Bio
Simon Maltman is an author and musician from Northern Ireland. A Chaser on the Rocks was his critically lauded debut novel, followed by the Amazon Bestselling collection of shorts: More Faces. He is also the author of the hard boiled 'Bongo Fury' series and the sequel to his first book, A Kill for the Poet.
Simon is an established musician, performing with his current band The Hung Jury. He lives in Northern Ireland, with his wife and two daughters.
Recent Press:
“Lean, mean, fast and furious.”
Gerard Brennan
“What Raymond Chandler was to L.A, Maltman is to Belfast, a novelist with an eye for the seedy underbelly of a city.”
Goodreads
“A mystery noir with a twist ending worthy of Dennis Lehane.”
The Big Thrill
"I’m amazed how a writer can cram so much into such a short space of narrative. You hit the ground running and it’s a sprint finish."
Crime Book Junkie
A Kill for the Poet is the sequel to the acclaimed and bestselling A Chaser on the Rocks. It can also be read as a standalone novel. Follow Brian Caskey, as this mystery noir reveals a detective with many flaws and personal problems. He becomes embroiled with a dangerous criminal network, while trying to battle his mental health issues, and work on his own writing. This ‘story within a story,’ also follows Caskey’s own creation: P.I Billy Chapman, as he unravels a murder mystery in the 1940’s.
More Faces is a crime short story collection from A Chaser on the Rocks author Simon Maltman. The twelve mystery noirs included feature published and previously unpublished stories and all series shorts currently available. Take a journey across Northern Ireland, through the beauty and darkness, with the fresh new voice in Irish Crime Fiction.
“A punchy tale, told plainly, with plenty of pace… of old fashioned thuggery and backstreet skullduggery.”
Murder, Mayhem and More
“a snappy read that gives a fresh glimpse into a life of crime and where it can lead you.”
Writing.ie
Hardened by the mean streets of Belfast, ex-cop Brian Caskey works as a struggling PI. He is isolated and erratic, often losing the battle to maintain his fragile mental health. Caskey escapes the real world by writing crime fiction stories about a 1940's PI investigating mysteries during the Belfast Blitz.
'A Chaser on the Rocks' follows both of these characters in parallel as a ‘novel within a novel’. The two stories collide in adramatic conclusion set against the backdrop of The Giant's Causeway.
Simon Maltman has created a modern noir with a new twist, a dash of black humour and a fresh approach and comment onstorytelling.
Previous press for Simon Maltman:
"Praise Satan for Bangorian Simon Maltman."
Irish News
"Long may he continue."
Hotpress magazine
"A compelling tale... a short but snappy read that gives a fresh glimpse into a life of crime and where it can lead you."
"Those who foresaw the end of the book as artefact with the coming of the digital age hadn’t banked on the ingenuity and skill of a number of young writers who are converting the e-book into a work of artistic relevance. Such a case is that of Simon Maltman, a multifaceted writer and musician from Bangor."
Dr David M. Clark
Director Departamento de Filoloxía Inglesa
Universidade da Coruña
Professional thief Blake agrees to come in on a nightclub heist outside of Belfast. He doesn’t count on a double cross or on stumbling on an old flame and a mess of murder and deceit. Blake was featured recently in the hardboiled story Riot Score and the press said:
and
“a short but snappy read that gives a fresh glimpse into a life of crime and where it can lead you.”