‘Warlord’

I’m the author of a dozen-or-so non-fiction books but Farewell Leicester Square is my first novel.

I love what I call “old-style” World War Two thrillers: action books in which a hero battles against the odds.

I grew up on Jack Higgins and Alistair MacLean, on ‘Warlord’ comics and the fantastic ‘Commando’ book series, and wanted to write the sort of book I loved to read.

During my research I travelled to Belgium, Luxembourg and Jersey; read prodigiously on SOE and the Resistance; and interviewed many veterans themselves.

‘Courage’

As well as soldiers in uniform I have always been interested in those who risked their lives in their occupied homelands: members of the Maquis and Armée Secrète in France and of the Comet evasion line which helped downed airmen in Belgium, smuggling them through France to neutral Spain.

The courage of these people, who had no uniform to protect them and so faced a concentration camp or execution if they were captured, was immense.

‘Gin’

As well as history and writing, I love travel, football, the occasional long walk and (most of all) spending time with my children. I have recently stopped drinking the odd cold lager, but have acquired a taste for gin.

In Farewell Leicester Square I tried to capture some of the spirit of Resistance inside a thrilling plot line.

This was my first novel. I tried hard to craft the book I had envisaged when I wrote the first words on the first page.

‘Pleasure’

It gave me great pleasure to write and I hope it gave you some pleasure to read too.

Please consider taking a few seconds to rate it and perhaps write one or two lines by way of review.

It helps so much to know there are other readers out there who love these kinds of books just as much as I do.

It is available in paperback and as an e-book.