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A Wearside writer has entered into the world of book publishing at the age of 75.

Bill Hodgkinson, who lives in East Rainton, is the author of a new spy book called Reynard Outfoxed: Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold.

The story is concerned with international espionage.

The premise is that in 1987, an MI5 agent is investigating rogue transmission frequencies which are polluting the UK’s telecommunications network. John Bridges believes a powerful transceiver device has been responsible and suspects it can be found somewhere close to Oxford.

Bill Hodgkinson is the author of the thriller Reynard Outfoxed.

Bridges also suspects that Farnell Logistics, an Oxfordshire defence company liaising with the Ministry of Defence, could be a target for foreign subversion. The book is a page-turner.

Bill has been married to Brenda since 1968 and they have a daughter, Lisa. He was born in Houghton and previously worked as an electrician in the coal mining industry.

When the industry declined, he left it to work for a Durham engineering company. Eventually he became the facilities manager at Houghton Kepier School.

He is also a talented artist. But he has always had a passion for writing too and his novel is now available to buy online, in both paperback and Kindle form. He has written several books since retiring, but this is the first time he has published one of them.

Bill is delighted to have had his work published after a great deal of hard work on the project. He is also pleased with the feedback – which has been given to him honestly.

He told the Echo: “I’ve been on for over two years rewriting it and having it proof read. I’ve got another two which I feel are worthy of publication; but I am constantly re-editing them to try to get them right.

“Quite a few people who have read Reynard Outfoxed have given very good feedback. It was honest feedback too.

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Bill Hodgkinson is the author of thriller Reynard Outfoxed.

“The money is of secondary importance. I’m just over the moon that I’ve finally achieved this. If I manage to get back what I have outlaid, fair enough. But I’m not particularly interested in the money.

“It’s just great to be published.”

Sunderland writer publishes his first book at 75, a spy thriller set in the 1980s