Author Of The Week: 8 November – 14 November

Matt Hilton [Our holdings]

About Matt [From his website]

A police officer has quit his job after landing a major new publishing deal to write crime thrillers.

PC Matt Hilton worked as a beat officer in Cumbria before securing the five novel deal with Hodder and Stoughton.

The 42-year-old, of Carlisle, says he has finally achieved his dream after working for the police and in security.

His first book, Dead Men’s Dust, will be published in June next year and the later novels will be released at six-monthly intervals.

He said: “As a police constable I primarily answered 999 calls, and often dealt with violence, theft, robbery and road traffic collisions.

Although I enjoyed my work, I never felt that I was achieving my ambition, so when the publishing deal came along I resigned from the force immediately, allowing me to do what I’ve always dreamed of”.

“I’ve been existing on adrenalin since I heard the news.”

He has been writing novels since the age of 13 and has had non-fiction magazine articles published before.

After 18 years working in the private security industry he joined Cumbria Police in 2004.

He is a passionate reader of crime thriller fiction and his first book centres around a hero called Joe Hunter.

“I grew up in a working class environment with four brothers.

My parents were hard working, but were never well off,” Mr Hilton added.

“Because it was inexpensive we were all encouraged to read, write and draw as a form of recreation.

My father was a great story teller, and it’s probably this that fired my imagination”.

“When I was at school a teacher read one of my stories to the class and it was received with gasps of adulation”.

“Right then and there I made up my mind that I wanted to be a published author, and I’ve kept that dream throughout my life.”

He said he wrote his first novel aged 13 and has penned seven “serious” novels before Dead Men’s Dust.

Mr Hilton, a martial arts expert who was born in Scotland before settling in Carlisle, said he had non-fiction magazine articles published before but never fiction work.

Mr Hilton’s agent, Luigi Bonomi, said he had a huge future ahead of him.

He said: “Matt’s manuscript was plucked from the slush pile by my wife who is an obsessive thriller reader.

In her opinion Dead Men’s Dust is one of the most gripping novels she has read in ages and I couldn’t agree more.”

Thanking those who helped him achieve his ambition, Mr Hilton said: “Without them I’d still be answering 999 calls. Instead, I’m living my dreams.”