A FORMER Coventry man who made his millions in America returned to the city to research a new novel.

Howard Layton, aged 82, was born in Bristol but spent his formative years in Cope Street, near Coventry Cathedral.

He left for New York in 1945 after returning home from service as an air gunner in the Middle East during the Second World War.

He made America his home and now his business, Interlab, based in Danbury, Connecticut, is a multi-million pound venture.

The chartered electrical engineer, has just published his first non-industry novel about his time as a youngster in Coventry and his experiences as an actor and a salesman and how he met his Hungarian-born wife in America.

The Thirteen Club also charts the trials of his wife Narcissza and her family, who fled their country estate in Hungary from the advancing Russian army and how, years later, the couple set up Interlab, a hi-tech manufacturing company.

Mr Layton said: "It's about love and war and learning to fly. It's about starting a business on a shoestring.

But mostly it's about a couple of immigrants and their relentless bid for a share in the American dream. It is all quite true."

Mr Layton set up his own company, the fondly-titled Three Spires Publishing, to produce the novel, which takes its name from a club that employees at Interlab join after 13 years' service. The firm celebrates the 13-year milestone as it has been a lucky number for Mr Layton.

His next novel will be about his first love, a Coventry girl, and will be called Love and Sand.

It will also pay respect to an officer Mr Layton served with during the war whose courage and intelligence saved a troop of soldiers, including himself.

While in England, Mr Layton spent a lot of his time with the RAF, going through past records and relearning the layout of the Blenheim 4, the plane he used to fly.