Frank Lean

Frank Lean is the pen name of an author specialising in crime novels with a North of England background. His 'Dave Cunane' series includes seven novels published by Random House one of which 'The Reluctant Investigator' was shortlisted for the Golden Dagger of the Crime Writers Association.

Frank has recently added an eighth self published title to the Dave Cunane series 'Kill Me If You Can' in which the intrepid investigator tackles the murder of his own uncle, a High Court judge, who was on the point of revealing a plot by people in high places to solve the 'problem' of terrorism by faking a dirty bomb plot which would provide an excuse to take harsh and undemocratic measures against the Muslim minority.

Frank has also produced and self published on KDP a historical novel 'Irish Jack's Women' based on crime and detection back in 1847, the worst year of the Irish potato famine. This features Joseph Locke, a real character who built many of Britain's major railways and fictional Irish Jack Spellman, an Irish contractor on whom the success of Locke's masterwork, the West Coast Line to Scotland through the Lake District depends. When Spellman is arrested for murder back in his native Ireland Locke must intervene.

Another crime story is 'Asking For It' in which a professor of forensic pathology, Dr Jack Preston, is lured into an act of revenge against the man who has killed his wife and son. Once Preston has successfully completed that crime he is subject to blackmail by an ambitious policeman who uses Jack Preston's skills to 'remove' various horrific criminals who are beyond the reach of the law.

Frank has also produced the 'Peter Scattergood' books for early secondary students. These draw on Frank's experience teaching in various secondary schools in the North West of England. The boy, Peter Scattergood, seems to be irredeemably bad and well on the way to a criminal career when he meets up with the Eidolon, an immaterial being who is determined that Peter will have quite a different future!

Another venture is a series of three 'improvisational plays' designed to be used for 'murder mystery' evenings and fundraisers in social groups.