Paying for the Past

by Geoff Green

Now everyone knows the extent of their crime, but only one man knows where they are. In September 1975, Jim Miller and John Bellord, two wealthy men of impeccable character, fly to France and disappear without a trace. A blackmailed bishop, forgery, faked suicides, a multimillion pound church fraud and many lives ruined as police, Interpol, the media and a psychic investigator join in a fruitless search for the two outlaws. Only Geoff Green knows where they are. He plans and executes their escape and finally gives them up following their hideaway year on remote Priest Island surviving a sub zero winter. This is his account of what they did, how they did it, and why he confessed all. It is not only a crime adventure, but a personal story of total trust in a mesmerising mentor and his philosophy of life.

291 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 16, 2014

About the author

Geoff took a course with The London School of Journalism, brushed up his writing skills, published research and articles in peer reviewed journals and finished his first book, Paying for the Past. He has since written six novels, The Sand Hide, Cold Friends, The Prisoner of Brenda Brown, The 22nd Floor and The Last Boy in His Class and, the yet to be published, The Door to Her Father.
Geoff wrote an early draft of Paying for the Past two decades ago. His true crime adventure has been life changing, taking a decade to go through the courts. A diary he kept at the time, along with media and public interest, inspired him to finish the book.
Geoff also works as an osteopath and lives in the Sussex village of Steyning with his wife Carol, a sculptor. Together they have walked some of the greatest treks in the world, including the Inca Trail in Peru, jungle hikes in the Amazon Basin, the Grand Canyon and the Great Wall of China.
He grew up with folk music, skiffle and rock and roll. The Dices, his first band, formed around 1957, entertained punters in pubs, clubs and dance halls. He sang with other bands at the Shepherds Bush and Chiswick Empires before joining pop group, Peter and the Wolves, in 1962.
Between working and writing, Geoff loves to catch up with family and friends, paint, walk, read, eat out and watch a good film.

Reviews

[Rosemary Allix · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was on the fringes of this story when it hit the national press and it is fascinating to read the background of the story of how it all came about. Although it reads like fiction this is in fact a real life account of the empire built up by two men with good intentions and how it all went horribly wrong. Told by someone who lived through it. An intriguing read.