So, now the novel, Better to Die, is finally out there, quite a few readers have been asking me what my influences have been. I must say, theyâre pretty eclectic. As a kid, I thrived on the works of Captain W E Johns, whose granite-jawed, flying hero, Biggles, invariably overcame all challenges through an admirable combination of bravery, honesty and fair play. Although Biggles books are now aimed at children, it seems that Johnsâ target audience shifted over time. In one early short story (The Baloonatics) the prize for capturing a German observation balloon transforms from being a case of Scotch whisky in the earliest version to one of lemonade later!