After decades spent teaching around the world — from the UK to the Caribbean, Africa, and the Middle East — I came to writing fiction later in life, starting with fantasy before finding my voice in fast-paced, real-world spy thrillers. My stories are grounded in current issues like corruption, gender bias, and power, but always with an emphasis on pace, surprise, and character-driven tension.
I’ve visited over 80 countries, worked as a radio host, directed Shakespeare for African audiences, and even survived a flash flood in Mali and an armed hold-up. Now retired from teaching, I split my time between writing, photography, and trying to get fit (thanks to a stubborn rowing machine). My latest novel, Hate Machine, tackles misogyny and gender radicalisation — not typical thriller territory, but I like a challenge.
Owen Stone Book 1
Unattended Untouched Misspoken
A gripping, high-stakes spy thriller where secrets, betrayal, and danger converge beneath the streets of London.
When MI5 officer Owen Stone is assigned a low-profile surveillance task, he expects little more than routine observation. But what begins as a simple operation quickly spirals into a deadly web of deception, foreign interference, and hidden agendas. An underground plot is brewing — one that could cripple London’s water supply and bring the city to its knees.
As Stone delves deeper, he uncovers layers of corruption and betrayal within both the intelligence community and corporate circles. With time running out, he must navigate a hostile maze of disinformation, compromised allies, and ruthless enemies. The clock is ticking, the body count is rising, and trust is a luxury he can no longer afford.
From its tense opening to its explosive finale, Code Blackdelivers non-stop suspense, sharp dialogue, and a chillingly plausible scenario that will leave readers questioning just how safe their world really is.
Owen Stone Book 2
Tainted Water
A razor-sharp thriller of corporate greed, political cover-ups, and the price of truth.
When a whistleblower vanishes without a trace, investigative journalist Owen Stone suspects foul play — but what he uncovers is far more dangerous than he imagined. At the centre of the mystery is a powerful water utility company, shielded by layers of bureaucracy, protected by politicians, and driven by shareholders hungry for profit.
As tainted water flows into homes across the country, Stone races to expose a scandal that reaches the highest levels of government. But the deeper he digs, the more lives are threatened — including his own. Every move he makes is watched, every ally he trusts may be compromised, and the evidence he needs is buried beneath a mountain of lies.
With a nation’s health at stake and powerful enemies closing in, Stone must decide how far he’s willing to go to reveal the truth — and whether he’s prepared to pay the price.
Tainted Wateris a timely, tightly wound thriller inspired by real-world issues — a story of corruption, resilience, and one man’s fight to hold the powerful to account.
📘 For readers who crave tense, intelligent thrillers that reflect the world we live in — with twists you won’t see coming.
Owen Stone Book 3
Hate Machine - (Coming Soon)
A daring, high-octane thriller about digital manipulation, radical ideology, and the weaponisation of hate.
Across the globe, tensions are rising: violent attacks on women, online abuse turning into real-world terror by influencers preaching male supremacy. Governments paralysed by scandal and indecision, as in the shadows, someone is feeding the fire, and MI5 officer Owen Stone is determined to find out who.
Still recovering from a near-fatal shooting, Stone is drawn into an investigation unlike any he's faced before. What begins as a probe into rising misogynistic violence soon reveals something far more insidious — a deliberate campaign to fracture society along gender lines, fuelled by algorithms, bots, and the darkest corners of the internet.
But this is no lone-wolf uprising. Behind the vitriol lies money, strategy, and a network of powerful individuals who benefit from chaos. As Stone tracks the connections from London to the Caribbean to Europe, he realises he’s not just chasing extremists — he’s up against a system designed to destabilise democracies and erase accountability.
Fast, provocative, and disturbingly close to reality, Hate Machine explores the price of silence, the lure of rage, and the invisible hands turning division into profit.
