Writing thrillers for readers of all ages

Welcome

I’m the author of fourteen critically-acclaimed novels for adults and the award-winning Max Cassidy Trilogy of thrillers for children, featuring a dare-devil teenage escapologist. My books have sold widely around the world, have been translated into several foreign languages and are available as e-books. I’ve also written for television and film. I live in Sheffield and am married with two sons.

I love to hear from readers so do join my mailing list or contact me using the link on this site.

NEWS

My three early Mike McLean novels – An Exceptional Corpse, A Nasty Dose of Death and Toxin  – have now been reissued, for the first time in paperback.

And six of my standalone thrillers – Unholy Trinity, Shadow Chasers, Genesis II, Oracle Lake, Enemy Within and The Rainaldi Quartet – are also now out in new paperback editions.

Please see the Blog below “Déjà vu – but not like this.”

 

Recent Books

The Wolves of Nifelheim

1886, Bavaria. A murdered diplomat. A sinister pagan cult. A king who may be next

In the frozen forests of the Bavarian Alps, the body of Christoph Geissler, a young diplomat, is discovered impaled with a wooden spear wrapped in mistletoe. The ritualistic nature of the killing sends shockwaves through the royal court of King Ludwig II –  a troubled ruler obsessed with Wagner, Norse mythology, and his dreamlike castles.

 

Cremona Mysteries Book 3

The Hardanger Riddle

This is the third book in the murder-mystery series about Cremona violin maker, Gianni Castiglione, and his detective friend, Antonio Guastafeste.

A captivating tale of betrayal and long-lost love sees Gianni and Antonio leave the warmth of Italy for the inhospitable wilds of Scandinavia.

Intriguing, absorbing and filled, as always, with musical detail, The Hardanger Riddle will keep you enthralled from start to finish.

This is a book that is exceedingly difficult to put down.

The Strad

Cremona Mysteries Book 2

Paganini’s Ghost

This is the second book in the murder-mystery series about Cremona violin maker, Gianni Castiglione, and his detective friend, Antonio Guastafeste.

In Paganini’s Ghost, Gianni and Antonio return to investigate more mysterious deaths in a tantalising story of love, deception and greed. If you enjoyed their earlier adventure, you will be delighted by this new tale.

Filled with remarkable history and musical lore, Paganini’s Ghost plays at a breathtaking tempo that will keep you reading until the very last page.

“Superb…captivating but never transparent…enriched by meticulously detailed historical intrigues.”

Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

Cremona Mysteries Book 1

The Rainaldi Quartet

Original UK title: Sleeper

A murder-mystery about the search for a long-lost, priceless violin, The Rainaldi Quartet strikes a highly original chord in the canon of thrillers. Accompanied by two centuries of myth, music and mystery, it provides a fascinating glimpse into a closed world – played at a rhythm that is fast-paced, furious and unforgettable.

“An intelligent, civilised mystery… beautifully written, a real pleasure to read”

Sunday Telegraph, London

Knife Edge

A Gripping Thriller of Murder, Exploitation, and the True Cost of Cheap Food

Investigative journalist Joe Verdi never thought twice about where his food came from – until a brutal murder pulls him into the shadowy world of migrant labour and industrial farming.

 

I could not put this book down. A really tightly written thriller which has opened my eyes to what goes on in the world of agriculture and supermarkets. The sense of location and desperation is so well described. A story which could almost be a docudrama.

Amazon Customer Review

Dixieland

A city of jazz. A night of murder. A detective with everything to lose

1916, New Orleans. The music of Jelly Roll Morton and Joe “King” Oliver fills the air, and the infamous Storyville district pulses with sin and scandal. But when U.S. congressman Charles Whitman is found dead in a high-class brothel, Detective Eddie Riordan is dragged into a case that could cost him his career – and his life.

Paul Adam writes thrillers from multifarious angles and sources with convincing description and gripping story lines. I am always amazed by the originality and variation of his stories. This did not disappoint me.

Goodreads

Enemy Within

A Man Framed, a Truth Buried, a Fight for Justice

One morning, Tom Whitehead wakes up a respected academic. By nightfall, he’s a national disgrace.

Raided by the police at dawn. Arrested in front of his wife and children. His work computer filled with child pornography. His credit card used to pay for it. The evidence is overwhelming – except Tom is innocent.

 

“The what-if-this-happened-to-me factor raised the hairs on my arms.”

The Guardian, London

Original UK title: Flash Point

Oracle Lake

One journalist. One monk. One perilous mission that could change history

A gripping, high-stakes thriller set in occupied Tibet, Oracle Lake is an adrenaline-fuelled adventure of secrets, survival, and the search for the next Dalai Lama.

 

“Brilliantly imagined, fiercely authentic and wholly gripping.”

Literary Review, London

Genesis II

Science, Secrecy, and a Deadly Virus

A high-stakes biotech thriller that feels chillingly real, Genesis II is a gripping story of genetic engineering gone wrong, government cover-ups, and a virus that could wipe out humanity.

