George Bellairs was the nom de plume of Harold Blundell (1902–1982), a crime writer and bank manager born in Heywood, near Rochdale, Lancashire. He began working for Martins Bank at the age of 15, and stayed there in escalating roles of seniority until his retirement. He then settled in the Isle of Man. Harold Blundell served on the boards of The United Manchester Hospitals and Manchester Royal Infirmary. He married Gladys Mabel Roberts in 1930. She presented his personal papers to the John Rylands Library at the University of Manchester, England.