A NEW crime thriller set in the Cumbrian fells is due to be published next month.

The latest fictional offering from Yorkshire-based novelist, Andrew Bibby, is set to be published on Thursday, October 1.

'Too Hot For Comfort' is the third instalment of Bibby's so-called 'Cumbrian Fells trilogy', which begun with 'The Bad Step' and 'In the Cold of the Night'.

Mr Bibby's publisher stresses, however, that each novel can be read independently of the others in the series.

Commenting ahead of next month's release, Mr Bibby said: “Our Lake District landscapes are stunning, and I try to capture their particular magic in my novels.

"As a walker and fell-runner myself, it’s a pleasure to try to bring this special countryside to life on the written page.”

The novel centres on an environmental campaigner, Joan Arkle, who finds her activities attract increasing hostility from Lakes residents.

Mr Bibby is also the author of several books dealing with landscapes in the north of England.