Born in Dereham in Norfolk in 1935, Lionel was a journalist before moving into teaching. While working as the Further Education Tutor at Gamlingay Village College in Cambridgeshire, he was invited to become the Chief Industrial Training Executive for the Phoenix Timber Group of Companies. After a few years in industry, he returned to teaching, and lectured for Cambridge University's Board of Extra-Mural Studies. Over the years he has co-authored more than two hundred books with Patricia, many of them dealing with unsolved mysteries. He came to Cardiff in 1979 as Head of Glyn Derw Comprehensive High School in Ely. He took early retirement from there in 1989 and worked as a lecturer, writer, radio and TV broadcaster and management consultant in partnership with his wife Patricia. They celebrated their Diamond Wedding in 2017 and have two daughters and two grandchildren.