Jeff Abbott profile picture

Jeff Abbott

Bestselling suspense novels about ordinary people in extraordinary danger

About Me



I'm a bestselling suspense author with nine books published. My last book, PANIC , was a recent bestseller in the UK, France, Germany, Ireland and Australia. It's been optioned for film by The Weinstein Company, with Richard Shepard (of The Matador) set to direct. It's also been nominated for a Thriller Award for Best Novel, given by the International Thriller Writers. PANIC was released in paperback in the US on August 1, 2006.

My ninth novel, FEAR , was released in the US August 17, 2006 and just came out in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. My US publisher is Dutton/NAL (part of Penguin/Putnam); my UK publisher is Little, Brown UK. My books are also published in Japan, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, China, Poland, Russia, Bulgaria, Norway, Estonia, Romania, and Thailand. I'm a three-time nominee for the Edgar Award, given by Mystery Writers of America, a two-time nominee for the Anthony Award, and a past winner of the Agatha Award and the Macavity Award (given by the largest mystery readers organization, Mystery Readers International.) My short fiction has been included in the Best American Mystery Stories annual collection. My website is:
www.jeffabbott.com

Praise for Jeff's work:

"Jeff Abbott is the new name in suspense."--New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben

"A superior, fast-paced thriller. .white-knuckled suspense that's extremely hard to put down."--Publishers' Weekly

"Panic is a ride down the roaring rapids. Jeff Abbott has put together a hell of a page-turner."--New York Ties bestselling author Michael Connelly

"Edge of your seat quotient: sky-high."--Entertainment Weekly

"Those who disparage page-turners seldom appreciate what it takes to pull off a really good one, such as Abbott's engrossing hardcover debut...with skilled handling of riveting action sequences, plot twists, and camera angles, all converging at breakneck speed, Abbott whips these simple ingredients into a near-perfect thriller that may indeed result in physical distress akin to panic for anyone trying to put the thing down before the last bullet flies. Fans of Harlan Coben, Lee Child, Joseph Finder, or John Grisham—anyone who enjoys a wild ride on a bumpy road—can cheer the arrival of our latest master of the fine art of the page-turner. Highly recommended." —Booklist

"Compulsively readable...an engaging page-turner that makes for fast and enjoyable reading." —Chicago Sun-Times

"The plotting is nothing short of brilliant. It reads like a rocket-propelled roller coaster ride, and the surprises are genuine surprises, especially the stunner at the end. Evan Casher is an intriguing, layered character, but Abbott doesn't let his deft characterizations get in the way of his plot or slow the story. With Panic Abbott can safely take his seat alongside Harlan Coben, Dan Brown and John LeCarre. He's that good." —Mark Terry, The Oakland Press

Click here to see PANIC on Amazon UK
Click here to see PANIC on Amazon
Click here to see FEAR on Amazon
Click here to listen to an excerpt from PANIC

My Interests

suspense novels and films, Hitchcock films, college baseball. And I need to get back into yoga but I'm not making the time for it, more fool me.

I'd like to meet:

Readers who love a gripping story, booksellers and librarians, writers, filmmakers and film buffs, creative types--smart and cool and fun people. Obviously, that's YOU.

Music:

Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Prince, Coldplay, Moby, U2, Green Day, Kate Bush, The White Stripes, Lucinda Williams, Mahler, Bach, Oasis, John Powell, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Nickel Creek, Massive Attack, Aimee Mann, Everything but the Girl, Matisyahu, Son Volt, REM, Depeche Mode, Thievery Corporation, Sarah McLachlan, Damien Rice, Muse

Movies:

anything by Hitchcock! --but especially North by Northwest, The 39 Steps, Vertigo, or The Birds; The Bourne films, Pirates of the Carribean (favorite action film), Lost in Translation, Moulin Rouge, Pulp Fiction, Three Days of the Condor, Marathon Man

Television:

24, Alias, Reno 911, Seinfeld, Firefly, Family Guy, Survivor

Books:

Among suspense novelists: my own (kidding). Harlan Coben, Lee Child, Michael Connelly, Ross Thomas, Robert Ludlum, Patricia Highsmith, Laura Lippman, Eric Ambler, Jan Burke, Elmore Leonard, John D. MacDonald, Ruth Rendell, Daniel Stashower, Joseph Finder and probably plenty I'm forgetting at the moment Also: Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway, Jane Austen, Raymond Carver, Eudora Welty, Katherine Anne Porter, Flannery O'Connor, Umberto Eco, Neal Stephenson.

Heroes:

my parents, my grandmother. Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Eric Ambler

My Blog

I’m on Glenn Beck/CNN Headline tonight

I'll be on Glenn Beck's show on CNN Headline News tonight, at 7 Eastern/6 Central, repeating at 9 E/8 C and midnight E/11 C. I'll be talking about my new novel, COLLISION.Thanks,Jeff
Posted by Jeff Abbott on Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:15:00 PST

The Toughest Interview--Ever

At my new blog at jeffabbott.com, I face my most fearsome interviewer ever: my son.Check it out.Later,Jeff Abbott...
Posted by Jeff Abbott on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 06:38:00 PST

RUN hits UK/Ireland bookstores tomorrow.

Hi all:Just a shout out to my British and Irish readers--RUN, my newest novel, hits bookstores tomorrow (Thursday, July 3). I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it.Also, check out t...
Posted by Jeff Abbott on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:45:00 PST

Two Bestsellers in France!

Hi all. I've been slow about blogging lately. Recently returned from France where I spent a week in Paris, attending the Salon du Livre (Paris Book Expo) and doing interviews to promote FAUX SEMBLANTS...
Posted by Jeff Abbott on Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:06:00 PST

A terrific book blog

If you haven't yet checked out the excellent book blog by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, please do:Off the PageIt's well-written and full of interesting bits on writing and the publishing business.Al...
Posted by Jeff Abbott on Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:40:00 PST

Happy New Year/Blogging/Black Jack Point

Hi all:I have been the world's worst blogger. I plead getting the Mancave finished (new office pictures to come soon), the holidays, and you know, that bothersome WRITING thing that I do. But one of m...
Posted by Jeff Abbott on Thu, 03 Jan 2008 02:45:00 PST

For UK Readers: A KISS GONE BAD reissued

Lots of my British and Irish readers have been frustrated that they have not been able to find my three Whit Mosley suspense novels in bookstores, airports, etc. Well, the good news is that my UK publ...
Posted by Jeff Abbott on Wed, 14 Nov 2007 02:57:00 PST

FEAR paperback hits bookstores today!

Hi all:Just a short note to let you know that the US paperback of FEAR hits bookstores today. FEAR is a thriller about Miles Kendrick, a man who killed his best friend during an FBI sting but cannot r...
Posted by Jeff Abbott on Tue, 07 Aug 2007 07:19:00 PST

Creating a Writing Space: Progress

As you can see, definite progress has been made on the Mancave, aka my new writing office. We now have a roof and the ever-popular Tyvek wrap:And here's a view of the back. My wife promises there will...
Posted by Jeff Abbott on Mon, 06 Aug 2007 07:12:00 PST

PANIC named a top 10 UK airport book

The Guardian, one of the major British newspapers, has an article in the July 29th edition naming a "top 10 airport reads" (five for men, five for women), and PANIC is one of the choices:Fasten Your S...
Posted by Jeff Abbott on Sun, 29 Jul 2007 08:58:00 PST