It is not only the masters degree in creative writing from Manchester Metropolitan University which fuels James Ellson's literary abilities. His niche is the crime thriller, and his words drip with authenticity.
They do so because he is an ex cop who witnessed real life horror. As a night-duty Detective Inspector in Greater Manchester Police, he dealt with murder, shootings, and tragedy in the pressurised "golden hour" - the 60 minutes after an incident when the gathering of evidence could be the difference between someone getting caught or getting away with it.
He worked on the Stockport Division before switching to Moss Side where his workload was vast. At the time Manchester was gaining national notoriety for its gun crime. In 2007 there were 146 shootings across the region and the south side of the city was plagued by lethal feuds.
