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Damien Boyd is a former solicitor that writes novels. He uses his experience with criminal law to write crime fiction. The author is best known for the DI Nick Dixon books, which follow a diabetic inspector with a law degree that chose to pursue a career in law enforcement despite qualifying as a solicitor.
Order of DI Nick Dixon Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | As the Crow Flies | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Head in the Sand | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Kickback | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Swansong | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Dead Level | 2016 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | Death Sentence | 2016 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | Heads or Tails | 2017 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | Dead Lock | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | Beyond the Point | 2019 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | Down Among the Dead | 2020 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | Dying Inside | 2021 | Description / Buy | |
| 12 | Carnival Blues | 2022 | Description / Buy | |
| 13 | Death Message | 2023 | Description / Buy |
Boyd’s novels have been traditionally published. However, he prefers indie publishing because it gives him more freedom. Because he doesn’t have any deadlines to meet, he can work at a pace that suits him.
Though, he knows that his readers have certain expectations. When he sets a release schedule, he does his best to meet it. In the past, writing and indie publishing was challenging because Boyd had to juggle a full-time job with interviews, book signings, marketing, and more.
The strain he was under encouraged the author to secure a part-time arrangement at his job. It allows Boyd to devote more time to his craft. Unlike some of his peers, the author has embraced social media.
He barely understood Facebook when he first encountered the platform. But it gave him such impressive coverage that he was forced to adopt it. Later on, he turned his attention to Twitter.
In the beginning, he gained followers on Twitter by following other people in his field as well as their followers. Eventually, he started attracting followers the natural way by posting engaging content and drawing the attention of individuals who found his opinions entertaining.
It has never occurred to the author to use newsletters. Though, he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of experimenting with the medium in the future. Even though self-publishing has its fair share of challenges, he appreciates the opportunity it has given him to engage readers directly.
Before he became a published author, Boyd was hesitant to pursue his dreams because the notion of writing a book, finding an agent, and landing a publishing deal was too daunting.
He doesn’t expect new authors to face the same challenges because the advent of eBooks gives them unfettered access to the people that want to read their books.
Like other indie authors, time management is a problem for Boyd. Even though he works part-time, juggling the demands of his family with the rigors of writing, editing, and marketing is far from easy.
He does a decent job of managing his time, but he wants to get even better. Fortunately, he enjoys writing. Even when it’s hard, he is willing to persevere because the process brings him a lot of joy.
As a mood writer, Boyd does his best work when he’s in the right mood. Once a novel is complete, he doesn’t hound critics for reviews. He expects avid fans to circulate reviews of his work. But he also publishes posts on social media that include a link to the review page of every book he promotes.
Best Damien Boyd Books
The author has a great blog. He uses the platform to interact with his readers and to keep them abreast of changes and developments. Boyd’s best books include:
As The Crow Flies: Jake Fayter died. Apparently, he made a simple mistake while practicing a new route. But Jake and Dixon were climbing partners in the past. Detective Dixon knew enough about Jake’s prowess to realize that he couldn’t have made the mistake people had assigned to him.
He decided to investigate the case. In the process, he made several shocking discoveries. Now, people are dying. But Dixon won’t let the rising body count or the rules deter him from his mission. A killer is on the loose, and Dixon will flush him out even if it costs the detective his life.
Head In The Sand: Someone committed a murder and then left the victim’s severed head in a bunker on a golf course. It doesn’t take Detective Dixon long to realize that the town of Burnham has a serial killer.
But tracking him down is easier said than done. Dixon has to unravel the mystery behind a series of murders from three decades ago. If that wasn’t enough, another person is dead, an older man in a flat on the seafront. Dixon has no intention of giving up. But he doesn’t know whether his prey is a single murderer or a pair of serial killers.
When Does The Next Damien Boyd book come out?
The next book by Damien Boyd is Death Message and will be released on June, 27th 2023. It is the newest book in the DI Nick Dixon Series.