FANS of the Worcester-born thriller writer, C.L Taylor, might not be surprised that her latest novel, The Fear, contains a great deal of local detail.

But in recognising local places, from the New Mills estate in Ledbury to Priory Park in Malvern, not to mention Worcester Crown Crown, readers will be excused an occasional shiver or two.

And an occasional glance over one’s shoulder might be in order too.

Much of the action in the novel, due out on March 22, concerns the moral dilemma of how best to confront a paedophile, a former teacher, who has a very unhealthy interest in young teenaged girls; specifically girls with dark, bobbed hair.

But is the former teacher, Mike Hughes, hiding even darker secrets, - terrible secrets he has tried to submerge forever?

As the book, printed by Avon, a division of Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, isn’t actually out until March 22, this is no place for spoilers.

And quotations, in any case, are a strict no-no before the book’s publication.

But critics are already praising the book for it’s compelling and catastrophic atmosphere, which is a fair assessment.

And it’s fair to add that no local person who reads the book will ever see Priory Park in the same light again!

However, The Fear is more than a conventional thriller, because a main character is Lou, a 32 year old coming to terms with her troubled past.

A spokesman for Avon said: “Lou Wandsworth is used to be being headline news as, aged fourteen, she ran away to France with her 31 year old teacher, Mike Hughes.

“Now 32, Lou’s life is in tatters - and she resolves to return home to confront Mike for the damage he has caused. But Mike is unchanged, and is focussing his attention on 13 year old Chloe Meadows. Determined to make sure that history does not repeat itself, Lou decides to take matters into her own hands.”

C.L. Taylor now lives in Bristol.

She is a best-selling author and has sold more than 1m books to date.