He made his literary debut in 1968 with the short story collection En sommer tung av regn.

His first novel was Den andre from 1972, and his literary breakthrough was the novel Guds tjener from 1973.

[1] He has written crime fiction using the pseudonym "David Torjussen".

His first crime novel, Etterforskning pågår from 1973, earned him the Riverton Prize.

From 1965 to 1984 he was married to Aud Josefsen, and since 1986 to Anne Skjelmerud.