Kevin Wignall is a critically acclaimed and bestselling author of books for adults and young adults. A number of his titles have sold in the hundreds of thousands, they've been translated into Japanese, Portuguese, Icelandic, Finnish, Polish, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Bulgarian and Hungarian. His work regularly attracts film interest, with one book - "The Hunter's Prayer" - and one short story - "Retrospective" - already filmed, and several more projects currently in development. His work has also inspired other artists, including painters, musicians and choreographers, as well as other writers.
KEVIN WIGNALL REVIEWS:
PEOPLE DIE:
“Kevin Wignall’s subversively appealing debut novel, PEOPLE DIE...a coolly ironic, mordantly funny postmodern mystery novel.” Marilyn Stasio, `The New York Times’
“Crisp, lean prose with assault rifle impact zips the reader across international borders and delineates quirky, engaging characters. The plot is worthy of the best British spymasters, making Wignall an author to watch.” Publishers Weekly
“Gripping, gritty and sharp as a blade... Wignall’s PEOPLE DIE is literary noir for the new millennium.” – Jeffrey Deaver
“Terse and spooky, PEOPLE DIE is that most remarkable of things: a killer-thriller with humour and heart.” `The Face’
“PEOPLE DIE is Englishman Wignall’s first novel and if he can keep up this printed film noir style, a major new talent has arrived in this genre.” Tony Baker, `Adelaide Advertiser’
“PEOPLE DIE is both a good thriller and a good book, a combination that occurs far less frequently than it should, and that’s plenty to recommend it.” John Ziebell, `Las Vegas Mercury’
“The action sequences are terse and commanding, the writing is often elegiac, and the dialogue intriguing. This is a fine debut.” `The Boston Globe’
“Kevin Wignall kicks in contemporary coolness, detachment and humor.” `St Petersburg Times
“With JJ, this British writer has created a new and intriguing character.” `The Philadelphia Inquirer’
“This stunning read was an unexpected delight for me. I was assuming it to be a fast-paced, violent killer-thriller, which is what it is, but it is also a novel of conscience and an interesting insight into a killer’s mind. A professional hitman discovers that there is a contract out on him. He must find out who wants him dead, and why, pretty quickly. Basic stuff, but in this exceptional first novel it transcends the genre and should appeal to all.” Sarah Broadhurst, `The Bookseller’
AMONG THE DEAD
“AMONG THE DEAD is a vigorously written, unsettling thriller. A lucid and atmospheric piece of crime fiction. We’re taken into complex moral territory – and that ambitiousness on the author’s part is handled by Wignall with real authority.” Barry Forshaw, `The Daily Express’
“This man certainly knows how to get inside the mind of his protagonists. With his sparse, stylish prose, he is definitely someone to watch. This is a haunting tale of student secrets that have terrible repercussions in adult life. I loved it. Sarah Broadhurst, `The Bookseller’
“Wignall grips the reader with empathy for the guilty of conscience.” `The Scotsman’
`a superbly executed thriller.” `The Mirror’
FOR THE DOGS/THE HUNTER'S PRAYER
“Wignall concentrates instead on the questions of character and motivation that make for a deeper reading experience. The names le Carré, Simenon and recent British mystery author Mark Billingham come to mind, making this a blend of old and new masters wrapped up in an original, finely hewn effort.” `Publishers Weekly”
WHO IS CONRAD HIRST?
“A thinking-person's thriller that'll keep you up all night, flipping pages with sweaty fingers! Wignall's Who is Conrad Hirst? races from start to finish, setting new standards for crime fiction. A brilliant premise, perfectly executed.”
Jeffery Deaver, author of The Sleeping Doll and The Bone Collector.
“Kevin Wignall is one of those writers I will always read and Who Is Conrad Hirst is his best book yet. Lean and stylish prose which any literary writer would be proud of and which cranks up the tension enough for the most demanding of mystery readers. While Wignall’s beautifully drawn hit-man struggles to find his own identity, those searching for gripping and grown-up mystery writing should look no further.”
Mark Billingham, author of Sleepyhead and Buried.
“Who is Conrad Hirst? is a classic espionage novel, in the tradition of Ambler, Len Deighton, early Le Carre: the kind where people act not for money but for love, and surprise themselves with what they still believe in. I was afraid no one was writing these anymore; what a pleasure to be proven wrong. It reminded me of everything that first thrilled me about this genre.”
Joseph Finder, author of Paranoia and Killer Instinct
“Brilliant and mesmerizing, Who is Conrad Hirst? explores the psychology of the ruthless killer with breakneck plotting, beautiful writing, and an ending that will leave you devastated.”
Olen Steinhauer, author of Liberation Movements and The Tourist
THE WINDOW
"Bordering on the magnificent."