“Very exciting, very scary. A highly effective thriller, intelligent, unsettling.”

Literary Review, London

Shadow Chasers

Conspiracy, Corruption, and Deadly Betrayal

A global smuggling empire. A relentless investigator. A fight for survival.

A high-stakes international thriller that blends high-precision plotting with cinematic landscapes, Shadow Chasers is an adrenaline-fuelled ride into the dark heart of organised crime.

 

 

“Tough, worldly Euro-thriller…highly effective, undoubtedly authentic.”

Literary Review, London

Unholy Trinity

A Political Thriller of Murder, Conspiracy and the Vatican's Darkest Secrets

When foreign correspondent Andy Chapman investigates the brutal killing of a controversial left-wing priest in Rome, he stumbles upon evidence that could implicate the Vatican itself. Determined to uncover the truth, he turns to Elena Fiorini, a fearless magistrate, and together they begin a relentless hunt for the killers.

 

 

“Tingling political thriller…highly recommended. The great Eric Ambler would have enjoyed reading this.”

Literary Review, London.

Max Cassidy Book 1

Escape from Shadow Island

Escapology is dangerous, but not nearly as dangerous as real life...

Max Cassidy is a teenage escapologist, so good he’s nicknamed the Half-Pint Houdini. His father disappeared two years ago and his body has never been found. His mother is now serving a twenty-year sentence for her husband’s murder. Max’s mission: to learn the truth about what really happened and bring his family back together.

I received this book on Friday and was sooo excited to read about an escapologist that I started it right away and the story was so brilliant that I read it in a day! I couldn’t put the book down and I thought it is a fantastic idea for a series! Fans of Artemis Fowl and Alex Rider will love this book, there is fantastic action and the originality of the escapologist angle is absolutely brilliant 

Goodreads

Max Cassidy Book 2

Jaws of Death

This is the second title in the gripping Max Cassidy action-adventure series.

His father is missing, presumed dead, and his mother is serving a twenty-year sentence for the murder. But teenage escapologist Max Cassidy, nicknamed the Half-Pint Houdini, is certain everybody is wrong – about both things. And now, his quest to find the truth has become very dangerous…

Very awesome! So good, I read it in two hours! Loved it!

 

Goodreads

Max Cassidy Book 3

Attack at Dead Man’s Bay

This is the third book in the fast and furious Max Cassidy thriller series.

Max now knows for sure that his mother didn’t kill his father. His father isn’t even dead. But where is he?

I fully recommend this book. It is an amazing and heroic story that everyone who reads it will love. With an outstanding storyline and not a moment of boredom, Attack at Dead Man’s Bay gets a perfect star rating of five!

 

Amazon Customer Review

Mike McLean Series, Book 1

An Exceptional Corpse

 

This is the first book in the acclaimed series of thrillers featuring tenacious, sharp-witted investigative journalist Mike McLean. Dishevelled, determined, a man of integrity in a dirty, corrupt jungle, the reporter will stop at nothing to uncover the truth.

An Exceptional Corpse is a tense, gripping story of murder, fraud and blackmail, played out with a dark, Chandleresque wit and a pace and excitement that will keep the reader hooked from start to finish.

 

Well-crafted plot. Fast moving.

Amazon Customer Review

Mike McLean Series, Book 2

A Nasty Dose of Death

This is the second book in the acclaimed series of thrillers featuring tenacious, sharp-witted investigative journalist Mike McLean.

A stormy night on the seamier side of Sheffield. McLean finds small-time burglar Andy Peters dead in his flat, his neck snapped like a twig. Then ex-con scrap metal dealer James Silvester escapes death by inches when an unknown gunman puts three bullets through the windscreen of his Mercedes. Are the two incidents linked?

I enjoy the novels of Paul Adam.

Amazon Customer Review

Mike McLean Series, Book 3

Toxin

This is the third book in the acclaimed series of thrillers featuring tenacious, sharp-witted investigative journalist Mike McLean.

A peaceful demonstration on the outskirts of Sheffield against a new landfill site turns into a pitched battle between police and protesters. McLean witnesses the confrontation and is convinced it was sparked off by hired agents provocateurs.

The demo’s organiser, maverick environmentalist campaigner Rob Fielding, claims to have evidence that the landfill will be used for illegal toxic waste dumping, but he’s found shot dead in remote Winnats Pass, in the Derbyshire Peak District, before he can hand over the proof.

 

I really enjoy Paul Adam’s writing and the range of topic sources he uses to build his novels.

Goodreads

Recent blog posts

13th November, 2024

Déjà vu – but not like this

There are key events in everyone’s lives that we remember with vivid clarity: the day we got married, for example, the day our first child …

Read more

01st July, 2024

The Madness of King Ludwig

King Ludwig II of Bavaria was one of the most complex, fascinating characters in history. When discussing him, it has become almost obligatory to give …

Read more

01st June, 2024

Researching the Wolves of Nifelheim

Most of my novels have required considerable amounts of research. Some of this is from books and online sources and interviews, but wherever I can, …

Read more