Biography

Art LeeNovelist Arthur Lee is producing a series of mystery novels each based on his real life experiences. Each fictional character in these novels is fashioned from real characters the author has met over the years. And how did the author meet these people and experience what he writes about?

Art (which he prefers rather than Arthur), being of Irish/English descent, was raised in a tough Italian neighborhood of Northern New Jersey, just twenty minutes from Manhattan Island. As a teenager he joined a street gang where his fellow members became a second family to him.

The members nick-named Art ‘Mr. Lucky’ because he managed to make it through all of his escapades without ever getting into trouble with The Law.

Cat from the Mr. Lucky TV Show

Art made enough money to buy his first car for cash – a used 1955 Oldsmobile-88 – and he painted the famous cat from the Mr. Lucky TV series on the side bumpers.

In 1962 as a 17 year old he walked into a New Jersey Chevy auto dealership and paid $3000+ in cash for a brand new 1962 Chevy Impala convertible.  His street gang was making a lot of money collecting protection from stores and landlords.

Art was headed for a life in prison except for the fact that he joined the U. S. Air Force, a move that got him out of the gang life.

A bite from one of Viet Nam’s most deadly snakes almost cost Art his right leg.  From Viet Nam he was transferred to Europe and finished his tour of duty in England. Rather than return to his New Jersey neighborhood and previous life, Art chose to be discharged in England where he lived – in London – for the next two years.

In London Art worked as a Licensed Private Investigator, coming in close contact with many of Europe’s criminal underworld.  His British friends affectionately nick-named him ‘The Yank.’  A short stint as a contract soldier for the South African Defense Force, during which he took part in several battles against Cubans training terrorists in Southern Africa, brought him in close contact with professional mercenaries.

Returning to the States, Art lived and worked in New York City.  He worked as a field agent for a Private Detective Agency in Manhattan.  There he came to know even more criminals to base his characters on.

Art soon moved to California where he worked as a County Investigator for many years. Marriage and a desire to be self-employed brought Art to Portland, Oregon where he became an independent Licensed Private Investigator, specializing in Criminal Cases and Missing Persons.  He took assignments as an Independent Contractor for various Federal Law Enforcement Agencies working as an undercover operative.

Art is now retired and uses his 40+ years of experiences to weave together novels of suspense readers find hard to put down once started.  The mystery, suspense and plot twists are all a result of his life’s experiences.  He finds the characters easy to develop because they are based on real life characters, even down to what they look like and how they dress.

Visit Art Lee’s Author Page on Amazon at www.amazon.com/author/arthurlee.

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