Thomas J. Nichols

Thomas J. “Tom” Nichols spent over fifty years in the criminal justice system, building a career that took him from the streets of Tucson to the highest levels of law enforcement leadership.

Raised in Tucson, Arizona, just sixty miles from the Mexican border, Nichols served during an era when the region became a major corridor for international drug trafficking and the expanding Mexican drug cartels. As Lieutenant of Tucson’s Metropolitan Area Narcotics Squad and later Captain of the Special Investigation Division, he gained an inside view of the war on drugs—and the violence, deception, greed, and human consequences that came with it.

His career included assignments in patrol, vice and organized crime, canine and helicopter operations, planning and research, special investigations, and executive protection for presidents and prime ministers. He ultimately spent twenty-nine years serving at the rank of police chief in Arizona and Texas.

A former U.S. Marine, Nichols graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the FBI Executive Development Program, and the Senior Management Institute for Police at Harvard University.

Nichols draws upon decades of firsthand experience to create authentic fiction rooted in the realities of law enforcement, organized crime, espionage, and international intrigue. His novels combine compelling characters and suspenseful storytelling with the perspective of someone who has truly been there.

Nichols is the author of eight published books and has also written and co-written screenplays and short stories.