Graham Ison served in the British Army before joining the Metropolitan Police. During his thirty-year career in Scotland Yard's Special Branch, he was involved in several famous espionage cases and spent four years at 10 Downing Street as protection officer to the prime minister. He later guarded US Presidents, crowned heads and other heads of state during state visits to this country. Since leaving the police, he focused his talents on crime fiction, and has written over forty books including the Brock & Poole detective stories and the Hardcastle historical mysteries. He passed away in 2020.