Mick Lee

Crawley, 1980. The mayor is found dead in a dustcart. Then another body is discovered in a fire. Both had their throats cut, were mutilated and bore a mysterious tattoo. As the local police struggle to find any other connections, a third victim is found. DI Frank Masson, newly in charge of Crawley CID and suffering from undiagnosed PTSD, leads a troubled team. Local reporter Trish Watney also delves into the case, uncovering connections that are closer to home than she expected. The two clash as they follow their own paths to expose a dark malice in the town’s history. Sometimes the past catches up with you. And sometimes, you have to face this to uncover the deeper truth.

London, 1725. Criminal gangs rule everyday life on the streets, and an organised police force is decades away. The self-proclaimed ‘Thief Taker’, William Dempsey, plays the legal system, prosecuting thieves and manipulating witnesses; all while running a criminal empire of his own. Battling against the demons of his past and rival gangsters, the Thief Taker fights to maintain control of the streets, aided by his most loyal lieutenant and a prominent Madam. But who can you trust when your empire is built on deceit and betrayal? And how long is it before your enemies discover your weaknesses, and the politicians strike back? An historical thriller where Peaky Blinders meets Moll Flanders, in early Georgian London.

It is 1999 and the glorious Millennium is approaching. Ray is a struggling private investigator and compulsivegambler whose debt has spiralled out of control. His violent creditors have run out of patience. A retiredgangster offers to square his debt if he tracks a man down.

From the late 1960s until the late 1980s, American expatriate Mick Lee was a working musician in the United Kingdom and other European ports. His gigs covered a wide spectrum, from playing for beer to opening for the Moody Blues at Wembley Arena. During these years he forged close friendships with some of the legends of the London music scene, including Graham Bond (a founding father of the British blues and jazz scene), Chris Wood (member of the band Traffic), and Paul Kossoff (of Free.) These friendships plus Lee's own career development led to associations-and sometimes 'adventures'-with an assortment of musicians and other personalities within the music business. The result is a personal memoir recollecting a life in music, a life that includes experiences with musicians of all types and conditions-from celebrated rock & roll royalty to anonymous street-corner buskers.

From the East End of Sheffield to the business boardroom... One of the first kids born under the newly-formed NHS, Mick Lee grew up in pubs in Attercliffe and Darnall, in the vibrant East End of Sheffield. After delivering bread around the Parson Cross estate, he joined his parents behind the bar, dealing with the colourful locals, before joining the police force and becoming the landlord of several pubs with Christine, the love of his life. A lucky accident led to Mick starting up a security business. His life at the helm of Constant Security Services has provided many stories and much comedy and drama over the years, from Woolworths, to carpet factories and Aintree Racecourse. The company Mick established in the early eighties has gone from strength to strength, and its employees have gone on to do great things.