Until 1996, I was a Lecturer in Chemistry at The Open University, UK.  This job left very little time for writing fiction which I did mostly after midnight.  Perhaps that’s why my strongest scenes were set on dark nights!  Having put aside my test-tubes and picked up a pen, I am now a full-time writer.  In other words, I used to add chemicals together, brew them up a bit and see what happened, but now I mix fictional characters, stir in a bit of conflict and see what happens.  Hopefully, either can be explosive!  Both are investigations and I have always liked investigating things.  I write thrillers and crime stories mainly, highlighting the forensic science that lurks behind police investigations.
I was born in Coventry, England, in 1953 and began writing stories as a hobby while taking a PhD in chemistry at York University.  Writing fiction was my escape from real life.  And it was simply a hobby.  It was my wife who suggested that I ought to try and get a novel published.  I now live in Sheffield and my wife always reads and offers critical comments on my stories before publication.
I get my ideas from several places.  Newspaper and magazine articles and my interest in modern science fuel many of my stories.  Frequently, I am motivated by outrage, as with chemical and biological warfare.  Such things are perverse inspiration.  I am not sufficiently naive that I believe I can solve big problems by writing about them in a novel, but at least I can raise awareness.  That is one of my main aims: to make a reader think while he or she is being entertained.  And that is why I write for teenagers.  Young people have open minds that are receptive to new ideas – more so than us boring old adults!
School Visits
I have run sessions with all ages from Year 3 to A-level students and adults, but the most pertinent age groups for my novels are Years 6-13.  I have performed in front of groups of all sizes (5 - 700), including assemblies.  I am very flexible with regard to audience size but my favourite audiences are single or double classes, say 25-60.  Most of my sessions have been 50-90 minutes in duration but my record is 3 hours 30 minutes!
If a school or library has a particular interest in crime writing, I offer an interactive talk that involves a lot of forensic science.  This has proved very popular because of my TRACES crime series.  It lasts about an hour (but would be better if a bit longer).  In part, it involves the young audience watching me carefully and working out what evidence I am leaving behind (fibres, saliva from a pretend cough/sneeze, handwriting, fingerprints, shoeprints, etc).  I have given the talk in many schools and science museums and it has been written up in the TES.
In more conventional author talks, I tell students a little about myself, including my background as a lecturer in science, but concentrate much more on the topics of why and how I write stories.  I deal in particular with the processes of getting an idea and turning it into a story by getting inside characters and developing the plot through their eyes.  I am happy to take on requested themes like how to get a book published, contrasting science and fiction writing, researching novels and short stories, and so on.
I also run workshops on creative writing, concentrating on formulating ideas, the opening paragraphs, developing dark stories, and the research needed to carry the story forward.  In this case, the smaller the number of participants, the better.  One class is the upper limit and the duration should be at least an hour.
In any library or school session, my main aims are encouraging reading and
writing, and illuminating the strange business of being a writer.  I welcome questions of any sort.  I am always particularly enthusiastic when my sessions impinge on current creative writing projects at a school.  Then, I hope to be helpful as well as merely informative and entertaining.  I tend not to indulge in much self-publicity but my publishers will send out publicity material if required.  I am also happy to sign books if a school wants its pupils to have an opportunity to buy them.
Feedback
The kids had a great time, and staff seem very happy with the work produced.  Can I also say that you were a pleasure to host, very calm and unflappable, and ready to adapt to all situations! You seemed to get on really well with the students too, and I’m sure they gained a lot from the sessions.  I hope that one or two of the students will keep in touch via your excellent website.
Librarian, Chantry High School.
Thank you again for your visit yesterday to us. The students and the staff all enjoyed your sessions so much.  It was great to meet you, and I certainly won’t hesitate to recommend your school visits to librarian colleagues locally.
Librarian, St James Catholic High School.
Many thanks once again for your visit, which was a great occasion for all of us here.  There is a real dynamic building up in the school towards understanding reading and writing as both important and enjoyable. You have contributed significantly to that by telling us what it’s really like to live as a writer and, as you saw, the girls’ imaginations were fired up, with no end of questions in sight, even by lunch-time!  We will certainly be following on from your visit.  Your writing tips will be passed on to all the girls and I know they are interested in finding out more about your other books, as many have already asked me about how to get hold of them.
Once again, many thanks and best wishes from all at Putney Park School.
Head of English, Putney Park School.
I would like to thank you very much for visiting the school.  The students thoroughly enjoyed your visit and have been writing reviews about the day in their English lessons.  Incidentally, I am getting a lot of requests for your Kiss of Death book.  Many thanks for forwarding the information advising young writers about getting an agent or getting work published.  I will pass the material on to them.  Once again a big thank you for coming and I hope to see you next year.
Librarian, The Royal Latin School.
Many thanks for yesterday. I hope that you enjoyed the day. You gave brilliant author talks and the audiences were really engaged. I hope that you are not too tired.
National Year of Reading Co-ordinator, Wiltshire County Council
This is just a note to thank you for yesterday.  I know the students really enjoyed your talks and maybe a few are now planning to go into forensics!  Feedback from the teachers who came has been excellent and I know they will be following up your visit with their classes after Half Term.  Thank you again, it was so nice meeting you.
Librarian, Bushey Meads School.
You deserved a good rest after Friday- it went so well!  I wanted to forward you an email below from Alex, one of the pupils from the Malcolm Rose reading group:
“hi miss just to say how much i enjoyed the day it was so cool meeting an author in real life and especially malcolm rose and getting the 2nd malcolm rose book lost bullet signed by him was so cool.”  Well what more can I say! The pupils and staff really enjoyed the sessions from the feedback I am getting today.
Librarian, Lampton School.
The students were still talking about your visit last night when they were waiting for parents evening so you really made an impression!  I will just add my own thanks before I sign off.  You were a pleasure to work with and made book week such an enjoyable experience this year.Librarian, All Saints School.
Awards
I have won the Angus Book Award twice (Tunnel Vision and Plague) and the Lancashire Children’s Book of the Year Award (Plague).  My recent novel, Kiss of Death, was runner-up in the Sheffield Children’s Book Award; it was also shortlisted for the Bolton Children’s Book Award and the Lancashire Children’s Book of the Year Award, and it was on the Book Trust’s Booked Up list of free books for Year 7 in 2008.
The fifth novel (Final Lap) in my quirky crime series, Traces, appeared on the Schools Library Association’s Must-Read Books for Boys.
Books
The Tortured Wood, Usborne, Thrillers, 2004.
Framed, 1st Traces novel, Kingfisher, 2005.
Lost Bullet, 2nd Traces novel, Kingfisher, 2005.
Hurricane Force, Simon and Schuster, 2005.
Roll Call, 3rd Traces novel, Kingfisher, 2005.
The Death Gene, Simon and Schuster, 2006.
Kiss of Death, Usborne, 2006.
Double Check, 4th Traces novel, 2006.
Final Lap, 5th Traces novel, Kingfisher, 2007.
Four Degrees More, Evans, 2008.  (A reluctant teenage reader book.)
Blood Brother, 6th Traces novel, Kingfisher Macmillan, 2008.
Animal Lab, Evans, 2008.  (A reluctant teenage reader book.)
Forbidden Island, Usborne, 2009.