Mark Eklid

Mark Eklid was an award-winning regional newspaper sports journalist before switching from cricket to crime thrillers.

The 23-Day Girlfriend, self-published in June 2024, is his sixth novel. His first was Sunbeam in 2019, followed by Family Business and Catalyst. The Murder of Miss Perfect and Blood on Shakespeare’s Typewriter were published through SpellBound Books.

All six are fast-moving, plot-twisting crime thrillers set in the city of his birth, Sheffield; though he now lives in Derby with his partner, Sue.

Sheffield is being steered towards an ecological disaster by an unscrupulous city council leader who is chasing one last big backhander before he gives up power, putting thousands of lives at risk.Cranford Hardstaff is out to deceive the council into approval for a huge housing development on a site he knows to be the historic dumping ground for dangerous chemical waste. With time running out to avert a potential catastrophe, fate takes a hand.An old lady is injured by a falling branch from a tree during a storm. It is the unlikely spark for a chain of coincidental events which sets one man on the path to save the city.Catalyst is a fast-paced thriller with many twists but also a warm and funny cross-genre novel which celebrates the power of the human spirit to take on those who would put profit ahead of the planet – and topple them.

Lonely heart Barry thought Gina might be too good to be true. He was right. Gina preys on vulnerable older men like Barry through online dating sites. She lures them in, uses them to set up a financial scam and then vanishes without trace. But when an angry victim of her fraudulent scheme comes looking for Gina, Barry is drawn into deadly danger and faces having to kill – or be killed.

John Baldwin has been on a downward spiral to self-destruction since the day he witnessed the murder of his best friend, Stef. It has cost him his marriage, his business and his dignity. One year on from the day that turned his world upside down, he sees Stef again. John fears he has finally lost his mind but Stef is there to pull his friend back from the brink, not tip him over it. He offers John a fresh start; a new destiny. John rebuilds his life. He has everything again but there is a price to pay. The killer is still on the loose and Stef wants revenge. Sunbeam is a story of a bond of friendship like no other, with a fast-paced plot which will keep you guessing at every twist and turn.

Family historian Graham Hasselhoff thought there were no skeletons in his cupboard. That is, until the day he met the son he never knew he had.Getting to know Andreas, who is now the boss of a road haulage firm, soon leads him to a trail of arson, beatings, mysterious warnings – and murder. Can his son really be behind this deadly business? Graham has to quickly work out if Andreas is an impetuous eccentric – or a dangerously ruthless criminal.

"A tale of secrets, lies, love, injustice – from a master storyteller. Loved it!" - Bestselling author Anita Waller.
"I read a LOT of crime books and it’s getting harder to find an original plotline or one that my amateur couch detective skills can’t solve within the first few chapters, but The Murder of Miss Perfect really had me stumped throughout. This is a really clever story told from multi view points in an unusual and unique way" - Tracy Fenton, Compulsive Readers.

Detective Chief Inspector Jim Pendlebury almost died at the end of his last big case.
Three years later, he is struggling to cope with forced retirement and the frustration of failing to convict the teacher accused of killing an 18-year-old student after seducing her.
Now, he must try one more time to search for the vital piece of missing evidence the Police failed to find during the initial investigation.
Whatever the cost, this time he will make sure justice is served for the cruel murder of the beautiful young woman the media dubbed Miss Perfect.

"No spoilers, but you seriously need to read this one. A combination of love, murder, missing fingers and the ever-present typewriter make it one of the best books I’ve read for quite some time. A massive five stars from me, all shiny ones!" - International Bestselling Author Anita Waller

When Dan Khan buys a unique piece of cultural history for £50 from a man in the pub, he thinks all his troubles are over.
He is told it’s the actual typewriter William Shakespeare used when he wrote all his plays.
Dan and his girlfriend Shannon reckon it must be worth millions!
But they don’t realise the vintage machine was stolen from the city’s most notorious crime boss.
And he will stop at nothing to get back the sinister secret it contains...