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John Dean's books;

Welcome to my site. I am a crime novelist living in South West Scotland who was published by Robert Hale between 2004 and 2014 and now by The Book Folks. I have had twenty three titles published

The Book Folks titles are 

Dead Hill eb pb/audio

The VIxen's Scream eb pb/audio

To Die Alone eb pb/audio

The Long Dead eb pb/audio

Strange Little Girl eb pb/audio

The Railway Man eb pb/audio

The Secrets Man eb pb/audio

To Honour the Dead eb pb/audio

A Breach of Trust eb pb

Thou Shalt Kill eb pb

Death List eb pb

Error of Judgement, eb pb

The DCI Blizzard Murder Mysteries Books 1 to 3

A Collection containing the first three books in the DCI John Blizzard series of murder mysteries (The Book Folks) has been published in e-book format.

A Flicker in the Night eb pb

The Killing Line eb/pb

The Latch Man eb pb 

Kill Shot eb pb 

No Age to Die eb pb 

Last Man Alive eb/pb

The Vengeance Man eb/pb

The Girl in the Meadow eb/pb/hb

The Name on the Bullet eb/pb/hb

Writing as John Stanley

The Numbers Game – a DCI Danny Radford novel

Sentinel – a DCI Danny Radford novel

You can buy my Book Folks titles at:

Dead Hill

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DEAD-HILL-featuring-Detective-Inspector-ebook/dp/B06XH2ZJQ4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1498230104&sr=1-1&keywords=john+dean+and+dead+hill

The Vixen’s Scream https://www.amazon.co.uk/VIXENS-SCREAM-captivating-mystery-featuring-ebook/dp/B06Y45R6B4/ref=pd_sim_351_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=6QY89RN533S2REGRQBZB

To Die Alone https://www.amazon.co.uk/DIE-ALONE-Gripping-British-Detective-ebook/dp/B071JFLFKJ/ref=pd_sim_351_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=M03ECYTSSRXZZT8XD1R6

The Long Dead https://www.amazon.co.uk/LONG-DEAD-gripping-detective-Blizzard-ebook/dp/B075WC7SBN/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1506413197&sr=1-1&keywords=john+dean+and+the+long+dead

Strange Little Girl https://www.amazon.co.uk/STRANGE-LITTLE-GIRL-Detective-Blizzard-ebook/dp/B076TBXS9W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1509018472&sr=8-2&keywords=strange+little+girl+and+john+dean

The Railway Man https://www.amazon.co.uk/RAILWAY-MAN-Blizzard-murder-mystery-ebook/dp/B077SMPNDP/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1512399387&sr=1-2&keywords=the+railway+man

The Secrets Man https://www.amazon.co.uk/SECRETS-MAN-gripping-murder-mystery-ebook/dp/B079MHXRH3/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1517995404&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Secrets+Man

To Honour the Dead 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CMK9GYW/

A Breach of Trust 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07FVXBQ1F/ref=sr_1_9?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1532524937&sr=1-9&keywords=john+dean

Thou Shalt Kill 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07HKQL7XS

 

Death List

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DEATH-LIST-following-prison-targets-ebook/dp/B07MHXS9JM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1546678064&sr=1-1&keywords=Death+List+and+john+dean

Error of Judgement, eb pb

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07R11FB77/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=john+dean&qid=1556042858&s=digital-text&sr=1-2

The DCI Blizzard Murder Mysteries Books 1 to 3

A Collection containing the first three books in the DCI John Blizzard series of murder mysteries (The Book Folks) has been published in e-book format.

You can find out more and buy the book at

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07RHZWH8H/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=john+dean&qid=1557390139&s=digital-text&sr=1-3

The DCI Blizzard Murder Mysteries Books 4 to 6 is out.

This is a collection containing the second three books in the DCI John Blizzard series of murder mysteries (The Book Folks) published in e-book format.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07VWR9RGF/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=john+dean&qid=1564663149&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

A Flicker in the Night

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WSGYX1S/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=john+dean&qid=1566287620&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

 

The Killing Line - The Book Folks (eb/pb to come) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B084WR73YH/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=john+dean&qid=1582032771&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

The Latch Man

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B089KMBLLG/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=john+dean&qid=1591101401&s=digital-text&sr=1-5

The DCI Harris Murder Mysteries Books 1-3

The box set featuring the first three DCI Jack Harris mysteries published by The Book Folks, is on sale. DCI Jack Harris loves the peace and solitude of the rolling hills of the Pennines in the north of England so when criminals interrupt his quietude, he makes no qualms about catching them, even if his actions run the townsfolk and his fellow officers up the wrong way.

You can find out more, or buy the boxset, at

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B085NZQFF9/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=john+dean&qid=1583766058&s=digital-text&sr=1-2

The second DCI Jack Harris boxset has been published by The Book Folks in Kindle format, including books four to six in the series.

You can find out more, or buy the book, at

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B087QFCQ9T/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=john+dean&qid=1588059094&s=digital-text&sr=1-2

Kill Shot https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08LVZ86MX/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=john+dean&qid=1603724047&s=digital-text&sr=1-2

No Age to Die

NO AGE TO DIE: The release of a dangerous prisoner leads to murder eBook: Dean, John: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Last Man Alive eb/pb 

LAST MAN ALIVE: a classic British murder mystery (Detective Chief Inspector Jack Harris Book 9) eBook: Dean, John: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

The Vengeance Man

eb /pb

THE VENGEANCE MAN: vigilante justice meets mob rule in this murder mystery (DCI John Blizzard Book 10) eBook : Dean, John: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

 

The Girl in the Meadow

THE GIRL IN THE MEADOW: British crime fiction at its best eBook : Dean, John: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

 

The Name on the Bullet A DCI John Blizzard mystery

Pb eb hb https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C1GNRDRS/

 

Writing as John Stanley

The Numbers  Game

https://www.amazon.co.uk/NUMBERS-GAME-gripping-crime-thriller-ebook/dp/B00GVHK5KQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1530016765&sr=1-4&keywords=numbers+game

 

Sentinel

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SENTINEL-exciting-British-detective-thriller-ebook/dp/B016MDIIKC/ref=sr_1_6?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1530016867&sr=1-6&keywords=sentinel

 

Courses and mentoring

Crime novelist and creative writing tutor John Dean, who is based in Dumfries and Galloway, has launched an online Crime Fiction Course.

John, author of 20 crime novels and currently published by London-based The Book Folks, is the creator of DCI John Blizzard and DCI Jack Harris.

The online course, which runs in eight parts and can begin at a time and date to suit the student, will help writers to improve their technique and improve their chances of being successful, either in competitions or admissions to publishers.

When they enroll, students will be offered ongoing one-to-one feedback on their work, be it short stories or novels.

John, who is a member of the UK-based Crime Writers’ Association, said: “Writing can be a lonely pastime and my aim is to help aspiring writers to improve their technique and improve their chances of being successful in a very competitive market.

“Crime fiction remains hugely popular and, hopefully, I can help aspiring writers to develop their ideas, and because it is online it does not matter where they live.

"In recent years, I have worked with writers from everywhere from Croatia to Australia and New Zealand.”

There is no official certificate of qualification at the end of the course, which will be led by John.

The course costs £75.

For further details you can contact John at deangriss@btinternet.com

Mentoring

A reminder that, in addition to the various free things we do, one of the paid-for services I offer is one supporting writers.

Why should you hire a professional writing mentor, though?

Isn’t it enough to attend a class/workshop or a writing group? Or ask a friend or relative to comment?

Well, it depends what you want and need and bespoke mentoring can help some writers, providing the experience and expertise to -

• understand your work

• nurture you and your writing

• let you retain control of your ideas and your writing

* provide expert, specific advice about what is working and what isn’t.

I focus on major issues, such as how your story hangs together, what your characters are doing or could be doing, what is hurting your story’s momentum, what story elements are not pulling their weight.

I identify the differences between good and great and point out your writing strengths, so you become confident about what not to change.

I also give suggestions and help you establish good processes and writing goals and suggest markets for your work.

If long-term mentoring does not appeal, I run short writing courses as well.

You can contact me at deangriss@btinternet.com

Events

 

Blog Posts

Second book in series to be published

The latest novel by Dumfries and Galloway crime writer Ann Bloxwich will be published on June 10, 2023.

Goodnight, God Bless is the second book in the DI Alex Peachey series written by Ann, who was one of the writers who appeared at the recent Kirkcudbright Book Week in March, and is being published by  Red Dragon Publishing.

It tells…

Continue

Posted by John Dean on June 2, 2023 at 9:00

A month-long celebration of crime writing

National Crime Reading Month  begins tomorrow (June 1), including the Scottish launch in Edinburgh tomorrow night with guest speaker Professor Jim Fraser, a leading forensic scientist and author. You can find out more (including what's happening in your area) at…

Continue

Posted by John Dean on May 31, 2023 at 10:44

First talk in two and a half years

I am looking forward to appearing during the Crime Writers’ Association’s National Crime Reading Month (NCRM), run in conjunction with The Reading Agency, in June. I will be giving a talk about the inspiration for my novels, my first talk in two and a half years due to covid lockdowns etc.

During NCRM, authors will be taking part in events in…

Continue

Posted by John Dean on May 17, 2023 at 15:49

Book expected to go down a storm

The latest crime novel by Jackie Baldwin, who appeared at the recent Kirkcudbright Book Week, is due out on Thursday May 18.

Murder by the Seaside is published by Storm Publishing and begins when dawn breaks over the empty beaches of Portobello and Grace McKenna emerges from the icy water after her daily swim, her loyal dog Harvey by her side.…

Continue

Posted by John Dean on May 15, 2023 at 15:00

Talks, festivals, workshops, courses and manuscript assessments

Author announces 2023 weekend workshops for writing groups

Novelist John Dean has announced a series of weekend workshops to be held specifically for writing groups in Spring and Summer 2023 at his home in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.

John, author of 22 crime novels and currently published by London-based The Book Folks, is the creator of the popular DCI John Blizzard and DCI Jack Harris series and will run courses based around sense of place from his 19th Century hillside home between Castle Douglas and Kirkcudbright.

The workshop for groups of no less than four and no more than nine will be suitable for writers of all prose genres. The number of events will be limited and bookings are on a first-come-first-served basis. They will operate on dates agreed with the groups.

John, who has taught creative writing for twenty years, said: “My experience from having run weekend workshops at my home for four years is that the opportunity for members of writing groups to stand back from the hustle and bustle of daily life and focus on their writing, while at the same time being inspired by a stunning landscape, is something that appeals to many authors.

“The workshops have inspired some highly creative work and provided writers with powerful inspiration by allowing them to draw on the stunning landscape surrounding the house, as well as affording them the opportunity to bounce ideas off each other in a relaxed atmosphere.”

The cost is £95 per person, including catering, for groups of between four and six with a discount price of £80 per person for groups of seven, eight or nine.

Dates can be arranged to suit groups’ preferences and more information is available by emailing John on deangriss@btinternet.com The course is non-residential but advice can be offered on local B and Bs and hotels.

-----

I am looking forward to appearing during the Crime Writers’ Association’s National Crime Reading Month (NCRM), run in conjunction with The Reading Agency, in June. I will be giving a talk about the inspiration for my novels, my first talk in two and a half years due to covid lockdowns etc.

During NCRM, authors will be taking part in events in libraries, bookshops, conferences and festivals all over the UK, culminating in the Dagger Awards at the end of June.

Details of my event are: Monday June 12 Crocketford SWI annual Open Meeting, Crocketford Village Hall, Crocketford, Dumfries and Galloway, DG2 4RU. 7.30pm, attendance limited. Places can be booked through Judi Shaw at j.shaw659@btinternet.comTickets £4

You can find out more about National Crime Writing Month, including what is happening in your area, at www.crimereading.com

Author launches online crime fiction course

Crime novelist and creative writing tutor John Dean, who is based in Dumfries and Galloway, has launched an online Crime Fiction Course.

John, author of 22 novels and currently published by London-based The Book Folks, and the creator of DCI John Blizzard and DCI Jack Harris, is based near Castle Douglas.

The online course, which runs in eight parts and can begin at a time and date to suit the student, will help writers to improve their technique and improve their chances of being successful, either in competitions or admissions to publishers.

When they enroll, students will be offered ongoing one-to-one feedback on their work, be it short stories or novels.

John, who is a member of the UK-based Crime Writers’ Association, said: “Writing can be a lonely pastime and my aim is to help aspiring writers to improve their technique and improve their chances of being successful in a very competitive market.

“Crime fiction remains hugely popular and, hopefully, I can help aspiring writers to develop their ideas, and because it is online it does not matter where they live. In recent years, I have worked with writers from everywhere from Croatia to Australia and New Zealand.”

Themes to be included are:
An examination of where ideas come from - what triggers ideas in writers? Once you have the idea, how do you develop it? The course will look at the art of turning ideas into plots

How can you use sense of place, creating locations and landscapes to aid your storytelling?

How to pick characters to do the job. What are their functions in storytelling? This will include a look at everyone from lead investigators to villains and take in everyone in between

How conflict can be used to develop stories that assume a life of their own

That all-important start to your story - how do you grab the reader right from the off?

Writing with pace - how do you produce a narrative that keeps your reader turning the page?

