Born South Wales 1947, third of six children. Mother Irish, father Welsh steel-worker. Parents split up when I was eight. Children’s homes, foster parents, all unhappily.

Left school, unqualified. Joined RAF; square peg in round hole. Tried for discharge. Eventually court court martialed for minor offence, 1968.

Read Evan Hunter’s Mothers & Daughters while locked up, Catterick 28 days.

Started reading/writing again. Discharged 1970. Many jobs, garage hand, clerk, sold sports gear, drove taxis, TV engineer, double-glazing salesman, sales manager...

Started Open University, gave up £50K salary, 1980 to study psychology, full-time at Liverpool University. Graduated. Drifted into computers. Set up company, highly successful. Escaped death, injured Clapham (London) Rail Crash December 12th 1988.

Alleged hero. Suffered Post Traumatic Stress.

Dropped out and became house-husband, took up writing with serious intent October 1992, five year plan. Finalist, Cosmopolitan Short Story of the Year; £500 prize winner with Raconteur for sad-romantic story Postcards from BalloonLand.

Signed deal for three Caz Flood Mysteries with Headline Books in October 1993. Cuckoo August 1994, Vulture Feb 1995, Kingfisher Published August 1995. Cuckoo published in US by St Martin’s Press July 95; was nominated for an Anthony Award as best first novel. Fourth book Razorbill published February 1996, the fifth Caz Flood mystery, Robin is to be published by Piatkus Books in July 1997, number six in November.

Recently won a supplemental award at the Bridport Arts Festival for short story, The Card.

Currently a finalist in Fish Publishing's Annual short story contest. (Eire)

Married to Debbie, boy, Alex 4, girl, Bridie 2.