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Matt Johnson - Editorial Expert

About Matt Johnson

Matt Johnson served as a soldier and Metropolitan Police officer for nearly twenty-five years from 1975 until 1999. He is the author of three crime/spy fiction novels Wicked Game (2016), Deadly Game (2017) and End Game (2018) published by Orenda Books. His debut novel was listed for the CWA John Creasey Dagger in 2016.

Blown off his feet at the London Baltic Exchange bombing in 1992, one of the first police officers on the scene of the 1982 Regent's Park bombing, Matt was also at the Libyan People's Bureau shooting in 1984 where he escorted his mortally wounded friend and colleague, Yvonne Fletcher, to hospital.

Hidden wounds took their toll. In 1999, Matt was discharged from the police with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Whilst undergoing treatment, he was encouraged by his counsellor to write about his career and his experience of murders, shootings and terrorism. 

One evening, Matt sat at his computer and started to weave these notes into a work of fiction that he described as having a tremendously cathartic effect on his own condition. He has used his detailed knowledge and memory to create what has been described by many readers as a fast paced, exciting and authentic tale of modern day policing.

Matt Johnson is living proof that PTSD is a condition that can be controlled and overcome with the right help and support. He has been described by many fans as an inspiration to fellow sufferers.

A keen biker, Matt rides a '99 Harley Davidson Fatboy and is patron to the UK based ‘Forces On line' and ‘Armed Forces Bikers' charities.

In his spare time Matt keeps honey bees and produces his own honey. He scuba dives, collects unusual hats and enjoys hill-walking with his three dogs at his home in Wales near the Brecon Beacons.

More information, including book tour dates and festival appearances at www.mattjohnsonauthor.com

Newsletter sign-up at https://mattjohnsonauthor.com/newsletter-signup/

Matt is now represented by James Wills at Watson-Little Literary Agents in London. He is available for interview either through Watson Little and can be contacted by email matt@mattjohnsonauthor.com and through twitter @Matt_Johnson_UK.

 

