A mining engineer by profession, he taught geology, geography and high school mathematics and later geology at Brock University until he dedicated himself to writing full time.
Janes has published fourteen novels, five mystery novels for children, and textbooks on geology. His St.Cyr & Kohler mysteries, set in occupied France during World War II, are his most popular works and critically acclaimed by The Wall Street Journal, amongst others, for their historic accuracy. The American based Western Society for French History, used his writings as a study of the convergence of fiction with history.