Ferndown man says response to his first book featuring true story of police officer is “surreal”

A Ferndown author has described the response to his first book as “surreal”.

From Handbags to Hand Grenades is the true story of Kathryn West, a front-line officer in the Metropolitan Police.

The crime book followers her career from 1990 to 2020 and includes news stories that shook the nation, from the Tavistock Square bombing to the fire at Grenfell Tower.

It is balanced with humorous outtakes of politicians’ lost handbags, visits to the White House and dancing at the Notting Hill Carnival.

Author Mark Robertson said the reaction to the book had been overwhelming.

He told Bournemouth One: “Last night, before the official launch, I put into Google ‘Handbags to Hand Grenades’ and there were four pages worth of results that came back.

“Website after website all around the world were selling copies of my book.

“It was so, so surreal.”

Copies of From Handbags to Hand Grenades are available in paperback and eBook to purchase online and in bookshops from today, 3rd January.

The book is published by Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd (AMP).


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