Your cart is currently empty!
Aidan Mason Writes
I am an aspirant author in the psychological suspense and thriller genres who has written two manuscripts, and I am in the final stages of negotiating a publishing deal for both. Obviously, if I can show interest from readers interested in acquiring my books, this will make my case for publishing stronger and potentially mean that I can secure a better publishing deal with the publishing house. This website is about raising awareness about me and my work out there in the marketplace and a chance for potential readers to get to know the psyche behind the suspense I conjure up a little better. Whereas most novelists tend to be on the reclusive and shy side of the spectrum, probably because of the fame and the effect it has on their day-to-day lives, I remain fairly unaffected by success and actually need to put myself out there amongst you to be noticed. I guess it’s all part of the challenging and changing landscape for novelists in the new millennium.
I retired two years ago from a career as CEO of an engineering company servicing corporate clients in the petrochemical industry and I am now able to dedicate myself to my writing. I would like to invite those among you who enjoy reading psychological suspense as a pastime, whether as an individual or as part of a reading group, to join me and become a member of my group. For those who are interested, I would like to start a reading group interested in psychological suspense, with special focus on awarded books by commercially successful writers. More details are available elsewhere on this website.
Though reluctant to compare myself to any other other writers for obvious reasons, I do confess to cutting my teeth in the final few tears of high school on H.G. Wells. James Joyce, John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway on the more literary side of the spectrum, interspersed with most the works of the Nobel and Booker Prize winners since the mid-seventies, but for me the likes of Jeffrey Archer, Robert Ludlum, John Grisham and Ken Follet were my staple diet, and it stands to reason that a whole lot of what I read rubbed off on me. I have a fairly representative collection of Follet’s novels, including some of his lesser-known works, which at one stage I kept displayed on a shelf between ‘World without End’ and ‘The Pillars of the Earth,’ which I used as bookends because of their sheer size.
Of late I’ve tried to read up on some of the stuff that slipped through the cracks first time round in my specific genre, and three novels stand out for me.
The Night Manager, by John le Carré
features a protagonist who becomes entangled in espionage and undercover operations, While exact sales figures are not readily available, it is known that the novel has been highly successful, especially following its adaptation into a BBC miniseries in 2016.
“I Am Pilgrim” by Terry Hayes
follows a complex protagonist involved in high-stakes espionage and covert missions. The novel has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide. This debut novel has been highly acclaimed and remains a popular choice among thriller and espionage enthusiasts.
“The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides
is more psychological in nature, but it shares the suspense and intricate plotting that other successful novels in this genre embody, especially with its deep character exploration and unexpected twists and has sold around 6,5 million copies worldwide.