Neil spent thirty years as a civil servant, mostly in security and counter-terrorism. He is a hiker, skier, lover of history and travel, and a long-standing fellow the Royal Geographical Society. He was awarded an MBE for charitable services in 2006. An alumnus of the Curtis Brown Creative writing school, he achieved Highly Commended in the Blue Pencil Agency First Novel Award where he met his agent, Nelle Andrew. Three ‘Kember and Hayes’ mysteries followed.