Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a former front line MI6 special operative. I’ve had 6 full-length novels and two novellas published by HarperCollins (the “Spycatcher” series) and am currently self-publishing a new series – “Ben Sign crime mysteries”. I’ve published The Spy Whisperer and The Fifth Man. Sign is a former senior British Intelligence officer, turned private detective. Before becoming an author I served in hostile locations around the world, obtaining secrets that informed Western foreign policy.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest Ben Sign book is The Fifth Man. It is set in the Falkland Islands, a location where I did part of my Special Forces training. I loved the location – harsh but beautiful. The story is about four islanders who one night sail their trawler far out to sea to confront an Argentinian spy ship. The four men wash up dead on the islands the next day. My protagonist, Ben Sign, is tasked to investigate their deaths. He is also told by British military authorities that there was a fifth man on board the trawler. The identity and location of the fifth man is unknown. If Sign can find him, it will give Britain the evidence it needs to go to war with Argentina. But, Sign has a theory that something else is afoot.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
You’d have to ask other authors if this is unusual, but I tend not to have much of a writing structure. I work long hours, though the schedule can be anarchic – writing at four AM, dinner at eight AM, long walk, more writing, lunch at dinner time, etc etc. I’m used to that lifestyle. In MI6 I worked day and night, depending on the circumstances, and I ate whenever I needed fuel.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I was a voracious reader as a child. I read classics, and also obscure, out of print, novels and short stories about adventurers, detectives, spies, and anything else that fired up my imagination about the world, and its perils and marvels. Amid the more famous authors – and to pick one that I keep returning to again and again – I have no hesitation in choosing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He was a gifted storyteller.
What are you working on now?
“The Russian Doll”. It’s my third Ben Sign crime mystery, with an element of espionage. But, it’s not per se a spy or military novel. It’s about powerful people and their intriguing lives. I’ve nearly completed the novel. As with all my other novels, it contains a bag full of twists.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best way to get my news is via my professional author Facebook account:
https://www.facebook.com/Matthew-Dunn-168465723306908/
You’ll also find a lot of my TV and print interviews on the Internet.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
a) Write what you want to read.
b) Ignore latest book fads – they change every year and therefore are out of date by the time you publish.
c) Always give your readers the very best story you can concoct.
d) Never listen to advice from other highly established authors, myself included.
There are nuts and bolts tricks of the trade when it comes to crafting a novel, but the beauty of being a creative is that one can explore the recesses of one’s mind. Stay true to your soul.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Nothing is impossible; who dares wins; one foot in front of the other; never settle for a dull life”.
What are you reading now?
District VIII by Adam LeBor.
What’s next for you as a writer?
A plethora of more Ben Sign novels.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The entire series of Sherlock Holmes stories, John le Carre’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Frederick Forsyth’s The Day Of The Jackal, oh, and any SAS book about how to survive on a desert island.
Author Websites and Profiles
Matthew Dunn Amazon Profile
Matthew Dunn’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile