Michael Palmer was born in London in 1963. He took an apprenticeship with British Airways in 1980 and, once completed, he joined a flight simulation company. In the mid-1980s the opportunity arose for him to work as a technician in the printing industry. Throughout the 1990s he wrote short sketches and one-liners for a variety of shows on BBC radio and ITV, before concentrating on writing projects. Michael has had a lifelong interest in cars - Alvis, Bently, Bristol, Jaguar and Morgan - and can be spotted regularly on the Kent roads at the wheel of his royal ivory 1997 Morgan 4/4.

Simon Roberts joined the Royal Hong Kong Police in 1979 and continued to serve in the Hong Kong Police after the handover in 1997. During his 23 years of service he worked in different departments all over the Territory. These included district crime and anti-triad squads, vice squads, Operational Command, Crime HQ, Crime Prevention, Marine, and even as a court prosecutor.

During his time in Hong Kong he kept a diary and was a prodigious letter writer. He still has many of the early letters which, together with accumulated official documents, form the backbone of this book. Simon was promoted to Detective Superintendent 10 days before the handover. He resigned in 2002 to take up a role in the private sector, and was presented with a valedictory letter for meritorious service from the Commissioner.

He is a lifetime member of the Royal Hong Kong Police Association. Simon continues to work in the security industry. He now lives in England. The authors proceeds from Hong Kong Beat are being donated to the Hong Kong Police Welfare Fund.