Born a few years after the end of the Second World War in Farnham, Ed (Peter) Johnson has seen and lived through the changes, which he, in part, gives as one of the reasons he started writing

In the 1950s you were expected to be able to turn your hand to anything, which, says Ed Johnson, has contributed to his writing.

His working career has been in electronics and technology; mending a computer in 1970 was a very different experience from working with them today, he quips.

“I had the first idea when in my 30s, but I have always taken on challenges, like starting an IT business in 1981, building it up during my 40s and selling it in 1997,” he begins.

“Next was building a car, not from a kit, which I completed in my early 50s and restoring a bungalow from the ground up in my 60s. Now in my early 70s I am using the ideas that have been developing over the last 40 years and putting them into a much less strenuous use of time, I love the challenge and becoming an author is my current one.”

Now living in Liphook he has penned his first novel in which we are invited to delve into the shadowy world of crime with the revealing exploration of the criminal underworld. Beyond the notorious crime lords and the violent realm of drug trafficking, lies a complex network of theft, fraud, and borderline legal activities. Who are the masterminds behind these operations? How do they seamlessly orchestrate crimes while remaining undetected?

In everyday life, we find plumbers, electricians, and plasterers through a simple internet search or recommendations. But in the criminal fraternity, things operate differently. Fences, who trade in stolen goods, rely on a clandestine network: one group supplies the contraband, another discreetly purchases it, no questions asked.

Imagine if this underworld also had its own ‘sub-contractors’ – skilled individuals specialising in specific illegal activities, and facilitators who connect various players in this covert market. This book takes you deep into this hidden society, shedding light on how organized crime functions with the same efficiency and connectivity as legitimate businesses.

If you’ve ever been curious about the intricacies of the criminal world and its unseen yet organized culture, this is your guide to understanding how these hidden networks operate, thrive, and evade detection. But remember it is only fiction – or is it?

Why Am I Here? Jane’s Story by Ed Johnson is published by Austin Macaulay Publishers ISBN  9781035810000 is available from Amazon and all good bookshops.