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Ian Austin

Goodreads Author

Born

in Southampton, The United Kingdom

Website

http://www.ianaustinauthor.com

Genre

Crime, Thriller

Member Since

February 2018

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My childhood was spectacularly normal. I came from a settled and happy home; one older sister, one younger brother. I obtained no qualifications at school and hated every minute of it. Looking back now it was because they could not teach the way I needed to learn, and I could not learn the way they taught. I thought I was stupid and did little to persuade anybody differently. I was good at sports which got me through.
After school I drifted between various jobs including hotel porter and photocopier salesman. Hampshire Police proved to be my salvation. I joined in 1985 and immediately found that ‘thing’ I’d been looking for, for my whole life.
I was a career policeman and if I hadn’t been I would probably have been a criminal. That poacher t My childhood was spectacularly normal. I came from a settled and happy home; one older sister, one younger brother. I obtained no qualifications at school and hated every minute of it. Looking back now it was because they could not teach the way I needed to learn, and I could not learn the way they taught. I thought I was stupid and did little to persuade anybody differently. I was good at sports which got me through.
After school I drifted between various jobs including hotel porter and photocopier salesman. Hampshire Police proved to be my salvation. I joined in 1985 and immediately found that ‘thing’ I’d been looking for, for my whole life.
I was a career policeman and if I hadn’t been I would probably have been a criminal. That poacher turned gamekeeper stood me in good stead. I gained a reputation as a thief-taker because I could put myself in the crim’s position; several times fleeing burglars literally ran into my arms because I guessed where they would try to escape.
During early writing of reports, statements and interviews etc I discovered I was talented in that direction and enjoyed that aspect. It got me known and trusted to provide high quality work.
I became a specialist public order and tactical firearms officer. Later I was selected as a detective.
On Christmas Eve 1991 I was almost beaten to death outside a pub in Southampton. My recovery included long spells of depression and a breakdown. My marriage failed too.
I was selected for a specialist surveillance team which led to undercover work and then onto operational work with Regional and National Crime Squads and Special Branch. I was necessarily bound by the Official Secrets Act which is still in force today.
My talents led me to be selected as the youngest ever (in terms of years’ service) National Crime Squad trainer for surveillance. It was here I developed my writing skills completing lesson plans, operational orders, multi-agency reports etc.
In 2003 I was selected to transfer to the New Zealand Police. I served in Auckland for 4 years before I left. In 2009, my partner Sallie gave me a year off to write a book which had a been an ambition for years. I loved the whole process and found a job satisfaction equal to what the police gave me.
That first book, The Ideas Man (2010) proved to me that I could do it. It received good reviews in New Zealand as well as selling over 3000 copies. I have been committed to becoming a successful author since then in the crime thriller genre.
One of my best traits is I know what my weaknesses are; therefore, I have used the best at what they do to assist me. Stephen Stratford has edited my books and been an awesome assistance to me. I have another great copy editor (Deborah Shaw) and the best media and public relations person in the country (Raewyn Davies.) Wickliffes of Auckland have printed my two Calder books and Nationwide Book Distributors have been able to place them around the whole country including a retail chain called Paper Plus who are NZ’s version of W.H. Smith. I pride myself on producing the best final product I can and understand this is very much a team effort.
I have created a character Dan Calder, he’s an ex- British detective based in New Zealand. He is not me, but I have used personal experiences as a template to create something new, different and according to the critics very good.
The Dan Calder series is a trilogy of crime novels featuring the uniquely talented but also uniquely flawed ex-detective. His struggles with depression and a cupboard bursting with skeletons vie for attention as he reluctantly travels from England to the other side of the world and back again, attempting to prevent or solve some of the darkest crimes imaginable, while trying to maintain his loose grip on sanity all at the same time. Causing trouble or falling headlong into it is more than a habit for Calder and it’s only the depth which ever seems to vary. ...more

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Average rating: 3.94 · 68 ratings · 30 reviews · 6 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Agency (Dan Calder #1) 4.14 avg rating — 21 ratings — published 2015	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Bonded 4.08 avg rating — 12 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Second Grave 3.83 avg rating — 12 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Man. Made. (The Dan Calder Series) 4.14 avg rating — 7 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Frozen Summer 3.86 avg rating — 7 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Ideas Man 2.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars