Standing on pontoon A at Queensway Quay, staring up at the Rock for the first time, I felt a surge of pride. We'd actually done it – sailed all the way from North Shields to Gibraltar. My husband and I had talked about buying a boat and sailing to the Med for years, and here we were, our boat secured stern-to beneath that iconic limestone fortress.

But as the initial elation faded, inspiration hit. I had to write about this place.

At first sight, Gibraltar felt like a sun-kissed version of home. Red phone boxes, Union flags, streets named for kings, queens and Winston Churchill. But then you see the palm trees, the cacti, and the lizards. You hear people code-switching between languages with ease. It was as if someone had made a collage from a stack of travel postcards. A bit of London, a bit of Andalusia, a sprinkle of Morocco, cut and pasted onto a giant lump of limestone. Signs warned not to feed the monkeys!

I looked at my dog like Dorothy looked at Toto. "Yewy, I've a feeling we're not in North Shields anymore.”

It was the perfect setting for a thriller.

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But first, I had to adjust. After six months of nomadic sailing life, suddenly staying in one place felt claustrophobic. Our world had shrunk from endless horizons to a small marina. The constant movement and navigational challenges that had defined our journey were gone, replaced by the strange stillness of being moored for the winter.

I found myself restless, almost panicky. I was used to open spaces and sleepy coastal ports. Gibraltar felt like an assault on the senses: traffic, crowded streets, noise. To some, it was bustling and exciting, but to me, it was overwhelming. Where sailing had given us daily objectives and constant decision-making, Gibraltar offered... I wasn’t sure. I had to find out.

That's when I started researching the thriller that was brewing in my mind. And that research saved my sanity.

Every morning, I had a reason to leave the boat. Every hill became a reconnaissance mission. Every tunnel, bastion and blind bend was a potential plot point. The claustrophobia transformed into curiosity. My research gave me purpose, exercise, and gradually, genuine affection for Gibraltar.

Why Gibraltar Makes the Perfect Thriller Target

Strategic Chokepoint

From the end of the quay, I could see both Spain and Morocco. On my daily walks, I passed cannons that once pointed into the Strait. Every thriller needs stakes that matter globally, and Gibraltar's geographic position, controlling the only entrance to the Mediterranean from the Atlantic, delivers those stakes automatically.

Political Complexity

Living there for six months, you can't ignore the political undercurrents, which have been heightened with the recent post-Brexit deal to allow Spanish officials to conduct checks at Gibraltar’s airport. This isn't just British soil—it's contested British soil. Spanish workers cross the border daily in their thousands to work in a territory where 99% of the population voted to remain British. The tensions aren't hostile, but they're real – and perfect thriller material.

Fortress Architecture

The research walks became my fitness routine. Those hills and staircases weren't just keeping me physically active; they were revealing Gibraltar's defensive infrastructure. The bastions, the tunnels, the lookouts… For a thriller writer, they're ready-made lairs, escape routes, and defensive positions.

Symbolic Power

The more I learned about the Great Siege, the more I understood Gibraltar. This tiny territory has survived everything history could throw at it. Threatening Gibraltar would not only threaten the reputation of an empire, but it would also threaten Gibraltar’s identity and the idea that the underdogs can win. 

Creating Authentic Destruction

Every day in Gibraltar, I met people who'd chosen this extraordinary place as home. The idea of plotting fictional destruction had to be balanced against respect for my new friends. I had to make Gibraltar's destruction seem possible without being gratuitously violent. This meant researching the Rock's geology and understanding the tunnel system, which was both fascinating and sobering. Gibraltar's defensive advantages are obvious, but what if they could also become its greatest weakness… in the right circumstances?

I hope the end result is a gripping plot that keeps readers turning pages, not because it is overly fantastical, but because it is uncomfortably plausible.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FFMLG711

Everywhere else: https://books2read.com/u/bO0ZnE

What's Next for Spencer Bly

Gibraltar was the perfect introduction to Spencer's world, but the Mediterranean is full of places where history, politics, and geography create natural thriller tension. I’m looking forward to seeing where Spencer winds up next, mainly because I’ll have to sail there first!

Dark Rock launches October 1st. In the meantime, I'm spending some time with Cooper.

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About Dark Rock:

When a British agent is killed off the coast of Spain, MI6 turn to Spencer Bly to infiltrate a luxury yacht in Gibraltar and stop an arms deal that threatens global warfare. Available October 1st 2025, in ebook, paperback, and hardcover.