KEIGHLEY features in Unspoken Truths, the latest crime novel from Bradford author Liz Mistry.

The imposing structure of Dalton Mills is one of the locations used by Liz as she embroils Detective Inspector Gus Maguire in another gritty murder investigation.

DI Maguire has featured in Liz’s previous four novels, all set in Bradford or the wider Yorkshire area.

Keighley politician Zafar Ali, the current Lord Mayor of Bradford, was a guest at the launch of Unspoken Truths in Bradford last week.

He helped with a raffle for someone to be “bumped off” in Liz’s next novel. Proceeds went to charities Mind and the Cellar Trust, which both work with people with mental health issues.

Born in Scotland, Liz Mistry has made Bradford her home for 30 years and is proud of her adoptive city.

She said: “My writing incorporates the wonderful spectrum and diversity of the district from the inner-city to the rural clusters.

“I draw on the experiences of its contrasting communities - through crime fiction I try to present the city in a positive light. To me Bradford is warm and rich and fearless.”

Suffering from debilitating mental health issues of her own, she uses mental health as a common thread in her writing. She also aims to promote racial harmony through understanding of the district’s diverse cultures.

She said: “These aspirations are echoed by the Lord Mayor of Bradford, with his work as a community relations officer and non-executive director at the Airedale NHS Trust.”

Liz is currently studying for a Ph.D. in creative writing at Leeds Trinity University, researching “the teen voice in adult crime fiction and the use of digital technology”.

Liz’s fourth book Uncommon Cruelty was longlisted for the 2018 Not the Booker Prize. Her previous books were Unquiet Souls, Uncoiled Lives, Untainted Blood