Wine expert Olly Smith dedicates murder mystery novel to Sussex (original) (raw)

TV sommelier Olly Smith has described his debut novel as "a love letter to Lewes".

The murder mystery, Death by Noir, follows a wine merchant living in East Sussex as he searches for answers to his friend's disappearance.

The television presenter and wine expert, known for appearances in shows such as BBC's Saturday Kitchen, began his career as a screenwriter for children's television.

He says his novel unites his passions for storytelling, Sussex, and wine.

Originally from County Durham, Smith has lived in East Sussex with his family for more than 20 years.

His interest in wine began only a few years later, appearing as an expert voice on television and writing wine-related columns.

"There's a huge amount of East Sussex in the plot," Smith says. "There's a whole lot of love for wine in the character.

"It's really my dream job to be writing this book."

Rather than being a traditional thriller, he says the novel belongs to its own genre, which he calls "wine crime".