Chris Simms

Chris Simms has worked in airports, nightclubs, post offices and telesales centres. Along with nominations for Crime Writers' Association Daggers and the Theakston's Crime Novel of the Year award for his novels and short stories, Chris was selected by Waterstones as one of their '25 Authors for the Future'.

The idea for his debut novel, Outside the White Lines, came to him in the early hours of the morning while broken down on the hard shoulder of the M40.

His series of DI Spicer novels - psychological thrillers set very firmly in Manchester - follow the police detective's fortunes as he pursues mad, bad and deadly individuals through the city's ever-evolving landscape.

In October 2012, Scratch Deeper was launched - a new series featuring Detective Constable Iona Khan of Manchester Police's Counter Terrorism Unit. This was followed-up by another DC Khan novel, A Price To Pay.

Most recently, Chris has written two supernatural thrillers, Sing Me To Sleep and Rats' Nest. Both are receiving Amazon reader reviews that focus on the novels' frightening qualities.

Chris says he is drawn to books that give insights into unusual minds. The twisted desires of Frederick in John Fowles', The Collector; the tormented thoughts of Scobie in Graham Greene's, Heart of the Matter; the violent urges of Francie in Patrick McCabe's, Butcher Boy are all books Chris states had a major influence in shaping him as a writer.