Sherlock Holmes, Atticus Priest and Inspiration

One of the inspirations for Atticus Priest is Sherlock Holmes, the quintessential flawed detective. I’ve loved Sherlock for years, since I was a child, and I got my hands on a second-hand omnibus of all of the short stories, and then, another omnibus containing the four longer stories – both books still sit proudly on […]


Fighting Fantasy and the gateway to reading

It was impossible to ignore the Fighting Fantasy series of books as a kid in the 80s. I grew up in a home where imagination was nurtured, with books and stories, and a well-used library card, never far from hand. How could I not be drawn to these books?   For those who don’t know, […]


Thoughts on STAR WARS – THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

SPOILERS FOLLOW – I saw the latest Star Wars film over the Christmas holidays, and then, because it’s a Star Wars film, noticed the debate that sprang up around it.   Star Wars creates debate over and above any other series – over forty years of films, a massive extended universe, and a fandom that […]


Bright Lights, Big City…

I’m writing this on a British Airways flight from Tenerife to London on my way back from our family holiday. It’s been a lovely break – I disengaged from work and did no writing – but, as July pushes on, it’s time to get back to my desk.   I’ve wanted to send Milton to […]


What Can You Expect From Me in 2019?

It’s going to be a busy year this year – and a lot of fun if you like my books.   So what do I have coming for you?   I’m just putting the finishing touches to the first book in a new detective series. The protagonist – Holden Priest – draws upon all the […]


Watch me on TV…

In case you missed it, I was recently interviewed on national television in the United Kingdom prior to the launch of the new John Milton novel, Sleepers.   I live and work in Salisbury, a beautiful mediaeval town that has recently found itself in the news after the attempted assassination of a Russian defector and […]


Milton is back – Sleepers is available for pre-order

I started planning the next Milton book as I was putting the finishing touches to the last one, Redeemer. I’d been planning to write something based around the case of Alexander Litvinenko, the ex-Russian spy who was allegedly poisoned by the SVR in 2006. You might remember that case: his tea was laced with radioactive […]


Making It Difficult For Myself

One of the things that’s particularly important to me when I’m writing is that my books are as authentic as I can make them. That has led to me getting into some scrapes now and again, and it’s also meant that I have possibly limited my market a little bit. Let me give you a […]


McCall, Bond and The Wire: my inspirations for Milton and The Cleaner

One of the questions that I get asked most often, and one that has already been asked in the Facebook group that I set up for the purposes of this book club, is where I got my inspiration for character of John Milton. The truth is that Milton came to me fairly easily. There are […]


I UNDERESTIMATED YOU, MR MILTON. I WON’T DO THAT AGAIN.

The release of a new Milton book is always an exciting time for me. I love writing these books, and it is with a combination of elation and trepidation that I press that button that makes them available to readers. Thankfully, the reaction to the thirteenth Milton novel – Redeemer – has been very positive. […]