Stephen Leather

Stephen Leather (born 25 October 1956) is a British thriller author whose works are published by Hodder & Stoughton. He has written for television shows such as London's Burning, The Knock, and the BBC's Murder in Mind series.[3][4] He is one of the top selling Amazon Kindle authors, the second bestselling UK author worldwide on Kindle in 2011.[5][6]

Stephen Leather
Born (1956-10-25) 25 October 1956
Manchester, Lancashire, England
NationalityBritish
EducationBSc in biochemistry[1][2]
Alma materBath University[2]
OccupationAuthor
Years active1987–present
Known forThriller books: Dan Shepherd Mystery and Nightingale Series
WebsiteOfficial website

Biography

Early life

Leather was born in Manchester. He grew up in Sale and Chorlton-cum-Hardy, and attended Manchester Grammar School.[7] He attended Bath University, where he obtained a BSc in Biochemistry in 1978.[2]

Early career

Leather was employed as a biochemist for ICI, shovelled limestone in a quarry, worked as a baker, a petrol pump attendant, a barman, and worked for the Inland Revenue.[2] He began his writing career as a journalist, working for newspapers such the Glasgow Herald, Daily Mirror, The Times, Daily Mail, and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong.[8]

Writing career

Leather began writing when he was in college; however, he "never managed to get beyond a few pages,"[9] and did not begin writing full-time until he had worked as a journalist for more than ten years.[8]

His first novel, Pay Off, was written while he was still employed at The Daily Mirror.[8] It was published from the "slush pile" at HarperCollins. The novel is a thriller about a merchant banker who takes revenge on two gangsters who killed his father. The book is set in Scotland, where Leather worked for five years on The Glasgow Herald as a business writer.

His second novel, The Fireman, was written while he was working as the business editor of the South China Morning Post.[9][10] In The Fireman, a British tabloid journalist travels to Hong Kong to discover why his sister committed suicide. Both novels, and his third, Hungry Ghost, were published by HarperCollins.

Leather wrote his fourth novel, The Chinaman, while working as night news editor on the business desk of The Times in London.[8][9] At the time, the Provisional Irish Republican Army's bombing campaign was at its height, and in The Chinaman, a Sino-Vietnamese man loses his family in an attack loosely based on the bombing of the Harrods department store in London. Having been turned away by the authorities, the man, a highly decorated Special Forces fighter in the Vietnam War, travels to Ireland and hunts down the people responsible.[8][11][12] The book was used as the basis for the 2017 thriller The Foreigner.[13]

Published works

Leather's novels frequently include themes of crime, imprisonment, military service, and terrorism. Settings are typically London and the Far East. Leather writes different series in slightly different genres. The main character of one series, Dan 'Spider' Shepherd, is a former Special Air Service soldier who becomes an undercover policeman. Another series, Jack Nightingale, is about a former police negotiator who becomes a private investigator;[14] this supernatural detective series is also published by Hodder & Stoughton and includes the books Nightfall, Midnight, Nightmare, Nightshade[15] and Lastnight.

Leather has written screenplays for London's Burning, The Knock, and the BBC's Murder in Mind series.[3][16][17] Two of his novels, The Stretch and The Bombmaker, were screened for made for TV movies and filmed for Sky Television. The Stretch starred Leslie Grantham and Anita Dobson, two popular soap opera stars from the U.K.[18]

Amazon Kindle releases

Leather became successful in the Amazon Kindle market in 2010.[19] Amazon UK opened an eBook store that year. As reported in The Guardian, Leather anticipated that people buying eBooks would be seeking bargains, and he priced his books at the minimum price for independent writers in order to get his books into the top ten.[6] He then marketed the books on various forums online.[6]

Early in 2011, Leather's books The Basement, Hard Landing, and the vampire novella Once Bitten occupied the top three places in the UK Kindle bestseller list, a feat matched only by Stieg Larsson with his The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy.[20] That same year, Leather was the second bestselling UK author on the Kindle worldwide, beaten only by Lee Child.[21][22]

Awards and recognition

In 2002, Leather's book Tango One was nominated for the inaugural CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, awarded by the Crime Writers' Association.[23][24] His book Hard Landing was nominated for the award in 2004.[25]

His book Cold Kill was nominated for Best Novel in 2007 by International Thriller Writers Inc.[26] In 2011, Leather sold over 500,000 eBooks and was voted by The Bookseller magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the UK publishing world.[12]

