The Killer's Mark

Multi-award-winning Mike was born in Carlisle, where he spent the first six months of his life, but grew up in Newcastle. He went to the same high school as Alan Shearer and held the position of centre forward before Mr Shearer showed his potential … Having had his football career cut short, aged 16, he accompanied his best friend to the army recruitment office, where a wily sergeant convinced Mike to also take the test. Mike joined the army. His friend did not. After twelve years of travelling the world, he left the army and moved back to the northeast, where he had a multitude of jobs ranging from personal protection bodyguard to housing otters.

Mike enrolled at Newcastle University and completed a social work degree (after realising it was a two-year course, rather than the three years a law degree would take). Influenced by a fellow student, who went on to become one of his best friends, Mike decided to become a probation officer and returned to Cumbria to take up a position at the Whitehaven office. He quickly rose through the ranks, leaving sixteen years later at the rank of assistant chief officer. During this time, he survived a serious cancer diagnosis and rigorous treatment that reignited his love of writing, and he became a full-time author in 2015 after taking redundancy. Mike will always describe himself as a reader first – quoting Lee Child, who says he only writes one book a year but will read hundreds. Mike loves music – punk and rock in particular – and real ale. And if he can combine the two, which he frequently does, he’s a very happy man.

M. W. Craven lives in Carlisle with his wife, Joanne. When he isn't talking nonsense in the pub, he can usually be found at punk gigs and writing festivals up and down the country.