Ents: A look at the murderous villages of Midsomer

Set in the Chilterns, Thames Valley and the Vale of Aylesbury, the real villages of 'Midsomer' are seen as areas of outstanding natural beauty.

So it was natural for Chris Behan, an avid fan, to set out to capture the scenery used in the series in his book, Exploring Midsomer: The Towns and Villages at the Murderous Heart of England, enabling fans to take a Sunday stroll around the sights they've seen on screen.

Mr Behan said: "The book looks at places used in the series, including Amersham, Beaconsfield, and other areas in South Bucks and the Chilterns. The idea is someone can take a section in the book and use it as a guided walk on a Sunday."

The former engineer and recruitment executive took 3,500 photos, travelled 5,000 miles and wrote about 50,000 words in the process of creating the guide.

He added: "I never intended to write a book, it was kind of an accident. A publisher used one of my photos in another book so I contacted them. They said they were sorry and would be happy to meet me.

"Seizing the opportunity, I made a list of 12 books that had never been written but I'd like to write. At the meeting I saw them all get binned one by one, until there were two left. I'm an avid fan of the series, so the Midsomer book shone through."

The book has already reached number one in the Amazon TV book category, and has come in at 20 in the French Amazon rankings.

Mr Behan said: "Everyone loves Midsomer Murders - in France it's primetime television."

Mr Behan will be signing copies of his book Exploring Midsomer: The Towns and Villages at the Murderous Heart of England in the upcoming weeks. Email rbritton@thehistorypress.co.uk for details.