#1 Amazon bestseller in "Mysteries and Thrillers"

John Milton has been off the grid for six months. He surfaces in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, and immediately finds himself drawn into a vicious battle with the narco-gangs that control the borderlands.

He saves the life of an idealistic young journalist who has been targeted for execution. The only way to keep her safe is to smuggle her into Texas. Working with the only untouchable cops in the city, and a bounty hunter whose motives are unclear, Milton must keep her safe until the crossing can be made.

But when the man looking for her is the legendary assassin Santa Muerta - Saint Death - that's a lot easier said than done.

Q & A with Mark Dawson

Q: How would you describe the Milton series?

Mark: The elevator pitch would be this: what would James Bond do with himself if he was sick of his career as a jet-setting assassin? I've tried to imagine what someone like Bond or Jason Bourne would be like if they were wracked with guilt and were looking to make amends for all the blood on their hands. That's Milton.

Q: What's most fun about writing the series?

M: Lots of stuff. It's fun to take a character the audience knows is completely lethal and drop him into a situation that would give most normal people plenty of reasons to run for the hills, and to watch him wreak havoc. And it's fun to write some unpleasant villains and have them look at Milton as a fish-out-of-water Englishman. If they knew the truth about him, they would think twice about crossing him. And yet they don't, and so they do, and so that equals fun for writer and (I hope) reader, too.

Q: Why did you choose Mexico as the setting for this book?

M: I want to put Milton into difficult and dangerous situations and once I started to research South America it was obvious that Juarez was where it was going to have to be set. The violence might be toning down a little right now, but some of the things that have happened over the last decade or so are totally off the chart. It's been encouraging that some of my American readers - some of them along the border - have commented upon how authentically the locations have been rendered. And if the book can draw a little attention to a troubled part of the world, I'll be pleased.

Q: What next for Milton?

M: Assuming he gets away from the mess he finds himself in at the end of this book, you mean? I'd like him to have an adventure in the States and then I have a couple of ideas that will up the ante again. I've got a great idea for a real epic set all around the world, and then something a little more confined and focused. Bottom line: Milton isn't going anywhere for a while yet.

Review

Praise for Mark Dawson

'A brilliant debut novel from a very promising writer.' Subject

'Ultra-addictive, super-stylish - a viciously good novel.' Toby Litt.

'A talent to be watched.' Birmingham Post

Praise for The Black Mile

'This is far and above the best small/independently published novel I have ever had the pleasure of reading.' The Kindle Book Review

'Dawson has shown himself to be a true master of suspense'. Siobian Minish

'A first class historical mystery.' Luke Walker

'This book is worth it for the arcane London slang alone. Fascinating. If want to get a feel for what it was like during the early part of WWII this will knock you out. If you like character development you'll love it. If you like peeking in on the lives of people in a long gone world -- you really love it.' David E Johnson

From the Author

This has been one of the most rewarding Milton books to write and I've had fun doing it. If you'd like to discuss it with me, I'm always pleased to speak to readers; check out my website (details on my author page) for contact details.

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