Matthew J. Evans
ALLi Author Member
Location: United Kingdom
Genres: Thriller, Crime, Mystery
I’m a crime author living near Chichester, West Sussex. My novels are set in locations close to my home, an area of West Sussex I love and know well. I’ve served many years here as a police officer (now retired) and use this experience to help me write crime fiction. Drawing from my firsthand policing experience, I strive to infuse my work with authentic police procedures while maintaining a fast-paced fictional narrative. I’m married, have three children (all now adults), and two grandchildren. My background is in electronics and software engineering, which I did for about twenty years. However, soon after my son was born with autism and Down syndrome, I made a radical career move and halved my salary—I joined the police in Hampshire, wanting to give something back to society. Now retired, I served both in Hampshire and Sussex as a regular police constable and special constable for the best part of twenty years. In addition to being a crime author, I’m also a folk musician, playing a mix of Irish, Scottish, and English traditional tunes. I also compose meditative music. I play Irish whistles, the melodeon, recorders, the ukulele, and the EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument).
Matthew J. Evans' books
Genres: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+
Beneath the shadow of Chichester Cathedral, a body is found on a rain-slicked path, and the cathedral cloisters become the starting point for a complex and troubling mystery. DCI Beniamin Dinescu and DI Emily Summers investigate the murder of a volunteer working with displaced families, a man known for his kindness. Yet an unsettling truth soon surfaces: for all the affection people had for him, very few could say they truly knew him. With few witnesses and rumours spreading fast, Dinescu’s Major Crimes Team is already under strain. A new team member arrives just as the pressure begins to bite. Methodical, sharp-eyed, and hungry to earn a place, the newcomer spots details others miss, but every new lead opens another question. As the investigation moves beyond the cathedral and into the private lives of those closest to the victim, Dinescu must untangle a case built on secrets, self-justification, and betrayal....
Genres: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+
Beneath a country road, an abandoned quarry track hides a decade-old secret. The discovery of human remains plunges DCI Beniamin Dinescu into a mystery driven by jealousy, obsession, and long-buried lies. In a derelict house, another dark mystery surfaces, revealing a crime far more complex than they imagined. Two discoveries. One question: how are they connected? To uncover the truth, they must navigate a fractured family’s past, where love and betrayal can both be motives for murder. Some secrets should stay buried... Dinescu, Summers, and the team return in a gripping mystery set against the evocative backdrop of Chichester and its surrounding villages. One Dark Thought is a British police procedural that will keep you hooked until the very end.
Genres: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+
When a ten-year-old boy is abducted from a meadow at night, DCI Beniamin Dinescu, DS Emily Summers, and the Chichester Major Crime Team know it’s a race against time to find him. But as the investigation progresses, it becomes clear this is no ordinary kidnapping. A shocking murder shifts the case in a sinister and unexpected direction. As the team unravels the mystery, Dinescu is forced to confront mistakes from his past that refuse to stay buried. In a story of betrayal and revenge, where nothing is as it seems, the search for the truth becomes more complex with every step. Set against the evocative backdrop of Chichester and the South Downs, The Dead Night Sky is a gripping British police procedural that will keep readers hooked until the very last page.
Genres: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+
When the body of a respected local artist is discovered in the waters of Fishbourne Marshes, DCI Beniamin Dinescu and DS Emily Summers of the Chichester Major Crimes Team are thrust into a complex murder inquiry. The case takes a chilling turn when they uncover a connection to the murder of a police officer two decades ago. Meanwhile, Dinescu must decide whether to accept a promotion that risks breaking up his loyal team. Is this offer all it seems, or is there something more insidious at work trying to undermine him? For fans of crime fiction and British police procedurals, “Upon Dark Waters” is a gripping tale of family, intrigue, and the relentless pursuit of justice, set against the evocative backdrop of Fishbourne Marshes.
Genres: Crime, Thriller, Suspense
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+
Private investigator Max Fortis thought he’d left his past behind. The former Metropolitan Police protection officer and MI5 agent is no stranger to danger, but when a mysterious woman dies in suspicious circumstances, he’s dragged into a vendetta aimed squarely at him. The deeper Fortis digs, the deadlier the game becomes. Teaming up with journalist Ella Munro, he’s forced to confront enemies the police won’t touch and ghosts from his own buried past. Every lead tightens the noose, and every ally may be a traitor. To survive, Fortis must outwit a relentless adversary who knows his weaknesses all too well. Justice is within reach, but so is revenge. This time, the cost could be everything.
Genres: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+
Our darkest places are never far away. When a brutal murder strikes a prestigious private school, DCI Dinescu finds himself entangled in a complex investigation, including the mysterious disappearance of a schoolgirl in the 1980s. How are these two cases connected? Confronting his deepest fears, Dinescu must uncover the dark secrets of the past to bring justice and closure to the present. This is the first police procedural crime novel in the Chichester Crime Mysteries series.
Genres: Crime, Fantasy/SciFi/Speculative, Thriller
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+
Unquestioning trust can be dangerous. Detective Inspector David Angelis is thrown headlong into a mystery that links the tragic death of a mother over 12 years ago to the evil killer of two young women. Angelis, enveloped in personal tragedy, finds solace and strength from his team, and leads them in search of this perverted murderer. But a shadow looms over them from within the rank-and-file that sours the investigation and challenges Angelis’s determination. Can he overcome personal bitterness and find his way to solve this mystery? Take You Home is the third book in a police procedural crime thriller series with a supernatural edge. It has dark themes throughout.
Genres: Crime, Fantasy/SciFi/Speculative, Thriller
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+
She thought she would be safe here, but how wrong could she be... Alice is alone and terrified. He’s hidden her away, and no one can find her. Can her strength of will, forged in an abusive marriage, bring her through this terrifying ordeal? DI David Angelis, hit hard by personal tragedy and self-doubt, must solve the puzzle of Alice’s disappearance and the trail of murder that ensues. Hide Her Away is a gripping supernatural crime thriller and the next instalment in the Detective Inspector Angelis series, following the first novel, Chasing Shadows. You've never met a detective like DI Angelis before. Where The Police Procedural meets The Supernatural.
Genres: Crime, Fantasy/SciFi/Speculative, Thriller
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+
After a devastating assault that claimed his life, Detective Inspector David Angelis returns as a very different man. His miraculous recovery has people in the shadows asking questions, placing Angelis at the centre of a covert investigation. The most troubling questions concern his new, terrifying abilities, which he struggles to understand. Angelis can see and control the hidden motives of others and glimpse a parallel reality existing alongside our own. Angelis investigates the murder of a friend and seeks to expose the secret behind his mysterious powers. In his quest for answers, he must confront a deadly assassin and a dark underworld of corporate crime.