I write police procedurals, psychological suspense and fiction with a punch - or grit-lit, as I call it. Shortlisted for the Crime Writer's Association (CWA) Dagger in the Library Award 2014, my inspiration comes from authors such as Martina Cole, Lynda la Plante and Elizabeth Haynes.TAUNTING THE DEAD is part police procedural/part psychological thriller. It has been a standalone for two years but I have now written two more books with Detective Sergeant Allie Shenton as a main character and created a new series. FOLLOW THE LEADER is out now and ONLY THE BRAVE in May 2015. THE ESTATE SERIES are a mix of psychological suspense with a sprinkling of grit and a dash of menace - drama meets crime. There are three at the moment, available individually or as a box set. Book 4, WRITTEN IN THE SCARS, will be published in 2015. WATCHING OVER YOU is a standalone psychological thriller. It's dark in places, light in places, disturbing in places too - where obsession and friendship turn into murder.I live in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England with my husband and terrier, Dexter (named after the TV serial killer) and makes liberal use of my hometown as a backdrop for some of my books. You can find out more at my website www.melsherratt.co.uk or I'm on Twitter at @writermels