Book success for local author

Falmouth features in Lliam West's historical novel

A Cornish author who published his first novel himself has sold so many copies of his book that it is now on its third print run.

Pandora Inn is an historical thriller set in Cornwall spanning five decades, which Lliam West began writing in 1998.

He completed the book in early 2000 and started selling it in with an initial print run of 2000 books.

They sold so quickly that a further 3000 were produced.

Pandora Inn is set in wartime Cornwall

Now Mr West has ordered 6,000 more and is selling them across the country and has also had interest from abroad.

"Initially I just conceived of the book on a Cornwall scale and I thought I would give it a whirl with 2000 copies.

"I imagined it would take around three years to shift those but the momentum just seems to be accelerating," he said.

The author was born in Liskeard in 1949 and after studying in Reading he moved to London, where he taught, before returning to his home town to work in the family business.

He started writing when the business was sold and he was at home caring for his two sons and elderly father, while his wife returned to her career.

He is now working on a sequel.