehole, and Porthgwarra.
🕵️♂️ Classic Detective Duos
A brilliant, modern "Holmes and Watson" partnership working within the fast-paced, deadline-driven pressures of regional newspaper journalism.
⛵ Maritime & Coastal Intrigue
Traditional gaff-rigged sailing boats, competitive fishing fleets, muddy estuary hideaways, and the tight-knit, secretive world of West Country harbour towns.
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What Readers Say About The Cornish Snapper
"A wonderfully evocative and genuine slice of Cornwall. Hesp avoids the over-sanitised,
gift-shop postcard tropes to deliver an authentic, gritty, and atmospheric mystery where the
rugged landscape itself is a living character."
Where to Buy
Start your journey into the Far West today. The Cornish Snapper: The Granite Mystery is
published by Kingsdown Books and is available in bookshops and on Amazon KDP in Kindle and Paperback
formats.
