Johnston, Paul 1957-

PERSONAL:

Born 1957, in Edinburgh, Scotland; son of Ronald Johnston (a writer); married first wife, Vigdis (marriage ended); married second wife, Roula (a Greek civil servant), 2005; children: Silie (first marriage), Maggie (second marriage). Education: Oxford University, M.A., M.Phil. Earned another master's degree in 1995 and began doctoral studies.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Athens, Greece, and the United Kingdom. Agent—Broo Doherty, Wade and Doherty Literary Agency, 33 Cormorant Lodge, 1 Thomas More St., London E1W 1AU, England. E-mail—info@pauljohnston.co.uk.

CAREER:

Has worked for a newspaper in Greece, for shipping companies in Greece, Belgium, and London, England, and as a teacher of English in Greece. Writer, 1989—.

MEMBER:

Crime Writers' Association.

AWARDS, HONORS:

John Creasey Memorial Dagger, Crime Writers' Association, for best first crime novel, 1997, for Body Politic; Sherlock Award for Best Detective Novel of the Year, 2004, for The Last Red Death.

WRITINGS:

"QUINT DALRYMPLE" SERIES

Body Politic, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1997, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1999.

The Bone Yard, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1998, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2000.

Water of Death, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1999, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2000.

The Blood Tree, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 2000.

The House of Dust, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 2001.

"ALEX MAVROS" SERIES

A Deeper Shade of Blue, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 2002.

The Last Red Death, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 2003.

The Golden Silence, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 2004.

"MATT WELLS" SERIES

The Death List, Mira Books (New York, NY), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

Paul Johnston's mystery novels include series with various settings. The novels featuring private investigator Quint Dalrymple are set in a futuristic Scotland. In another series, Alex Mavros works as a detective in present-day Greece, a country where Johnston has maintained a second home for years. A mystery writer named Matt Wells, based in contemporary London, is the protagonist of the first book in a projected series. Paul Johnston is the son of thriller writer Ronald Johnston; Paul has been quoted as saying his father encouraged him in his work.

Johnston's first novel and the first in the Dalrymple series, Body Politic, earned a Creasy Award for best first novel. The futuristic story, which takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, circa 2020, combines elements of both science fiction and mystery. In Johnston's vision of the future, the rest of the United Kingdom is in utter chaos, while Edinburgh, which essentially has become an authoritarian city-state, flourishes. Ruled by a council of guardians who claim to be disciples of the writings of the Greek philosopher Plato, Edinburgh has become extremely regimented, with little room for individualism on the part of its citizens. Many forms of entertainment, such as television and unsanctioned literature or art, have become privileges of the past. Crime has also been stamped out. In fact, the city's one form of unadulterated fun seems to be a huge annual festival, which attracts throngs of foreign visitors and has made Edinburgh a prime vacation destination.

The novel takes a turn when the first murder in five years takes place, and is found to be the handiwork of a former serial killer known as the ENT because of the grisly acts he performs on each victim's eyes, nose, and throat. The new murder outrages the council, which, despite its benevolent preachings, is found to be rife with corruption. The council is most upset because it fears that once the news of the murder gets out, the tourists will stay away from the festival, which turns out to be based on sex. Therefore, the council is forced to rehire a former private investigator named Quintilian Dalrymple, who took a job with the parks department after he had fallen from grace from the police department. Despite his sullied past, the guardians need "Quint" because he had previously worked on the case of the ENT killer. Like a stereotypical detective from an American mystery novel, Quint is a hip, jazz-loving, rebellious sort who not only has to track down the killer, but also must fight his way through the corruption that turns up at every level. Quint, who also acts as the story's narrator, follows each clue, winding his way through Edinburgh's hidden but sordid sex industry, as well as having to deal with incompetent bureaucrats. Johnston spares no details of the vicious murders, nor of the unusual shows that are offered at the various sex clubs. In the end, Quint not only discovers the killer, he also has exposed Edinburgh for what it really is.

Several critics praised Body Politic. It is a "utopian novel" that features "a largely successful merging of mystery and science-fiction genres," reported David Pitt in Booklist. Alan Taylor, writing in the Observer, also commented on the novel's futuristic aspects, saying: "Johnston's coup is in setting a crime novel in the future when the vogue of late has been to locate them in the past." Taylor added that "the pace rarely stutters." An Economist contributor described the work as "not only thrilling but intellectually exciting as well." A Publishers Weekly reviewer noted that Johnston has a "spare style" that "doesn't hinder him from effectively limning a society." The reviewer concluded: "Offbeat but on target, this is one exciting debut." Johnston has written four other books featuring Dalrymple.

The Death List introduces British mystery novelist Matt Wells. Once a successful writer, he is now suffering from writers' block. His publisher and his agent have given up on him, and his wife has left him. Trying to raise his spirits by reading e-mail from his fans, Matt notices messages from a serial killer calling himself the White Devil, who wants Matt to write his story. He coerces Matt into cooperating by threatening the writer and his ex-wife, daughter, and girlfriend. He also makes Matt a murder suspect by utilizing murder methods found in grisly scenes of Matt's own crime novels. Matt must find a way to foil the White Devil without endangering his loved ones.

Some critics thought readers would find the mystery compelling, although some also saw flaws in the story. The plot twists will "keep readers guessing" but "aren't always believable," commented Lisa O'Hara in the Library Journal. Nevertheless, she added: "Fans of the genre will enjoy the white-knuckle ride." A Kirkus Reviews contributor remarked: "The morbidly inventive death scenes are likely to test readers' stomachs, the arbitrary violence-at-will their patience." David Pitt, however, again reviewing for Booklist, praised The Death List unreservedly as "very gripping, very frightening stuff."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, July, 1999, David Pitt, review of Body Politic, p. 1927; May 1, 2007, David Pitt, review of The Death List, p. 32.

Economist, December 13, 1997, "Murder Mysteries: Discount the Body Count," pp. S14-S15.

Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 2007, review of The Death List.

Library Journal, June 1, 2007, Lisa O'Hara, review of The Death List, p. 114.

Observer (London, England), July 13, 1997, Alan Taylor, "The Bodies Pile Up. And That's Not Counting the Scene in the Sex Club," p. 18.

Publishers Weekly, July 19, 1999, review of Body Politic, p. 187.

ONLINE

January Magazine,http://www.januarymagazine.com/ (February, 2003), Karim and Simon Kernick, interview with Paul Johnston.

Paul Johnston Home Page,http://www.paul-johnston.co.uk (March 18, 2008).