Latest Reviews By Matt Johnson

Traffic-Free Cycle Trails
First published in 2004, Traffic-Free Cycle Trails is an evolving work that covers routes in mainland Great Britain. As more routes become available, readers are encouraged to contribute and the book, inevitably, grows as they do. This is a useful and comprehensive work that covers the vast majority of accessible cycle routes. Inspiring photographs, short routes to enjoy, clear directions – perfect for that quiet Sunday afternoon ride. Read it, you may well be surprised to discover some wonderful treats within a short distance of your home. View Full Review
Swimming Wild in the Lake District
For hundreds of years, people have swum for fitness, for pleasure and for their health. Many of us also enjoy getting outdoors, walking and exploring, navigating and sight-seeing, as we appreciate fresh air, blue skies and the call of the countryside. Combining the two, presents us with some problems. How do you do it safely, for example? Or where are the best places to go? If you’re thinking of trying it, Swimming Wild shows you how. Not just through descriptions – although Suzanna Cruickshank’s words do that very nicely – the pictures, the experience of others ... View Full Review
Native Life in a Vanishing Landscape
"What is this life, if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.” Native is described as ‘a hymn of love to his native land’. It’s an apt description for a wonderful book. Native transports the reader to a place and a way of life where Patrick Laurie, although thoroughly occupied running his farm in Galloway, makes the time, to stand, to stare, and to share with us the sights, sounds, smells and richness of his way of life. From the cry of a lonesome curlew through to the incredible ruggedness of ... View Full Review
The Last Blue Mountain
In 1957, five members of the Oxford University Mountaineering Club set out to reach the peak of Haramosh, a previously unclimbed mountain in the Karkoram range that extends from Afghanistan to Tajikistan. Karkoram is the second highest mountain range in the world, exceeded only by the nearby Himalaya. It’s highest peak, K2, is well known to mountaineers, perhaps less so to those of us not so well versed in that world. The Last Blue Mountain is the story of this ascent, and of the tragedy that unfolded. It is a tale not of success or failure, but of human ... View Full Review
Day Walks on the South Downs
I confess, I’m a fan of circular routes. I enjoy walking but a finish that involves public transport or a conveniently parked second car is not for me. I also like great views, the UK countryside and a decent pub to rest, recuperate and meet both locals and fellow explorers. Add to that mix, an opportunity to visit civil-war battle fields, pick a route to suit available time and to enjoy great maps, detailed descriptions, good photos and variety that includes the Downs and lowland countryside, and you have Deirdre Sutton’s excellent little book. And I ... View Full Review
Rock Pool
The moment I held Rock Pool for the first time, I sensed I was in for a real treat. The book (hardback) feels like an item of quality. It has a beautifully designed and illustrated front cover, a sturdy jacket, and is printed on very good quality paper. Credit must also go to Myfanwy Vernon-Hunt for the design, which is first class.  The only remaining question, would the content match up? Rock Pool is a personal account of a life spent exploring our coastal rocks, our beaches, and the life therein. It’s not, as I first believed, ... View Full Review
The Happiness Problem
It does not follow, over time, that as a society gets wealthier and more secure, it’s people become happier. Do you find the goal posts are always moving; that no matter your degree of personal or professional achievement, you never quite reach satisfaction? Contentment, at least full contentment, is a myth? And is the pursuit of personal happiness in fact self indulgent and selfish? If we do an unselfish act for another in order that it provides us with a good feeling, is that not, in fact, a selfish act? The Happiness Problem is a book written to ... View Full Review
Tides: A Climber's Voyage
As I first approached Nick’s second account of his life as a professional mountain climber, I thought the title a little unusual. I wondered if, perhaps, it is a term peculiar to the world he inhabits. Not so, I discovered as I read. It is far more generic, and a more apt title for his story I could not imagine. Tides describes Nick’s highs and lows, his peaks and troughs, the times when things go well and ambitions are fulfilled, and those occasions when failure, fear, self-doubt or grief are present.  I read Tides at ... View Full Review
Edmund Hillary
Anyone familiar with Mount Everest – the world’s highest peak – will also know the names Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tensing. In 1953, these two men were the first to stand atop this mountain. The equipment they used to achieve this remarkable feat making it all the more something of legend. Even before I first opened Michael Gill’s book, I sensed I was holding something rather special. It did not disappoint. Michael was Hillary’s friend and expedition companion for 50 years. It shows. The detail in this book is incredible and it never ceases to ... View Full Review
100 Outstanding British Walks
How many times have novice walkers like me found ourselves somewhere in the UK with time to spare and a desire to get out in the fresh air, to exercise and to experience our wonderful landscape? Oh, for a simple to use reference book that will tell you where to park, provide a map, explain the terrain (and distance), and maybe give you a little insight as to what to expect to see on the route. Here it is! This isn’t a book about the ‘best’ walks in Britain – that being a subjective argument, of ... View Full Review
The Wine Pocket Bible
Perfect for the wine novice! If, like me, you wonder at the huge range of wines on the shelves of a shop, the strengths and weaknesses of different types, how a wine you like that is produced in Argentina compares to its counterpart from California, then this book is for you. If, like me, you also enjoy wine but would like to widen your range of enjoyment, this book will tell you how. In easy to follow, non-patronising chapters, it covers history, production, tastes and regions – to name just a few of the wide-ranging aspects of wine production. It ... View Full Review
D-Day The First 24 Hours
As 6th June, the 75th anniversary of the world’s largest amphibian invasion fast approaches, it was, perhaps, perfect timing to have the opportunity to read and review this gem of a book. Interspersed with personal anecdotes from those who were there, complimented by some excellent photographs, maps and diagrams, and littered with incredible stories of bravery, D-Day is a fascinating insight into not only what happened on the day of the invasion but also the huge range of talent, ingenuity and downright genius that came into play as Operation Overlord was organised and kept secret from the occupying ... View Full Review

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