Kerry Wilkinson (born 4 November 1980) is a British author and sports journalist born in Bath, Somerset.
In 2018, his book Ten Birthdays won the Romantic Novelists' Association award for Young Adult Novel of the Year. Along with Marius Gabriel, he was the first man to win a RoNA Award in the organisation's 58-year history. He is also an International Thriller Writers Awards winner, with Close To You, for best ebook original.
In March 2023, he wrote an article for The Bookseller, entitled Autism can be a huge publishing strength—and challenge about how he was an adult when he discovered he was autistic.
Work Kerry Wilkinson is an author who has had bestselling ebooks in the UK, Canada, Australia and South Africa. In 2011, he became one of the United Kingdom's most-successful self-published authors, but has since worked with 'traditional' publishers. In the final quarter of 2011, Amazon UK announced he was their top-selling author for their Amazon Kindle chart - and that he had sold over 250,000 ebooks.
His first novel, Locked In, went to number one on the Amazon Kindle chart and Apple's iTunes crime books chart. At one point in November 2011, he had the top three books in the crime chart.
He signed a six-book deal with Pan Books in February 2012 to publish his Jessica Daniel series of novels. Shortly after, it was announced he was one of Amazon's top-10 bestselling UK-born authors worldwide for 2011, and then one of Amazon's top-10 bestselling Kindle authors overall for the following year.
In September 2012, Pan Macmillan announced they had acquired a "fantasy trilogy for young adults", the Silver Blackthorn series, Meanwhile, when the same publisher released the fourth Jessica Daniel book, Think of the Children, it became Amazon UK's no.1 ebook pre-order in February 2013, with the paperback peaking at number 19 on the UK chart.The Bookseller Magazine, 15 March 2013, page 20
In August 2013, The Bookseller reported that Pan Macmillan had bought two more books from Wilkinson, including a standalone crime novel, Down Among The Dead Men; and Something Wicked, a spin-off from the Jessica Daniel series.
A further deal followed in 2014 for another book in the Jessica Daniel series, another Andrew Hunter book, and a standalone crime thriller entitled, No Place Like Home. In 2015, the Bookseller reported his sales were "fast approaching the one million mark".
With the Jessica Daniel series continuing through Pan Books in the UK, publisher Bookouture secured the rights to publish the series in the United States, as well as global rights for "two psychological thrillers".
In 2017, the first of those thrillers, Two Sisters, peaked at No.1 in Canada's Kindle chart and the iBooks chart. It also reached No.14 in the UK Kindle chart and No.20 in the United States.
The second, The Girl Who Came Back, reached No.1 in the UK Kobo chart and No.2 in the UK Kindle chart. It also became his second No.1 in Canada.
In 2021, publisher Bookouture announced Wilkinson's novel, The Blame, was his "30th book with us: the most titles Bookouture has ever released from one author". It also acquired "World All Languages rights for two more addictive psychological thrillers, plus the coming-of-age novel Truly, Madly, Amy"
A year later, the publisher said they had "signed a four-book mystery series with bestselling author Kerry Wilkinson". The Whitecliff series was then released in 2023. The company also signed "a pair of linked books, about a girl who goes to a teenage sleepover: but when she wakes up, her friends have vanished." The Night Of The Sleepover and After The Sleepover were released in October and December 2023.
In August 2024, Wilkinson signed a deal with Bookouture for his 50th novel to be published. The company's publishing director, Ellen Gleeson, said: "Writing 50 books is an incredible accomplishment. Kerry has an unrivalled understanding of what makes a small town tick."
Awards DateAwardsCategoryBookOther nomineesResult Ref.March 2018Romantic Novelists' Association AwardsBest Young Adult Romantic NovelTen Birthdays Juno Dawson - Margot And Me Keris Stainton - One Italian SummerJuly 2020International Thriller Writers AwardsBest Ebook OriginalClose To You Brett Battles - Night Man Sean Black - The Deep Abridging Brian Shea - Murder Board LynDee Walker - Leave No StoneMay 2025Crime Writers of Canada Awards of ExcellenceBest Crime Novel Set in CanadaThe Call Brenda Chapman - Fatal Harvest (A Hunter and Tate Mystery) Barry W. Levy - The War Machine Shane Peacock - As We Forgive Others Greg Rhyno - Who By Fire (A Dame Polara Mystery)
Education Wilkinson attended Oakfield Middle School and Frome Community College in Frome, Somerset. He has a degree in journalism from the University of Central Lancashire.
Support Wilkinson sponsors the annual short story competition for young writers in his home town of Frome. This is part of the Frome Festival.
