George Sims served in the Army Intelligence Corps during WWII and then became a dealer in rare books and manuscripts, a world he exploits to the full in several of his thrillers including his first, The Terrible Door. Elected a member of the famous Detection Club, Sims was widely regarded as a master creator of creepy atmospheres in seemingly ordinary settings and his writing has been described as: "distinguished", "high above crime fiction average" and "sinister and unusual".