About the author... Dennis Lehane

He lives in California and before he became a bestselling writer, his jobs included working as a counsellor with abused children. He’s 51, four of his 14 novels have been turned into movies and he’s also a TV scriptwriter. On why he started writing…

“I was too poor to go out and entertain myself. I was living in an over-55s community in Florida where my parents had a little house. I was 25 and broke. I said, ‘I’m going to write to entertain myself.’”

On being rich and successful…

”It’s a surreal thing. I still don’t feel 100% comfortable when

I’m in high-class places.

I feel like I’m going to knock over a glass or something.”

On what makes his books so appealing to filmmakers…

“I seem to write characters that actors like to play. Scripts based on my books attract great actors; great actors attract other great actors. In that regard, I’ve been very fortunate.”