A former Worksop teacher has published a historical crime novel drawing on Britain’s wartime intelligence history, combining a fictional murder investigation with questions about how ordinary people respond when they are placed under pressure.
Surviving Angel is the second novel by David James Buckley, who spent six years as Head of English at Portland School in Worksop, now the site of Outwood Academy Portland. Mr Buckley worked at the school between 1998 and 2004, before pursuing his ambition to become a novelist after a lengthy career in education.
The book is set in 1958 and follows Acting Chief Inspector Jim Bible as he investigates a murder. Its fictional plot is connected to the disputed history of a British military intelligence interrogation centre in London, bringing together a police mystery and the lasting implications of events associated with the country’s wartime past.
From teaching literature to writing crime
Mr Buckley’s earlier career has shaped the way he approaches fiction. Teaching English involved examining how novels and plays establish tension, develop characters and hold an audience’s attention. He said those lessons remained relevant when he began creating his own stories, although writing a novel presented a different challenge from discussing one in the classroom.
“With Surviving Angel, I wanted to create a mystery in which the reader gradually discovers that the events being investigated are connected to a much larger story.”
That gradual revelation is central to the novel’s structure, according to the author. Rather than presenting the wider historical context immediately, the story is designed to allow the significance of the investigation to emerge as the reader follows it. The approach places the fictional detective’s work within a broader account of institutional history and personal responsibility.
Mr Buckley said he was particularly interested in the conduct of people facing difficult circumstances. The character of Jim Bible was created, in part, to explore how a sense of duty can influence decisions when the facts surrounding a case become increasingly complicated.
A fictional case with a British historical setting
The novel’s background reflects an interest in some of the more troubling and controversial aspects of Britain’s wartime past. The source material describes the London interrogation centre as part of the inspiration for the book, but Surviving Angel remains a work of historical crime fiction rather than a report of a contemporary criminal investigation.
| Book | Details |
|---|---|
| Surviving Angel | David James Buckley’s second novel |
| Period | Set in 1958 |
| Central character | Acting Chief Inspector Jim Bible |
| Setting and inspiration | London and the controversial history of a British military intelligence interrogation centre |
The decision to place the story in 1958 gives the investigation a post-war setting while keeping its central concerns tied to earlier events. The book’s premise links an individual murder inquiry to a larger story, allowing its fictional characters to confront questions that extend beyond the immediate case.
- The novel is set in 1958 and centres on a murder investigation.
- Jim Bible is the acting chief inspector leading the fictional inquiry.
- The story was influenced by the history of a British military intelligence interrogation centre in London.
Mr Buckley said his interest in storytelling developed alongside his work in education. He described literature as a way of opening different worlds for pupils through characters, settings and the questions raised by a writer. That interest, he said, continued after he left teaching and began writing novels of his own.
Surviving Angel is now available. Its publication marks the continuation of Mr Buckley’s move from teaching and writing for radio and newspapers into novel writing, while retaining the historical and literary interests that informed his earlier professional life.
