Alison Bruce is currently working for ARU as the Principal Instructor for Police Education in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk as part of the Policing Education Qualifications Framework and is responsible for the delivery of academic content across both the undergraduate and degree-holder programmes.
She is the author of nine crime novels and two non-fiction titles. Her first novel, Cambridge Blue (2008), was described by Publishers Weekly as an ‘assured debut’ and introduced both detective, DC Gary Goodhew, and her trademark Cambridge setting. She went on to write six further novels in the DC Goodhew series before writing the psychological thriller I Did It for Us (2018). Her latest novel, The Moment Before Impact, is described by Ian Rankin as ‘tense, twisty, terrific’.
The other books in the DC Goodhew series are The Siren (2010), The Calling (2011), The Silence (2012), The Backs (2013), The Promise (2016) and Cambridge Black (2017). Other works include, two true crime books and a selection of short stories. Her work has attracted both critical acclaim and a loyal readership. In 2013 and 2016 Alison was short-listed for the Crime Writers’ Association Dagger in the Library Award.
Alison was awarded a first in BSc (Hons) in Crime and Investigation at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge which included subject areas such as: crime scene investigation, policing practice, major investigations, mass fatality incidents, fire investigation, forensic pathology and forensic anthropology. This included practical skills such as: lifting finger marks, bone identification, testing for bodily fluids and recovering trace evidence.
Alison has taught creative writing on both undergraduate and MA courses and is completing her PGCert in Spring 2023.
Alison prefers to teach by delivering practical sessions that aim to give aspiring writers the tools needed to succeed. Adult learners may already have many skills but need some direction to pull it all together; helping them reach that eureka moment gives Alison greatest satisfaction.
