Simon Kernick

Simon Kernick is a British thriller writer whose fast-paced, violent, and grippingly plotted novels have made him one of the UK's bestselling crime fiction authors. Born in Slough in 1966 and raised in Henley-on-Thames, Kernick studied humanities at Brighton Polytechnic and worked for ten years as a computer software salesman before publishing his first novel at thirty-five. His path to publication was not easy — he faced numerous rejections before The Business of Dying (2002), featuring corrupt detective Dennis Milne who moonlights as a hitman, was accepted by Transworld Publishing. Relentless (2007) was his commercial breakthrough — recommended by the Richard and Judy Book Club, it became the bestselling thriller in the UK that year. The Bone Field, The Final Minute, Dead Man's Gift, Stay Alive, and numerous other novels have maintained his position as one of Britain's most reliably thrilling crime writers. His research is meticulous — he regularly speaks with members of the Metropolitan Police's Special Branch and the Serious Organised Crime Agency. Kernick's writing is distinguished by its pace — his novels are page-turners in the truest sense, with short chapters, multiple perspectives, and relentless forward momentum. His plots are intricately constructed, his violence is visceral, and his London settings are gritty and convincing. A terrifying experience of being abducted at sixteen informs the authentic fear that drives his fiction. The audiobook editions of Kernick's thrillers are pulse-pounding — his fast-paced style is perfectly suited to audio. His books and audiobooks are essential for thriller fans who like their fiction fast, dark, and impossible to put down.