Joseph Glackin

'In Freedom's Shadow', the second in the series of Inspector Gloria Mysteries is published by Thirsty Books in July 2015.

Joseph Glackin hails from Motherwell in the West of Scotland, a former steel town where the common experience of fighting over football and religion were, he says, a good preparation for his working life in Africa.

This included twelve years in the West African country of Liberia at the height of its infamous civil war where, as a priest, he worked directly with child soldiers, street children and other victims of a disintegrating society.

In contrast he also experienced at first-hand the generosity, humour and zest for life for which Liberia and Liberians are rightly famous. He has many friends there as well as two adopted sons and, at the last count, nine grandchildren. He has also worked in community and youth development in South Sudan, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Rwanda and Eritrea.