A crime novel which links Hull's past industries and present regeneration is published today.

Broken Dreams, by Nick Quantrill, follows Joe Geraghty, a private investigator based in the Old Town, who finds himself implicated in a murder.

"I'm not expecting a letter of thanks from the tourist office – it is a bit dark," said Nick, 35, of Roslyn Road, west Hull.

"I'd like to strike a claim to write about the city as Ian Rankin has with Edinburgh.

"Lots of big cities have crime writers associated with them. I'm going to put my foot in the door for Hull."

In Nick's debut novel, Geraghty, normally used to scratching a living, finds himself at the centre of the murder case after a woman is found bleeding to death.

The police investigation uncovers links stretching back to days of Hull's thriving fishing industry, with the trail leading to a gangster-turned- businessman, Frank Salford, a man with a significant stake in the city's regeneration plans.

Nick, an accountant, began writing Broken Dreams in January 2008 – winning a contract with Kent-based Caffeine Nights Publishing in April 2009.

The novel was written at evenings and weekends – a level of dedication instilled by a six-year, part-time degree course he took in social policy.

"It instilled the work ethic into me – getting back from a day at the office and having to do something again," Nick said.

"I was dedicated. You have to step away from other things, such as watching TV, and chuck everything into it."

Nick, already an established on-line writer, turned to the character of Geraghty after abandoning a previous novel.

"Joe was born out of failure," he said.

"I had written a novel based around a police detective but I never got under his skin, so I was looking for a different character in the crime genre.

"A private investigator was the next obvious choice. They are not bound by hierarchies or forensic science."

The novel has its official launch at the University Of Hull tomorrow night. Nick will take to the stage at Staff House for a crime writing event, which features the Hornsea-based author Robert Edric and Allan Guthrie – whose novels explore the seamy side of Edinburgh.

Nick admits to a few nerves at appearing on stage on his professional writing debut. But now, two-thirds through the next Geraghty novel, The Late Greats, he feels a sense of completion.

"The dream was to get a novel published," he said.

"The main thing was leapfrogging all those other writers that are waiting to get novels into print. The next stage is to make money from it – but it is the enjoyment of writing that really counts."

* Broken Dreams, published by Caffeine Nights Publishing, costs £7.99. On Saturday, March 20, Nick will be signing copies at Hessle Bookshop, Northgate, Hessle, between 10am-11am, and Waterstones, Jameson Street, Hull, between noon-2pm.

What: Crime Writing From Hull and Edinburgh

Where: Staff House, University Of Hull, Cottingham Road

When: Tomorrow, 7pm

Tickets: £3-£5

Call: (01482) 462045