James Ellson, a former senior detective for Greater Manchester Police (GMP), has opened up about the breakdown that ended his 15-year policing career and led him to become a crime writer. Ellson will appear at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate later this month.
A Night in the Life of a Detective Inspector
Ellson describes a typical Friday night shift as the senior detective on duty for GMP, responsible for the city's 2.5 million people. At 10pm, he receives a call about a fatal hit-and-run in Cheetham Hill. Within 20 minutes, he is on scene, coordinating with traffic officers, crime scene investigators, and detectives. The shift, officially nine hours, often feels like 90.
His phone rings constantly: a historic rape case involving a 15-year-old victim, a drive-by shooting in Rochdale, and a GBH in Stalybridge. As night DI, Ellson's job is to drive the "golden hour"—the critical period after a crime when evidence is most likely to be found. Every minute can make the difference between success and failure.
The Toll of the Job
Ellson's day job involved investigating serious crime in Moss Side, one of Manchester's divisions. The work was complex and absorbing but took a heavy physical and mental toll. After 15 years, he suffered a breakdown that abruptly ended his career. He and his wife moved to a smallholding, where he began growing fruit and vegetables and keeping bees.
From Police to Pen
Ellson started writing a book. The Trail, published in 2020, was the first in a series set in South Manchester featuring DCI Rick Castle. The fifth book, The Rule Of Threes, published this month, centres on a protected witness who goes missing after being relocated to a remote part of Scotland. The plot, characters, and settings are inspired by Ellson's own life.
"Manchester was known as Gunchester in the 1990s and is still notorious for its gangs," Ellson said. "I am a keen mountaineer and know Scotland well. I am not Rick Castle but there are elements of me in him, including his passion for the police (The Job) and its psychological impact."
Rick dealt with 17 deaths in his first week of nights as a DI and suffers flashbacks and an obsession with the number 17. Ellson notes, "The facts are different in my life, but the feelings are the same, and I mine my experiences to bring Rick to life on the page."
Writing as Therapy
In The Rule Of Threes, Rick reports what he goes through to his boss and the CPS but is disbelieved. He meets with his psychotherapist, and together they discuss the unreliability of memory. Ellson says these scenes are some of the most interesting and affecting he has written.
Ellson now wears three hats: smallholder, speaker, and writer. He feels privileged to have had two careers. "The transition was difficult, but I recovered. I loved being a police officer, and despite everything I went through, I can't understand why everyone doesn't want to join. It's a fascinating job—and career."
He recalls exciting moments in the police, from running around back gardens looking for burglars to enjoying breakthroughs after months of work. But he adds, "I can genuinely say that when I'm writing a first draft of a new book, the hairs stand up on the back of my neck."
The Rule Of Threes by James Ellson (Vinci Books) is out now in paperback and ebook. Ellson appears at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate. Visit harrogateinternationalfestivals.com for more information.
