This Otter Voice Notes app is ridiculously helpful for capturing all the story ideas that come up during a good walk or brainstorm. Transcribes and syncs the audio.

https://otter.ai/

I was thrilled (and a little nervous) when Michael Connelly one of my writing heroes, offered to check out my upcoming book. I never imagined I would hear this.

“The Night Agent rocks. Fast as hell, especially with Quirk’s steady hand in control. This story is impossible to put out of mind once you enter this look-over-your-shoulder shadow world. Relevant and revealing, this is one of the best thrillers to come along in years.”
— Michael Connelly

Now available for pre-order:

Indie bookstores: https://bit.ly/2rmqXSC
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2UiUvOm
B&N: https://bit.ly/2BSqtJU

What happened to the real-life family that partly inspired The Americans? Nice bit of closure on the series.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/07/discovered-our-parents-were-russian-spies-tim-alex-foley

Have you seen the advance reader edition of The Night Agent? William Morrow went all out! I’m getting ready to give away a stack of these signed early copies at the newsletter. Sign up by Monday night to be part of it: http://matthewquirk.com/contact/

Book news! My next novel, The Night Agent, is coming in 2019 from William Morrow.

Matthew Quirk Signs Two-Book Deal With William Morrow; ‘The Night Agent’ Set For 2019 Release

A bit of the backstory, and a note of thanks:

Over the last year, I’ve been fortunate enough to join up with Dan Conaway at Writers House, an unbelievably talented agent (and editor) and just a great guy. I wrote a new novel that’s bigger and maybe a little riskier than anything I’ve done before, and we sent it out and crossed our fingers.

There was an auction last week, and I’m honored and absolutely thrilled to be working with David Highfill at William Morrow, who has guided so many authors I love: Don Winslow, Elmore Leonard, Greg Iles. The list is incredible.

Through all this, I have been constantly amazed by how generous and supportive everyone in thrillers and publishing is—the murder and mayhem world is full of sweethearts paying it forward—but especially Joseph Finder and Gregg Hurwitz. I owe so much to Mulholland Books and Little, Brown and will miss working with the phenomenal team there, though at least publishing is a small world and we all get to hang out a couple of times a year in odd bars in hotel lobbies.

It’s a daily miracle to be able to write stories and connect with readers for a living, and to work in an industry where, at the end of the day, everyone just loves good books, disappearing into them and sharing them with the world. Okay. End sappiness and back to writing!

Thrilled to see Dead Man Switch made the cut at Real Book Spy’s best of 2017 List!

My new essay is up at Vox, with some hints about the next book The Night Agent!

When truth becomes stranger than fiction, we need novels more than ever.

https://www.vox.com/first-person/2017/9/19/16327072/political-thrillers-fiction-writing-trump-era

Join me at the inaugural San Diego Festival of Books on Saturday 8/26, from 10-6! Very excited to have it here in Point Loma at Liberty Station.

I’ll be part of the 11:50am talk in the main hall with T. Jefferson Parker, Hart Hanson, and Kelly Parsons, and there are great panels all day, including SD all stars Matt Coyle, Jim Ruland and Lisa Brackmann.

http://sdfestivalofbooks.com/general-info.html 
(Festival is free. Panel tickets are $3)

The Directive is now out in French (as Confidentiel défense). Love that cover!

Fantastic Dead Man Switch review in the Globe and Mail. What could be cooler than being compared to The 39 Steps?