DOUG ALLEC

In The Ref, there are plenty of characters who operate in the shadows. But few are as intriguing—or as dangerous—as the four men who make up The Ref’s original team. They aren't known by their real names. They don't need to be. Chelsea. West Ham. Arsenal. Tottenham. Four London football clubs. Four very different men. Together, they are THEM. The Ref doesn't choose his people because they are simply talented. He looks for something more unusual: men who can disappear into the

Some people lead. Others influence. The Ref controls. His real name is Major Fraser. An ex-military man, he carries himself with the discipline, composure and authority of someone accustomed to being obeyed. But whatever life he once lived has been replaced by something darker. In the world of The Ref, he has become more than a boss. He has become a legend. Cold. Brilliant. Unshakeable. The Ref runs a crew known only as THEM. Chelsea, West Ham, Arsenal and Tottenham are not s

Why Waterloo Station? It is a question I have been asked more than once since The Ref was published. For me, the answer is simple. I was born in Waterloo and lived locally for many years. I knew the area. I knew its streets, its people and, perhaps most importantly, I knew the extraordinary mix of characters and organisations that seemed to pass through it. So when I began developing the world of The Ref, Waterloo was always going to be at its centre. For the reader, Waterloo