Welcome — and thank you for visiting. Whether you've just discovered Detective Inspector Whipton Barton for the first time, or you're a returning reader eagerly awaiting the next case, it's good to have you here.

This page explains, in plain English, what personal information this website may collect about you, why it collects it, and exactly what rights you have over it. Privacy matters to me. I'm not in the business of selling data or bombarding inboxes — I'm in the business of telling stories. I will never sell or reveal any private information unless legally obliged to do so.

This website is operated by Ned Hoste, the author of the Barton & Brooks Cosy Mystery series. As the person who decides how and why your data is used, Ned Hoste is the Data Controller for the purposes of UK data protection law.

1. Who We Are

Data Controller: Ned Hoste

Website: bartonbrooksmysteries.com

Contact: ned@bartonbooksmysteries.com

If you have any questions about this policy or how your data is handled, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

2. What Information We Collect — and How

When you contact us

If you send an email or use the contact form on this website, I receive your name, email address, and whatever message you choose to share. That information is used solely to respond to you.

When you subscribe to the newsletter (Substack)

The Barton & Brooks newsletter is delivered through Substack. When you subscribe, your email address (and optionally your name) is collected and held by Substack on my behalf. Please see Substack's own privacy policy for full details of how they manage subscriber data.

When you browse the website

Like most websites, this one uses analytics to understand how visitors find and navigate it. Google Site Kit and Google Analytics collect anonymised information about your visit — pages viewed, time spent, approximate location (country or region), and device type. This data does not identify you personally.

Your browser also exchanges standard technical information with the web server — including your IP address, browser type, and referring page. This is a normal part of how the internet works.

When you click through to third-party platforms

This site links to external services — Amazon, Apple Books, Goodreads, Instagram, Facebook, and others. Once you leave this site, their own privacy policies apply. I'd encourage you to review those if you're curious about how each platform handles your data.

3. Why We Use Your Information

I only use your information for the purposes it was given:

• • • To respond to your messages and enquiries
    • To send the Barton & Brooks newsletter — but only if you've subscribed
    • To understand how visitors use the website, so I can improve it
    • To manage author event bookings and speaking enquiries

4. Our Legal Basis for Processing Your Data

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), I need a lawful reason to process your personal information. Here is what applies in each case:

• • • Contact and event enquiries — Legitimate interests: responding to someone who has chosen to contact me is a clear and proportionate reason to hold their details temporarily.
    • Newsletter subscription — Consent: you opted in, and you can opt out at any time by clicking 'unsubscribe' in any newsletter email.
    • Website analytics — Legitimate interests: understanding how the site is used helps me improve it for readers. Analytics cookies are managed via the cookie banner on this site.

5. Third-Party Services

Running this website involves a small number of trusted third-party providers. Each processes your data only as needed to deliver their service:

• • • Substack — newsletter delivery and subscription management
    • Google Analytics / Google Site Kit — anonymised website traffic analytics
    • WordPress — the platform on which this website is built and hosted

None of these providers sell your data, and I have agreements with each ensuring they handle it responsibly and in line with data protection law.

6. International Data Transfers

Some of the third-party services listed above (including Google and Substack) are based in the United States. Where your data is transferred outside the UK, it is protected by appropriate safeguards — including Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). You can find more information about these safeguards at ico.org.uk.

7. How Long We Keep Your Information

I keep your personal information only for as long as it's needed:

• • Contact messages — retained for as long as the correspondence is relevant, then deleted
  • Newsletter subscription — held for as long as you remain subscribed; removed promptly on unsubscription
  • Analytics data — anonymised aggregate data retained in line with Google Analytics' default retention settings (typically 26 months)

When information is no longer needed, it is securely deleted.

8. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have meaningful rights over your personal data. You can exercise any of these at any time by contacting me directly:

• • • The right to access — you can ask for a copy of the personal data I hold about you.
    • The right to rectification — if anything is inaccurate or incomplete, I'll correct it promptly.
    • The right to erasure — you can ask me to delete your personal data ('the right to be forgotten'), subject to certain limited legal exceptions.
    • The right to restriction — you can ask me to limit how I use your data while any issue is resolved.
    • The right to data portability — you can ask for your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
    • The right to object — you can object to processing based on legitimate interests at any time.
    • The right to withdraw consent — where processing is based on your consent (such as the newsletter), you can withdraw it at any time with no effect on anything that happened before withdrawal.

I aim to respond to all requests within one calendar month, as required by law. There is no charge for exercising your rights.

9. Cookies

This website uses cookies. For full details of what cookies are set and why, please see the Cookie Policy. You can manage your preferences at any time via the cookie banner.

10. How to Make a Complaint

If you're unhappy with how your data has been handled, please contact me first — I would genuinely like the chance to put things right.

If you remain unsatisfied, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK's data protection authority:

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

Castle House, Duke Street, Nottingham, NG1 5GF

Website: ico.org.uk|Helpline: 0303 123 1113

11. Changes to This Policy

Privacy law and good practice evolve, and so will this policy. If I make any significant changes, I'll update the date at the top of this page. It's worth checking back occasionally — but I promise not to make it more complicated than it needs to be.

12. Getting in Touch

For any privacy-related questions, or to exercise any of your rights, please write to:

Ned Hoste

Email: ned@bartonbooksmysteries.com

Website:bartonbrooksmysteries.com