2012 Harrogate Crime Writing Festival

On 5 August 2012, journalist Nick Cohen wrote in The Observer that Leather had created phony Twitter accounts in the name of another writer, and used those accounts to praise Leather's own books.[27] Cohen quoted Leather's response to a question, as a panelist, at the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival, which was recorded for BBC Radio 4:[28]

"As soon as my book is out I'm on Facebook and Twitter several times a day talking about it. I'll go on to several forums, the well-known forums, and post there under my name and under various other names and various other characters. You build up this whole network of characters who talk about your books and sometimes have conversations with yourself."[27]

Leather's comment was widely reported,[29][30][31][32][33] and, on 3 September 2012, forty nine other British authors issued a group statement in which they "unreservedly condemn" the use of sockpuppets, or paid reviews.[34][35][36]

Jeremy Duns and Steve Mosby have alleged that Leather has harassed them online.[37][38]

Bibliography

Novels
Publication year Title Series Original publisher ISBN Notes
1987 Pay Off St. Martin's Press ISBN 0312014872 Hardcover (1988), Paperback (2002), Audio Book (2011), and eBook (2009)
1989 The Fireman St. Martin's Press ISBN 0312038313 Hardcover (1990), Paperback (1996), Audio Book (2011), and eBook (2008)
1991 Hungry Ghost HarperCollins ISBN 0002236370 Hardcover (1991), Paperback (2008), Audio Book (2008), and eBook (2008)
1992 The Chinaman Mike Cramer #1 Pocket Books ISBN 0671743015 Hardcover (1992), Paperback (1992), Audio Book (2007), and eBook (2008). Also published as The Foreigner (2017)
1992 The Double Tap Mike Cramer #3 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 9780340628393 Hardcover (1996), Paperback (1997), and Audio Book (2006)
1993 The Vets Pocket Books ISBN 0671743031 Hardcover (1993), Paperback (1994), and eBook (2004)
1994 The Long Shot Mike Cramer #2 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 9780340632376 eBook (2009)
1996 The Birthday Girl Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 0340632364 Hardcover (1995), Paperback (2006), Audio Book (2007), and eBook
1997 The Solitary Man Ulverscroft ISBN 0340628375 Hardcover (2004), Paperback (1997), and Audio Book (2010)
1997 The Tunnel Rats Ulverscroft ISBN 0753170655 Hardcover (2004), Paperback (2006), Audio Book (2009), and eBook (2009)
1999 The Bombmaker Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 0340689552 Hardcover (1999), Paperback (2005), Audio Book (2003), and eBook (2009)
2000 The Stretch Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 0340770325 Hardcover (2000), Paperback (2001), Audio Book (2001), and eBook (2009)
2002 Tango One Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 0340770341 Hardcover (2002), Paperback (2006), Audio Book (2004), and eBook (2009)
2003 The Eyewitness Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 034082400X Hardcover (2003), Paperback (2003), Audio Book (2004), and eBook (2008)
2004 Hard Landing Dan 'Spider' Shepherd #1 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 0340734116 Hardcover, Paperback, Audio Book, and eBook
2005 Private Dancer Three Elephants ISBN 9810539169 Paperback and eBook
2005 Soft Target Dan 'Spider' Shepherd #2 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 0340834072 Hardcover (2005), Paperback (2005), Audio Book (2005), and eBook (2008)
2006 Confessions of a Bangkok Private Eye Monsoon Books ISBN 981054832X With Warren Olson
2006 Cold Kill Dan 'Spider' Shepherd #3 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 0340834102 Hardcover, Paperback, Audio Book, and eBook
2007 Hot Blood Dan 'Spider' Shepherd #4 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 0340921692 Paperback and eBook
2008 Dead Men Dan 'Spider' Shepherd #5 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 0340921706 Hardcover (2008), Paperback (2008), Audio Book (2008), and eBook (2008)
2009 Live Fire Dan 'Spider' Shepherd #6 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 0340921730 Hardcover (2009), Paperback (2010), Audio Book (2009), and eBook (2009)
2010 Dreamer's Cat Three Elephants ASIN B00486U6VU eBook
2010 The Basement Amazon Encore ISBN 1612181481 Paperback (2011), Audio Book (2012), and eBook (2011)
2010 Rough Justice Dan 'Spider' Shepherd #7 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 0340924934 Hardcover (2010), Paperback (2010), Audio Book (2010), and eBook (2010)
2010 Nightfall Jack Nightingale #1 Isis Large Print ISBN 1612182291 Hardcover, Paperback, Audio Book, and eBook (2012)
2011 Once Bitten Amazon Encore ISBN 1455871702 Paperback (2011), Audio Book (2012), and eBook (2011)
2011 Bangkok Bob and The Missing Mormon Monsoon Books ISBN 9810877765 Paperback (2011) and eBook (2010)
2011 Fair Game Dan 'Spider' Shepherd #8 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 0340924969 Hardcover (2012), Paperback (2012), Audio Book (2011), and eBook (2012)
2011 Midnight Jack Nightingale #2 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 1444700669 Hardcover (2011), Paperback (2012), Audio Book (2012), and eBook (2012)
2012 False Friends Dan 'Spider' Shepherd #9 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 1444736779
2012 Nightmare Jack Nightingale #3 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 1455866792 Hardcover (2012), Paperback (2012), Audio Book (2012), and eBook (2012)
2013 True Colours Dan 'Spider' Shepherd #10 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 978-1444736564
2013 Nightshade Jack Nightingale #4 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 9781444740684 Hardcover (2013), Paperback (2013), Audio Book (2013), and eBook (2013)
2014 White Lies Dan 'Spider' Shepherd #11 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 978-1444736588 Hardcover (2014), and eBook (2014)
2014 Lastnight Jack Nightingale #5 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 1444742655 Hardcover (2014), and eBook (2014)
2014 San Francisco Night Jack Nightingale #6 Three Elephants ISBN 978-0-9566203-9-2 Hardcover (2015), and eBook (2014)
2015 Black Ops Dan 'Spider' Shepherd #12 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 978-1444736656 Hardcover (2015), and eBook (2015)
2015 New York Night Jack Nightingale #7 Three Elephants ISBN 978-0956620378 Hardcover (2015), and eBook (2015)
2016 First Response Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 978-1473604605 Hardcover (2016), and eBook (2016)
2016 Takedown Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 978-1473605596 Hardcover (2017), and eBook (2017)
2016 Dark Forces Dan 'Spider' Shepherd #13 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 978-1473604063 Hardcover (2016), and eBook (2016)
2016 The Sandpit Dan 'Spider' Shepherd: SAS #1 CreateSpace ISBN 978-1532959394 Novella
2017 Light Touch Dan 'Spider' Shepherd #14 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 978-1473604131
2018 The Shout Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 978-1473671782
2018 Last Man Standing Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 978-1473671867
2018 Tall Order Dan 'Spider' Shepherd #15 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 978-1473604179
2018 Moving Targets Dan 'Spider' Shepherd: SAS #2 CreateSpace ISBN 978-1985232051
2018 Tennessee Night Jack Nightingale #8 Independently published ISBN 978-1717751133 Paperback (2018), and eBook (2018)
2019 The Bag Carrier Independently published ISBN 978-1794095274
2019 Rogue Warrior ASIN B07XQ3M13B Novella
2019 Plausible Deniability Independently published ISBN 978-1075865565 Novella
2019 Short Range Dan 'Spider' Shepherd #16 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 978-1473671928
2020 The Runner Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 978-1529345155
2020 Slow Burn Dan 'Spider' Shepherd #17 Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 978-1473671973

