Michael Jecks is a prolific international novelist with over forty titles published or commissioned, six more collaborative novels, and many contributions to anthologies. His Death Ship of Dartmouth (Headline, 2006) was short-listed for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, and his work has been celebrated by the fountain pen manufacturers Conway Stewart and Visconti.

In 1994 he began to write his first novel. That led to his internationally acclaimed Templar series, at thirty-three titles, the longest crime series by any living author. He is the author of the Vintener Trilogy, a modern day spy thriller and the enormously popular Bloody Mary series.

The founder of Medieval Murderers and Bloody Brits, he has served on the committee of the Historical Writers’ Association and as Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association. He is currently the Hon Secretary of The Detection Club. As an international speaker he has worked with the British Council and at universities and festivals all over America and Europe from Anchorage to Piacenza. In 2014 he was the International Guest of Honour for the Bloody Words festival in Toronto, and Grand Marshall of the first parade in the New Orleans Mardi Gras.

A passionate supporter of new writing, Michael organised the CWA Debut Dagger and has judged a variety of prizes such as the Paddon Award at Exeter University, the Impress Prize and the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger. He runs workshops at the Swanwick writers’ summer school and has mentored and tutored students at Exeter University as a Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund.

Michael lives on Dartmoor with his wife and two children. His main hobbies and pastimes are: water colouring, walking with his dogs (a Rhodesian Ridgeback and Dalmatian), home brewing and Morris dancing.