My name's Jonathan Burgess and I write compelling detective stories with true to life characters. I want you to feel along with the characters all the highs and lows of their journeys.

 

Plot is important. Theme deepens the story, but we all need relatable, compelling characters to connect those.

 

“Living, vibrant human beings are still the secret and magic formula of great and enduring writing!”

 

But most importantly, my stories will provide you with hours of engaging entertainment.

 

Do you often read crime thrillers and detective stories but find they evolve so slowly that you get bored or tired and struggle to finish those books?

 

To avoid this; my stories are crafted to ensure all the key elements that keep readers turning those pages are present in every one of my books.

 

• Intriguing prologues

• Short powerful chapters

• Relatable character development with inner and outer conflict

• A deep sense of place

• Gripping plotlines

• Unexpected twists

• Unpredictable, satisfying endings

 

 

Don’t just take my word for it; here are some reader’s reviews:

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 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Intense and well-written narrative, with great characters! This book will stay with you for a long time, don't miss it! SMcK Goodreads

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'What an amazing storytelling talent J.F. Burgess has! A Place of Reckoning is an utterly gripping psychological thriller: a real page-turner.' Audrey Gibson, Goodreads

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'DI Blake and Lucy Stryker make a fantastic team to solve this dark mysterious case. It’s a crime thriller full of suspense which will grip you until the end… hugely enjoyable!' Shiva Patel, Goodreads

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'J. F. Burgess certainly knows how to keep his readers hooked right until the end!' Goodreads

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'An engrossing detective thriller, with a shocking twist that will leave readers breathless.' Former Detective and crime author, John Pye.

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A real page-turner from start to finish and the ending is brilliant not the usual run of the mill at all.

 

 

I grew up in Stoke-on-Trent and spent many years doing less than ideal jobs in and around the Potteries five towns, before finally taking the plunge and quitting work to follow my creative side, after contracting asthma through dust and chemical inhalation.

 

As a keen crime thriller reader, I started writing in 2007, but I was fully aware it would be a good while before I’d be able to make a living from my fiction writing, so to pay the bills I freelanced writing instruction and how-to manuals for online companies. As you can imagine it didn’t take long before I was bored out of my mind doing that!
 

Inspired by authors such as Agatha Christie, Peter James, Val McDermid, and Ian Rankin, I continued to write engaging character-driven crime fiction that readers love!

Fast-forward a few years, I’ve now written numerous short stories and novella’s and ten full-length novels, six of which featuring the charismatic widowed Detective Tom Blake and his larger-than-life sidekick DS Jon Murphy.

“My British detective novels are breathtaking murder mysteries that will keep you hooked until the final shocking twists are revealed.

The setting  of my books

When I read crime, I find it fascinating how authors describe their hometowns and cities. It allows readers to build up a mental picture of a real place, making the whole reading experience more emotive, because they can engage instantly with the characters in their environment.

Where we grow up leaves lasting memories that have a profound effect on us: with this in mind, there’s a deep sense of place in my books, which are set across gritty, post-industrial Stoke-on-Trent with its neglected five Towns, derelict pottery factories and forgotten collieries, surrounded by miles hauntingly beautiful Staffordshire Moorland Peaks.

 

I live with my wife and family in Stoke-on-Trent, England. You can contact me here or join the conversations with like-minded readers on my Facebook page here...

 

What started you reading? Who are your favourite authors, and why?

 

Please get in touch, and let me know, I love to hear reader stories.

 

Enjoy whatever you are reading!

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Jonathan

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