RICHARD F. WEST was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He majored in aeronautical engineering at The Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. However, when English Literature was offered for the firs...view moreRICHARD F. WEST was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He majored in aeronautical engineering at The Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. However, when English Literature was offered for the first time at the technical college, he switched majors. He and his wife, Jeanette, raised four children in Plainfield, New Jersey, where they lived for 16 years. Mr. West began writing while commuting to Manhattan, where he worked as a computer programmer and later a systems analyst. His first contemporary spy novel, Crystal Clear, was published in 1981 by Popular Library. A trio of light, easy-reading mysteries (Old Gang Of Mine (1997), As Crime Goes By (1998), Ghoul Of My Dreams (1999)) was published by The Berkley Publishing Group. These novels are centered on the unexpected adventures of people living in a Florida retirement facility. Mr. West and his wife currently reside in southwest Florida.view less