Helensburgh’s seafront and naval base are the setting of a brand-new novel by author Helena Halme.

The Navy Wife is the sequel to Halme’s best-selling novel The Englishman and follows the story of a Finnish girl married to a British naval officer.

When her husband is posted to Smuggler’s Way in Helensburgh, the protagonist Kaisa finds herself alienated by the other naval wives at the base and begins making friends with peace protestors at Faslane.

“I’ve never lived in Helensburgh myself, but I’ve been there many times,” said Helena.

“I love the scenery, which is why it was difficult to make my protagonist so miserable during her stay there in the book.

“The description of Helensburgh in the book has been described as very atmospheric, including all the changes of the weather, from rain to snow.”

Local pubs feature prominently in The Navy Wife, as does the Helensburgh seafront. Helena has adapted the view a little in the novel, so eagle-eyed local readers might notice a few creative alterations to the scenery.

The book explores the theme of displacement, both from Finland to the UK and England to Scotland. The naval marriage quarters at Faslane are far from the main town, leading protagonist Kaisa to feel more isolated.

“Kaisa initially loves Scotland because she sees it as closer to Nordic than England, the Scots are similar to Nordic people,” said Helena.

“Then when she moves there she’s isolated, there’s mostly English naval wives there and she doesn’t fit in. When she begins to befriend the peace protesters - that’s a no-no among naval wives. She keeps it secret and tries to make friends but it’s a struggle.

“The book’s topical because of the current discussion on nuclear warheads. It also gives you the inside story of a naval marriage and transports you to a different community.”

The Navy Wife is out now on Kindle. To learn more about Helena’s work visit www.helenahalme.com.