Povey, Jeff

PERSONAL:

Born in England; married; children: four.

ADDRESSES:

Home—England.

CAREER:

Writer and screenwriter.

WRITINGS:

The Serial Killers Club (novel), Warner Books (New York, NY), 2006.

SCREENPLAYS

Holed, Channel 4 (London, England), 1996.

Hungry, Channel 4 (London, England), 1998.

(And director) Blowing It (screenplay), FilmFour (London, England), 2002.

Writer for television series and programs, primarily British, including Stay Lucky, 1993; Holby City, 1995-2005; Captain Star, 1997; City Central, 1998; Lost in France, 1998; Grange Hill, 1998; Casualty, 1998-2001; EastEnders, 2001-07; Wired in the Blood, 2002; The Afternoon Play, 2003; Blue Murder, 2004-06; Silent Witness, 2006; and Kingdom, 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

A prolific writer for British television, Jeff Povey is also the author of the novel The Serial Killers Club. Working on the docks of London, Douglas Fairbanks (a pseudonym that the narrator takes on to tell his story) becomes the target of the notorious serial killer Grandson-of-Barney. Fairbanks, however, comes out victorious and kills the killer. When he searches the man, however, he finds a notice for a club in Chicago. Deciding to investigate, Fairbanks soon finds that it is a social club for serial killers who exchange tales about their fiendish exploits. Fairbanks joins the club and finds himself fascinated with the other club members even though he is not a serial killer. However, when the members become suspicious of Fairbanks one night, he murders them and the goes on to join forces with an FBI agent named Kennet Wades to hunt down other serial killers who belonged to the club. "This is one of the funniest; gently tongue in cheek ‘whodunits’ to cross my desk this year," wrote Sandy Amazeen on the Monsters and Critics Web site, adding that The Serial Killers Club is "action packed with surprises." A Publishers Weekly contributor called the novel "a refreshing change from the paint-by-the-numbers profiler vs. psychotic fiend offerings."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, May 1, 2006, David Pitt, review of The Serial Killers Club, p. 38.

Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2006, review of The Serial Killers Club, p. 376.

Publishers Weekly, April 3, 2006, review of The Serial Killers Club, p. 39; June 5, 2006, Michelle Kung, "Murderers Only," p. 14.

ONLINE

Channel4.com,http://www.channel4.com/ (August 10, 2007), "The Orange FilmFour Prize for Short Film: Meet the Finalists: Jeff Povey," interview with Jeff Povey.

Curled Up with a Good Book,http://www.curledup.com/ (July 16, 2007), Luan Gaines, review of The Serial Killers Club.

Hachette Book Group Web site,http://www.hachettebookgroupusa.com/ (July 16, 2007), brief profile of author.

Internet Movie Database,http://www.imdb.com/ (July 16, 2007), information on author's television and film work.

MakingtheFilm.com,http://www.makingthefilm.com/ (December 17, 2002), "Making the Film—Interviews."

Monsters and Critics,http://books.monstersandcritics.com/ (June 25, 2006), Sandy Amazeen, review of The Serial Killers Club.