{"key": "/authors/OL2643904A", "birth_date": "16 Octuber 1969", "name": "Chris Simms", "personal_name": "Chris Simms", "type": {"key": "/type/author"}, "alternate_names": ["simms-chris", "Simms, Chris, 1969-", "Simms, Chris"], "photos": [15150857], "bio": "Chris Simms has worked in airports, nightclubs, post offices and telesales centres. Along with nominations for Crime Writers\u2019 Association Daggers and the Theakston\u2019s Crime Novel of the Year award, Chris was selected by Waterstones as one of their \u201925 authors for the future\u2019.\r\n\r\nThe idea for his debut novel, <a href=\"https://openlibrary.org/works/OL7916209W\" target=\"_blank\">***Outside the White Lines***</a>, came to him in the early hours of the morning while broken down on the hard shoulder of the M40.\r\nHis series of DI Spicer novels \u2013 psychological thrillers set very firmly in Manchester \u2013 follow the police detective\u2019s fortunes as he pursues mad, bad and deadly individuals through the city\u2019s ever-changing landscape.\r\n\r\nMore recently, he has launched a new series featuring DC Sean Blake \u2013 an inexperienced young detective fighting to establish himself in the close-knit Serious Crimes Unit of Manchester\u2019s police.\r\n\r\nChris says he is drawn to books that give insights into unusual minds. The twisted desires of Frederick in John Fowles\u2019, <a href=\"https://openlibrary.org/works/OL15008W\" target=\"_blank\">***The Collector***</a>; the tormented thoughts of Scobie in Graham Greene\u2019s <a href=\"https://openlibrary.org/works/OL106077W\" target=\"_blank\">***The Heart of the Matter***</a>; the violent urges of Francie in Patrick McCabe\u2019s <a href=\"https://openlibrary.org/works/OL78693W\" target=\"_blank\">***The Butcher Boy***</a> are all books Chris states had an influence in shaping him as a writer.\r\n\r\n(<a href=\"https://thecwa.co.uk/find-an-author/simms-chris/\" target=\"_blank\">Source</a>)", "remote_ids": {"wikidata": "Q5108059", "lc_naf": "nb2008011851", "viaf": "70922351", "isni": "0000000039382457", "storygraph": "302848d3-9585-4644-bc96-196fc53aa3b7", "librarything": "simmschris-1", "goodreads": "401212", "amazon": "B001JCJAY0"}, "links": [{"title": "Chris Simms - Website", "url": "https://chrissimms.info/", "type": {"key": "/type/link"}}, {"title": "Interview in Shotsmag - Back with DI Spicer", "url": "http://www.shotsmag.co.uk/interview_view.aspx?interview_id=204", "type": {"key": "/type/link"}}], "latest_revision": 6, "revision": 6, "created": {"type": "/type/datetime", "value": "2008-04-29T13:35:46.876380"}, "last_modified": {"type": "/type/datetime", "value": "2025-12-09T22:37:16.647251"}}