Dowling grew up and lived in Brisbane most of his life though he has lived in or frequently visited provincial and coastal towns across south-east Queensland. He has worked in many reporting rounds, includng arts and entertainment, crime, politics, human interest and sports. He has published a weekly humour column for the past six years. Dowling has drawn on all these diverse strands of his working and social life to produce Iraqi Icicle, a highly original detective thriller which is his first novel. The author lives with his wife and son in Lawnton, a Pine Rivers suburb.