Pulling it all together - how to edit the finished piece of work, how to make those changes that make all the difference and spot the passages that need to be deleted and the new ones that require writing

How to pitch to publishers and agents

The course costs £75 and can be timed to fit in with the writers’ lives. Because the course is online, those writers taking part can do the work at a time and pace that suits them. There is no official certificate of qualification at the end of the course. For further details you can contact me at deangriss@btinternet.com

Manuscript assessments

John works with his daughter Laura, a skilled editor and manuscript assessor, to provide manuscript assessments. Should you be interested in finding out more, then feel free to drop John a line and he and Laura can discuss your needs.  For further details, you can contact John at deangriss@btinternet.com or ring 07889 554931. 

Talks

John gives talks on crime writing to organisations ranging from library reading groups and writing groups to men's forums. He also delivers creative writing workshops at venues including arts centres and libraries. He can be contacted on deangriss@btinternet.com

 
 
 

Latest Activity

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Friday
John Dean posted a blog post

Second book in series to be published

The latest novel by Dumfries and Galloway crime writer Ann Bloxwich will be published on June 10, 2023.Goodnight, God Bless is the second book in the DI Alex Peachey series written by Ann, who was one of the writers who appeared at the recent Kirkcudbright Book Week in March, and is being published by  Red Dragon Publishing.It tells how DI Peachey reports back to work…See More
Friday
John Dean posted a blog post

A month-long celebration of crime writing

National Crime Reading Month  begins tomorrow (June 1), including the Scottish launch in Edinburgh tomorrow night with guest speaker Professor Jim Fraser, a leading forensic scientist and author. You can find out more (including what's happening in your area) athttps://crimereading.com/event/scottish-launch-national-crime-writers-month-with-professor-jim-fraserSee More
May 31
kevin rodriquez updated their profile
May 25
Zara Mae Pickering updated their profile
May 24
John Dean shared their blog post on Facebook
May 24
Profile IconZara Mae Pickering and kevin rodriquez joined John Dean Crime Novelist
May 24
John Dean posted a blog post

First talk in two and a half years

I am looking forward to appearing during the Crime Writers’ Association’s National Crime Reading Month (NCRM), run in conjunction with The Reading Agency, in June. I will be giving a talk about the inspiration for my novels, my first talk in two and a half years due to covid lockdowns etc.During NCRM, authors will be taking part in events in libraries, bookshops,…See More
May 17
John Dean posted a blog post

Book expected to go down a storm

The latest crime novel by Jackie Baldwin, who appeared at the recent Kirkcudbright Book Week, is due out on Thursday May 18.Murder by the Seaside is published by Storm Publishing and begins when dawn breaks over the empty beaches of Portobello and Grace McKenna emerges from the icy water after her daily swim, her loyal dog Harvey by her side. Little does she know that,…See More
May 15
John Dean shared their blog post on Facebook
May 12
John Dean posted a blog post

The art of plotting

I am ten thousand words into the latest DCI Jack Harris novel for The Book Folks, which means that plotting is very much at the forefront of my thinking.To make a plot work, you need a strong story and in crime fiction that comes from watching characters overcome challenges – a murder, a mystery etc.My initial plots tend to be very sketchy, very much the bare bones with…See More
May 12
sophia gagnon updated their profile
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Johnson Flava updated their profile
May 4
Profile IconJohnson Flava and sophia gagnon joined John Dean Crime Novelist
May 4
John Dean shared their blog post on Facebook
May 3
John Dean posted a blog post

Reviewers have their say

Thank you to everyone who took the time to review my latest crime novel The Name on the Bullet, published by The Book Folks. You can find out what the reviewers thought of DCI John Blizzard's latest outing, and buy the book in ebook, paperback and hardcover format, at…See More
Apr 28

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Manuscript assessments

Are you an aspiring crime writer who is keen to develop your craft? Then perhaps I can help. I work with my daughter Laura,…Continue

Started by John Dean Feb 23, 2021.

Mentoring programmes and online writing courses

Novelist John Dean is offering online courses for writing groups who may be struggling to meet in person during the current coronavirus restrictions.Crime writer John, who is based in Dumfries and Galloway and has been a creative writing tutor for…Continue

Started by John Dean Feb 7, 2020.

Libraries Champions

John Dean is one of three UK Libraries Champions appointed by The Crime Writers’ Association.Key elements of the role…Continue

Started by John Dean Sep 12, 2018.

Blizzard series 1 Reply

I have read a number of the Blizzard series on Kindle—Strange Littke Girl,The Railway Man, The Secrets Man and The Long Dead. Got The Latch Man from a third party seller on Amazon. Are there others in the series?

Started by Deborah Kaback. Last reply by John Dean Aug 8, 2018.

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