Simon Kernick is a British writer. His forte is thrillers and crime fiction. Born in 1966 Kernick has written crime fiction from the time he was a young lad. Kernick obtained a degree in humanities in 1991 and after graduation for some time worked at odd jobs. Kernick had his schooling at Gillotts School, Oxfordshire. During his student days he did jobs like being a fruit picker and Christmas tree up-rooter.
Entering the World of the Writer
Kernick published his first novel ‘The Business of Dying’ in September 2001. After the publication of this book Kernick has not looked back as he churned out crime thrillers over the next decade. In 2012 he published ‘Siege’ a fast action paced crime thriller. The book of almost 400 pages became a best seller. This is a rapid quick fire action oriented thriller. A reading of this book brings out the author’s affinity with the Anti-Terrorist and Special Branch of the police.
Kernick did not have instant success as a writer and after his graduation he worked in his uncles company till his book was picked up by a publisher.
The Plot of” Siege”
‘Siege’ is a book that does justice to the genius of Kernick. The novel has firmly established Kernick as a writer with a flair for mystery and crime.The action takes place in the heart of London in an imaginary hotel, the Stanhope. The hotel is targeted by the Pan-Arab Army of God. But to divert attention from their real aim, this terrorist group launches attacks at a Railway station and a shopping centre.
Kernick next treats the readers to 400 pages covering five hours of intense action as the residents of the hotel and the staff is taken hostage. Kernick brings in the human element and in some way this tale can be compared to the movie Die Hard. The hotel itself and its guests are a very plausible lot. Some of the residents have their own reasons for being in the hotel, which they would like to keep secret.
Secrets in the Hotel
Among the guests in the hotel is a diabetic mother with her young son and a mysterious soldier who is disillusioned with life. There is also a woman who has come to meet her lover, a married man. Among the hotel staff is the manager Elena Serenko who is just engaged and has decided to leave her job and migrate to Australia to start a new life. The characters created by Kernick have a ring of reality.
There is also a dangerous killer who is holed up in the penthouse on the top floor as he waits to kill a man who has eluded him. They are real people who are caught up in the siege and suddenly come face to face with terror. None of the residents are aware that a group of terrorist will seize the hotel at 4 pm and everybody’s life is at risk.
The style of Kernick
Kernick has a racy writing style that is sure to appeal to his fans. He presents a thriller in the genre of James Hadley Chase and the reader is glued to the book till the very end.
The police operation is handled by Arley Dale, who is outside the hotel. She has her own problems. The Siege is a very realistic scenario that could be duplicated anywhere in the world.
Personal life
Kernick presently lives in Oxfordshire with his wife and two daughters. His novel ‘Relentless’ was the 8th best-selling paperback and the bestselling thriller of the year. His book was recommended on Richard & Judy’s summer book club in 2007. Kernick remains a magnificent writer of thrillers and has a die-hard following.
List of Books published by Kernick
The Business of Dying (2002)The Murder Exchange (2003)The Crime Trade (2004)A Good Day To Die (2005)Relentless(2006) Severed (2007) Deadline (2008)Target (2009)The Last 10 Seconds (2010)The Payback (2011)Siege (2012)Ultimatum (2013)
Last Word
The world of action thrillers is vast in English literature. Ever since Charles Dickens wrote ’The Mystery of Edwin Drood ‘many writers have appeared on the writing scene. The genre of the thriller has been given a fillip by many writers and Simon Kernick has an important position among modern writers
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