Michael A. Black graduated from Columbia College, Chicago in 2000 with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Fiction Writing.  He previously earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Northern Illinois Univeristy.  Despite his literary leanings, he has often said that police work has been his life.  A former Army Military Policman, he entered civilian law enforcement after his discharge, and for the past twenty-seven years has been a polic officer in the south suburbs of Chicago.

The author of over forty articles on subjects ranging from police work to popular fiction, he has also had over thirty short stories published in various anthologies and magazines, including Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine.  His first novel, A Killing Frost, featuring private investigator Ron Shade was published by Five Star in September 2002, with endorsements from such respected authors as Sara Paretsky and Andrew Vachss.  The novel received universally excellent reviews and was subsequently release in trade paperback. Other titles include:  Hostile Takeover, I Am Not A Psychic (with Richard Belzer), Windy City Knights and Random Victim.  www.michaelablack.com