Detective Deville : The Choir Press : 9781789632460 : 31 Mar 2022 : DeVille started as a bobby on the beat and rose rapidly through the ranks of the Metropolitan Police to become one of their foremost detectives. The stories in this collection are based on his experiences and are all true - except one, and even that is true-to-life. DeVille dealt with many crimes and misdemeanours but always fairly, never over-stepping the mark. His stories reveal a caring and considerate approach to his criminal flock. At the same time these stories are often excursions into a curious land where truth is stranger than fiction and populated by uncommissioned police dogs, invisible cyclists, flying-horses, gorilla-suited interviewers, and straight-talking crickets. In fact the more serious his subject, the more hilarious the story he tells. In his tales of The London Village of Melsham, included in full in this collection, he shows his affection for the larger-than-life characters who once lived and wor