Dartmoor author’s debut detective novel hits the shelves

A Dartmoor author has released his debut detective novel, marking the start of an exciting new series.

David Sharp, based in Ivybridge, has launched For All Your Endeavours, published by Cranthorpe Millner. 

The book follows a pair of detectives based in Plymouth, with future stories set to take them across various locations.

David, born in 1953 near Bridport in West Dorset, shared his early inspiration for storytelling.

“My parents owned and ran an organic small-holding in a little village at the back of Chesil Beach. My love of stories came from Primary School in the nearby village of Abbotsbury, in the late 50s/60s. Every Friday afternoon, our teacher (there were only two) would give us story time. We had to rest our heads on our folded arms and listen, while he read us the next part of a story that went on for weeks. It was a story about wizards, elves, dwarfs and battles. It wasn’t until the 1970s that I realised the book was The Lord of the Rings. The pictures that were conjured up in my head made me want to write my own adventures, something I did for my own amusement for many years.”

David’s love for detective stories grew over the years, with influences including Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes, and Anne Cleeves. 

But it was a documentary on the discovery of Otzi, the mummified body found in the Alps, that inspired his first detective novel.

During the Covid pandemic, David revisited and rewrote the manuscript. After receiving positive feedback from a group of readers, he sought a publisher. 

Two years later, Cranthorpe Millner offered him a contract, and For All Your Endeavours was released on 29 October 2024.

David moved to Ivybridge in 1983 with his family.

For 18 years, he served as the Head Gardener for a private estate just outside Ivybridge. 

He also appeared as a TV gardener on TSW's Gardens for All, ran a landscape design business, and worked on community gardening projects, including Diggin’ It in Plymouth, which was featured on an episode of The Secret Millionaire.

More recently, he ran Grow 4 Good South West, based on land leased from Dartmoor Zoo.

Having retired in December 2022, David is now able to devote his time to writing. 

His second book is scheduled for release this October, and the first book is already on sale.

David said, “So far, the book is selling well and has garnered over 40 five-star reviews on Amazon. The Ivybridge Bookshop has sold over 40 copies alone. The publishers are so pleased with the book’s progress that they have now contracted me for book two (which was already written) and have pencilled in a release date for October of this year.”