C. Toms-Arbel

Born with a condition affecting his feet, Christian spent much of his childhood in and out of hospitals. Books became his ultimate escape from the pain—devouring everything from His Dark Materials to Artemis Fowl and Goosebumps.

​When he was nine, his parents bought him a typewriter, sparking a lifelong obsession with writing creepy, spooky tales. He went on to study Creative Writing at Portsmouth University, earned a Master's scholarship, and experimented with everything from fantasy to romance before discovering his true home: Crime Thrillers.

​The Mannequins took four years of hard work and a decade of perfecting his craft. Today, Christian teaches English and Creative Writing, lives in Shrewsbury with his wife and two children. He is currently working on a sequel.