Russell Day was born in 1966 and grew up in Harlesden, NW10 - a geographic region searching for an alibi. From an early age it was clear the only things he cared about were motorcycles, tattoos and writing. At a later stage he added family life to his list of interests and now lives with his wife and two children. He's still in London, but has moved south of the river for the milder climate. Although he only writes crime fiction Russ doesn't consider his work restricted. 'As long as there have been people there has been crime, as long as there are people there will be crime.' That attitude leaves a lot of scope for settings and characters. One of the first short stories he had published, The Second Rat and the Automatic Nun, was a double-cross story set in a world where the church had taken over policing. In his first novel, Needle Song, an amateur detective employs logic, psychology and a loaded pack of tarot cards to investigate a death. Russ often tells people he seldom smiles due to nerve damage, sustained when his jaw was broken. In fact, this is a total fabrication and his family will tell you he's always been a miserable bastard. In 2018, Russell won the Margaret Allingham Short Story Award.