Short stories
Publication year Title Series Collection Notes
2011 "Cursed" Jack Nightingale #1.5 Nightingale - A Short Story Collection (2017)
2011 "Inspector Zhang Gets His Wish" Inspector Zhang #1 The Eight Curious Cases of Inspector Zhang (2014) Novella
2011 "Inspector Zhang and the Falling Woman" Inspector Zhang #2 The Eight Curious Cases of Inspector Zhang (2014) Novella
2011 "Inspector Zhang and the Dead Thai Gangster" Inspector Zhang #3 The Eight Curious Cases of Inspector Zhang (2014) Novella
2011 "Inspector Zhang and the Disappearing Drugs" Inspector Zhang #4 The Eight Curious Cases of Inspector Zhang (2014) Novella
2012 "Friendly Fire" Dan 'Spider' Shepherd Spider Shepherd Short Stories (2013),
Spider Shepherd: SAS: Volume 2 (2014)
2012 "Dead Drop" Dan 'Spider' Shepherd Spider Shepherd Short Stories (2013),
Spider Shepherd: SAS: Volume 2 (2014)
2012 "Still Bleeding" Jack Nightingale #4.4 Nightingale - A Short Story Collection (2017)
2012 "Inspector Zhang And The Perfect Alibi" Inspector Zhang #5 The Eight Curious Cases of Inspector Zhang (2014) Novella
2012 "Breaking" Inspector Zhang #6.1 Short Fuses (2012)
2012 "Strangers On A Train" Inspector Zhang #6.2 Short Fuses (2012)
2012 "Inspector Zhang and the Hotel Guest" Inspector Zhang #6.3 Short Fuses (2012),
The Eight Curious Cases of Inspector Zhang (2014)
2012 "Cat's Eyes" Inspector Zhang #6.4 Short Fuses (2012)
2012 "Inspector Zhang Goes To Harrogate" Inspector Zhang #7 The Eight Curious Cases of Inspector Zhang (2014) Novella
2013 "Hard Evidence" Dan 'Spider' Shepherd Spiders Web (2013)
2013 "Hiatus" Dan 'Spider' Shepherd Spiders Web (2013)
2013 "Hard Targets" Dan 'Spider' Shepherd Spiders Web (2013),
Spider Shepherd: SAS: Volume 1 (2014)
2013 "Kill Zone" Dan 'Spider' Shepherd Spider Shepherd Short Stories (2013),
Spider Shepherd: SAS: Volume 2 (2014)
2013 "Natural Selection" Dan 'Spider' Shepherd: SAS Spider Shepherd: SAS: Volume 1 (2014)
2013 "Warning Order" Dan 'Spider' Shepherd: SAS Spider Shepherd: SAS: Volume 1 (2014)
2013 "Hostile Territory" Dan 'Spider' Shepherd: SAS Spider Shepherd: SAS: Volume 1 (2014)
2013 "Rough Diamonds" Dan 'Spider' Shepherd: SAS Spider Shepherd: SAS: Volume 1 (2014)
2013 "Inspector Zhang and the Island of the Dead" Inspector Zhang #8 The Eight Curious Cases of Inspector Zhang (2014) Novella
2014 "Narrow Escape" Dan 'Spider' Shepherd: SAS Spider Shepherd: SAS: Volume 1 (2014)
2014 "Personal Protection" Dan 'Spider' Shepherd: SAS Spider Shepherd: SAS: Volume 2 (2014)
2014 "The Rope" Dan 'Spider' Shepherd: SAS Spider Shepherd: SAS: Volume 2 (2014)
2014 "Planning Pack" Dan 'Spider' Shepherd: SAS Spider Shepherd: SAS: Volume 2 (2014)
2014 "Remote Control" Dan 'Spider' Shepherd
2014 "My Name Is Lydia" Jack Nightingale #2.5 Nightingale - A Short Story Collection (2017)
2014 "Blood Bath" Jack Nightingale #4.5 Nightingale - A Short Story Collection (2017)
2014 "Tracks" Jack Nightingale #5.5 Nightingale - A Short Story Collection (2017)
2015 "I Know Who Did It" Jack Nightingale #4.6 Nightingale - A Short Story Collection (2017)
2015 "The Whisper Man" Jack Nightingale Novella
2016 "Children Of The Dark" Jack Nightingale #5.6 Nightingale - A Short Story Collection (2017)
2017 "The Cards" Jack Nightingale #3.5 Nightingale 2 - A Short Story Collection (2018)
2017 "The Creeper" Jack Nightingale #5.7 Nightingale - A Short Story Collection (2017)
2017 "The Asylum" Jack Nightingale #5.8 Nightingale 2 - A Short Story Collection (2018)
2017 "The Undead" Jack Nightingale #5.9 Nightingale - A Short Story Collection (2017)
2017 "The Doll" Jack Nightingale #5.10 Nightingale 2 - A Short Story Collection (2018)
2017 "The Mansion" Jack Nightingale #5.11 Nightingale 2 - A Short Story Collection (2018)
2017 "Possession" Jack Nightingale #5.12 Nightingale 2 - A Short Story Collection (2018)
2017 "Devilzone - A Jack Nightingale Screenplay" Jack Nightingale
2017 "Wrong Turn" Jack Nightingale Nightingale 2 - A Short Story Collection (2018)
2018 "The House On Gable Street" Jack Nightingale
2018 "Knock Knock" Jack Nightingale Nightingale 2 - A Short Story Collection (2018)
2018 "Watery Grave" Jack Nightingale Nightingale 2 - A Short Story Collection (2018)
2018 "Claws" Jack Nightingale Nightingale 2 - A Short Story Collection (2018)

