Picture a Welsh storyteller who swapped a surgeon’s scalpel for a pen, crafting chilling mysteries that keep readers up all night—meet Dylan Young! Born in a South Wales mining village, this bestselling thriller author weaves his medical expertise and love for crime into gripping tales like the Detective Anna Gwynne series, earning him a devoted following and critical acclaim.
With a knack for atmospheric suspense and intricate plots, Young’s novels blend his unique journey—from the NHS operating rooms to a garden shed writing office—into stories that pulse with authenticity. Let’s dive into the life and works of this master of mystery!
The Making of Dylan Young
Dylan Young grew up in a tight-knit mining community in the Swansea valley, where books were his escape. A dreamer who excelled in sports and devoured horror and sci-fi, he was often lost in fictional worlds. At 18, he boarded a train to London for medical school, qualifying as a doctor in 1979. His 35-year NHS career, culminating as a consultant ophthalmologist, gave him a front-row seat to human drama—perfect fodder for his future thrillers.
Writing was always Young’s passion. In the 1990s, under the pseudonym Dylan Jones, he published four dark psychological thrillers, two adapted into BBC films. Despite his medical career, the urge to tell stories never faded, leading him to retire from the NHS and embrace writing full-time in his West Wales garden shed.
Dylan Young’s Unforgettable Stories
Young’s Detective Anna Gwynne series, starting with The Silent Girls (2018), introduces a tenacious detective tackling chilling cases. In this gripping debut, Anna investigates a young girl’s disappearance, unraveling a decades-old murder. Blood Runs Cold (2018) amps up the suspense with a serial killer haunting Gloucestershire, while Before She Falls (2018) explores a young woman’s mysterious death, blending psychological depth with breakneck pacing.
Beyond the Black Squid trilogy, Young’s standalone thrillers like The Appointment (2019), The Operation (2020), and Trauma (2020) showcase his medical flair. These novels, published by Bloodhound Books, delve into surgeons facing moral dilemmas and dark secrets, with twists that leave readers reeling. Young’s style—taut, atmospheric, and layered with medical authenticity—sets him apart in the crime genre, earning five-star reviews for their “spine-tingling” suspense.
Under pseudonyms like Rhys A Jones and DC Farmer, Young also explored children’s fiction and adult fantasy, but crime remains his true calling. His West Wales landscapes, moody and rugged, infuse his stories with a vivid sense of place, making each novel a cinematic experience.
Why Dylan Young Matters
Dylan Young’s impact lies in his ability to humanize the thriller genre. His medical background brings a rare authenticity, while his empathetic characters—like the determined Anna Gwynne—resonate with readers. Fans praise his “completely unputdownable” plots, and critics hail his ability to blend suspense with emotional depth, making him a standout in modern crime fiction.
Young’s journey from surgeon to storyteller inspires aspiring writers, proving it’s never too late to chase a dream. His novels, translated into audiobooks and eBooks, have found a global audience, cementing his place as a beloved voice in psychological and crime thrillers.
- Born: Swansea Valley, South Wales
- Key Works: Detective Anna Gwynne series, The Appointment, Trauma
- Pseudonyms: Rhys A Jones (children’s fiction), DC Farmer (fantasy)
Snag The Silent Girls and dive into Dylan Young’s thrilling world of crime and suspense!