Local author Mal Foster has just published his eighth novel, Betrayal of the Soul, a psychological tale of one person’s self-analysis.

Much of the book is set in and around Woking, with scenes at The Loft Bar at the Hilton, Wetherspoons, the town’s coffee shops, and the Garibaldi in Knaphill.

It was fitting, therefore, that Mal should hold his well-attended book launch and signing at the Knaphill pub last week.

Explaining his inspiration for the book, Mal said: “Many men in middle age clam up. Too proud, perhaps, to share how they feel.

“Many of us look back and realise we may not have led the life we wished for. We think about things we should have done and should not have done.

“It’s also about the realisation age is taking hold and it’s too late to do certain things. Time is like a wrecking ball, and it's difficult to accept that certain elements of your life will change forever.”

Betrayal of the Soul tells the story of Johnny Tinder, former local journalist and would-be private investigator waging a personal battle against himself.

Now in his late forties, he finally realises it is time to change his ways. He has never forgotten Catherine, whom he dumped some 20 years earlier and wants to put things right, but fears rejection if he attempts to re-enter her life. However, he will face a situation far worse than that.

Mal, who has lived in Knaphill since 1988, began writing poetry in his teens although it was not until 2015, shortly after retiring early from a 30-year railway career, that his first novel, The Asylum Soul, set at Brookwood Hospital in 1929, was published.

Betrayal of the Soul is published by Publish Nation and available in paperback and Kindle formats from Amazon. Find out more about Mal’s books at www.malfoster.co.uk