Screenplays
Date Show title Notes
2001–2003 Murder in Mind Wrote two of the first series episode (2001) and two episodes of the second series (2002). Also wrote an episode for the 2003 series.[16]
2000 The Bombmaker Made for TV movie based on the book written by Leather
2000 The Knock (Series 5) Episode 2. 90-minute special
2000 The Stretch Made for TV movie based on the book written by Leather. Movie created, written, and produced by Leather
1999 London's Burning Episode 9 & 10. Screened March 2000
1998 The Knock (Series 4) Episode 4, 5, and 6. Screened in 1999

Adaptations

References
  1. "Stephen Leather features on Thailand Tatler". University of Bath. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  2. "Stephen Leather". Thailand Tattler. Archived from the original on 12 January 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  3. "Murder in Mind – Drama". DigiGuide. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  4. "Stephen Leather". The Bookseller. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  5. Allen, Katie. "Lee Child most successful UK Kindle author". The Bookseller. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  6. "Kindle gives thriller writer a plot for success – at 71p a shot". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  7. Unsworth, Emma (25 January 2007). "Hot on the trail of terror". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  8. Ingham, Tim. "Stephen Leather". Metro. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  9. Leather, Stephen. "The Author". Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  10. Spelman, Judith (August 2008). "Judith Spelman Talks to a Best Selling Author Who Produces A Thriller A Year". Writing Magazine: 8–9.
  11. "The Chinaman". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  12. "Bookseller 100". The Bookseller. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  13. Busch, Anita; Fleming Jr, Mike (5 June 2015). "Jackie Chan To Star in 'The Foreigner' for STX Entertainment". deadline.com. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  14. "Success Story 11 – Stephen Leather". Writers Services. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  15. "Nightshade". Hodder & Stoughton. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  16. "Joe Andoe". Star Trader. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  17. "Stephen Leather". TV.com. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  18. "The Stretch – Drama". DigiGuide. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  19. Skidelsky, William (27 February 2011). "Kindle gives thriller writer a plot for success – at 71p a shot". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  20. Jones, Phillip. "'Confessions' is e-book of the year". The Bookseller. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  21. "Lee Child most successful UK Kindle author". The Bookseller. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  22. "The top 50 e-book bestsellers of the year". Future Book. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  23. "Tango One". Isis Publishing. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  24. "The CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger 2002". Crime Writer's Association. Archived from the original on 28 June 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  25. "THE CWA's 2004 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award". Crime Writer's Association. Archived from the original on 25 December 2005. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  26. "ITW Thriller Award nominees and winners". Thriller Writers. Archived from the original on 21 February 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  27. Cohen, Nick (5 August 2012). "Welcome to Britain, a home fit for shysters". The Observer. London. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  28. "The e-book debate - threat or opportunity?". Front Row. BBC Radio 4. 29 August 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2013. (Quote, in response to audience question, at around 26.53)
  29. Kerridge, Jake (6 August 2012). "A crime author, at the festival, with a kindle". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  30. Kerridge, Jake (4 September 2012). "Are RJ Ellory's faked reviews the tip of the iceberg?". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  31. Miller, Laura (10 August 2012). "Social media scamsters". Salon. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  32. Flood, Alison (3 September 2012). "Sock puppetry and fake reviews: publish and be damned". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  33. Miller, Laura (1 January 2013). "Talking with Daniel Mendelsohn about the year in literary criticism". Salon. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  34. Hough, Andrew (3 September 2012). "RJ Ellory: fake book reviews are rife on internet, authors warn". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  35. Hayes, Steve (4 September 2012). "Leading writers condemn fake online reviews". Digital Journal. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  36. Page, Benedicte (3 September 2012). "Condemnation grows for sock puppet reviews". The Bookseller. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  37. "A thriller writer has been accused of running an online smear campaign". independent.co.uk. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  38. Flood, Alison. "Stephen Leather accused of cyberbullying by fellow thriller writers". the Guardian. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
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