AN author has released his fifth novel after drawing inspiration from a diverse range of individuals he has met in his life.

John Sealey’s latest instalment, The Redundant Fugitive, focuses on a family man with values who is innocently drawn into the sordid world of crime after being made redundant from his job as a marine engineer.

John, of Old Road, Clacton, had the idea to write the book after meeting an Asian man in a shop who was very skilled but was struggling to secure a job after being told he was too experienced.

John said: "He didn't understand how he was too experienced and ended up getting into trouble because he had nothing left and I thought that was an interesting story to build on.

"I wondered what I could do with it, and I love India and have been there many times, and wanted to bring the country into the novel with references to historical facts about India."

John then took inspiration from another person he knew who was once a very successful businessman who became heavily involved with drugs and gambling.

He said: "He lost everything, his wife, his family, his house, his three businesses because drugs and gambling and became homeless.

"So I took him for a coffee and thought this could happen to anyone, and so all those little bits you put together and out of it comes a story."

John then knew the book needed an intimidating villain and had a fitting person in mind to adapt on.

He said:"I was once approached by a guy who was a real gangster who wanted his story to be told and I became interested. But you could feel this pressure that if you said the wrong word you could be in trouble and I decided I didn't want to know any more about it.

"But I never forgot him and I based the villain in the novel on him.

“I think as a writer I observe everybody and their mannerisms and adapt on characters who I meet in real life which is what I have done in this novel.”

The Redundant Fugitive is now available on Amazon and in Waterstones.