Contrary to popular belief, Matt Hilton is his real name. Well, actually it's 'Matthew' but he wouldn't thank you for his Sunday name. He was born the same year that England won the World Cup, which is a very long time ago. Not that he's interested in soccer; his sporting interests are in boxing, MMA and martial arts. It probably comes from having four brothers and scrapping his way through meal times when he was a lad. As you can tell from his chunky build he looked out for himself OK.

Matt was born in Scotland, but followed his family south to England and grew up in Carlisle, Cumbria and has stayed in the county since (apart from a two year sojourn back to his ancestral land during his late teens). Growing up he listened to tales of horror and adventure told to him by his father, a natural story-teller, and it was only natural that his over-active imagination be funneled into books, both reading and writing them.

Writing Bio:
From a very young age, Matt scribbled down short stories, and even attempted his first novel at age 11. In his early teens he wrote a 'coming of age' novel called 'AGGRO', followed by a couple heroic fantasy books before discovering a new love of action thrillers and crime. He was once shortlisted for a national 'write a novel' competition, and came fourth in another, as well as having some non-fiction articles in magazines. For more than twenty years he submitted his books to publishers without success (writing seven stand-alone action/crime thrillers), until in 2008 he finally managed to secure an agent and a record-breaking 5 book deal for his Joe Hunter series. Since then Matt has secured a 3 book deal in the USA, a further 2 book deal in the UK, and translations in Germany, Italy, Romania and Bulgaria. His debut novel - Dead Men's Dust - reached Number 11 in the Sunday Times bestseller list, and was named as one of the 'Thrillers of the Year 2009' by the Daily Telegraph. DMD was also shortlisted for the ITW Debut Thriller Award 2009.

Matt worked at various mundane jobs, before going into the private security industry for 18 years, followed by four as a cop. He quit his career as a police officer with Cumbria Constabulary to pursue his love of writing tight, cinematic American-style thrillers, and to date has his Joe Hunter series of books on the shelves with more to come, as well as a short crime story in the anthology Even More Tonto Short Stories, and an up-coming zombie tale in Wild Wolf Publishing's 'Holiday of the Dead Anthology', and another crime story in Mammoth Book of Best British Crime 9 (2012).

Known as a British thriller writer, you might be surprised to find that Matt's influences incline more towards the horror and fantasy writers of the 1930s, the 'men's action' writers of the 1970s, and American thriller authors including Robert Crais, Jeffrey Deaver, Jack Kerley, David Morrell and Dean Koontz. His favourite writer is John Connolly.

Matt also writes horror and humorous crime short stories under the pen name of Vallon Jackson, the worst kept secret on the internet - as well as co-editing fiction webzine Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers.

Matt is a high ranking Martial Artist and currently holds the rank of 4TH DAN in the exacting combat art of Kempo JuJitsu.
He founded and taught at the respected Bushidokan Dojo for many years before moving into the Police force.
He has experienced countless real life fights, arrests and high tension situations in his role of Police Officer and as a Security Expert in the private sector.
This gives a very real feel to the action sequences in his books and a level of authenticity respected by those in the know.
Although Matt may play this down, there is more than a little of Matt Hilton evident in Joe Hunter.
Both in attitude and action.