Bibliography Miscellaneous Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Spider-Man (2005) (co-writer)
Jessica Daniel crime novels The Jessica Daniel novels are also available as audiobooks, read by Becky Hindley. # Title OutISBN1Locked In (UK)2011The Killer Inside (US)20162Vigilante20112½As If By Magic20123The Woman In Black20114Think Of The ChildrenFeb 20135Playing With FireJul 20136Thicker Than Water (UK)Oct 2013The Missing Dead (US)Mar 20177Behind Closed DoorsJan 20138Crossing The LineSep 20149Scarred For LifeJan 201510For Richer, For PoorerFeb 201611Nothing But TroubleFeb 201712Eye For An EyeJan 201813Silent SuspectJan 201914The Unlucky OnesJul 201915A Cry In The NightJan 2020
Whitecliff mystery novels
The Whitecliff mystery novels are also available as audiobooks, read by Helen Keeley. # Title OutISBN1The One Who FellApr 20232The One Who Was TakenApr 20233The Ones Who Are BuriedApr 20234The Ones Who Are HiddenMay 2023
Andrew Hunter crime novels The Andrew Hunter novels are also available as audiobooks, read by Nigel Patterson. # Title OutISBN1Something WickedJun 20142Something HiddenJun 20153Something BuriedFeb 2019
Silver Blackthorn novels # Title Publisher OutISBN1ReckoningPan Books, UKMay 2014St. Martin's Press, USJul 20142RenegadePan Books, UKMay 2015St. Martin's Press, USJul 20153ResurgencePan Books, UKMay 2016St. Martin's Press, USJul 2016
Other crime novels # Title Out Audio narratorISBN1Watched: When Road Rage Follows You HomeN/AN/A2Down Among The Dead MenJoe Jameson3No Place Like HomeN/A4Two SistersAlison Campbell5The Girl Who Came BackAlison Campbell6Last NightAlison Campbell7The Wife's SecretAlison Campbell,Alan Medcroft8A Face In The CrowdAlison Campbell9Close To YouAlison Campbell10After The Accident11The Child Across The StreetAlison Campbell12What My Husband DidAlison Campbell13The BlameAndrew Kingston14The Child In The PhotoAlison Campbell15The Perfect DaughterAlison Campbell16The Party At Number 12Tamsin Kennard,Andrew Kingston17The BoyfriendEmma Newman18The Night Of The SleepoverOlivia Darnley19After The SleepoverOlivia Darnley20The CallWillow Nash21The Missing BodyRebecca Lee22Home Is Where The Lies LiveJulia Barrie,Rebecca Lee,Matthew Spencer23My Son's GirlfriendMelanie Crawley24Your Husband's FaultMelanie Crawley25The TapesMelanie Crawley, Shaheen Khan26Tag, You're ItDaphne Kouma27Two Missing GirlsDaphne Kouma, Julie Teal28Will I Be Next?TBCTBC
Other novels # Title Out Audio narratorISBN1Ten BirthdaysApr 2017Alex Tregear2The Death And Life Of Eleanor ParkerJul 2018Alison Campbell3Truly, Madly, AmyJul 2022Joe Jameson
Translations Original title Title Country Publisher OutISBNLocked InΚλειδωμένοιGreeceBell2012Locked InEncerradaSpainB2012Locked InKilitliTurkeyOptimum Kitap2012Locked InSlučaj HoudiniCroatiaArk Books2013Locked InEingesperrtGermanyAmazonCrossing2013Locked InW potrzaskuPolandDragon2019Locked InOp slotNetherlandsWonderland2025VigilanteCzarna listaPolandDragon2019VigilanteInfazciTurkeyOptimum Kitap2013VigilanteWrekerNetherlandsWonderland2025The Woman In BlackKobieta w czerniPolandDragon2020The Woman In BlackSiyahlı KadınTurkeyOptimum Kitap2014The Woman In BlackDe vrouw in het zwartNetherlandsWonderland2025Think Of The ChildrenGra pozorówPolandDragon2021Think Of The ChildrenDenk aan de kinderenNetherlandsWonderland2025Playing With FireZabawa z ogniemPolandDragon2022The Girl Who Came BackΤο κορίτσι που γύρισε πίσωGreeceMati2017The Girl Who Came BackA lány, aki visszatértHungaryÁlomgyár2018The Girl Who Came Back13 anni dopoItalyNewton Compton Editori2018The Girl Who Came BackDas Mädchen, das zurückkamGermanyBookouture2025The Wife's SecretIl matrimonio degli inganniItalyNewton Compton Editori2019The Child In The PhotoFotoğraftaki ÇocukTurkeyNemesis Kitap2022The Night Of The SleepoverPřespávačkaCzech RepublicGeorge Publishing2024The TapesDe tapesNetherlandsUitgeverij De Fontein2026
References
External links KerryWilkinson.com author's personal website