Jason Monaghan

I love writing, I love mysteries and I love to uncover the secrets of the past. A sense of time and place is crucial to a novel, and is at the forefront of the new series of alternative history thrillers set in 1930s Britain under the shadow of fascism, of which the first was Blackshirt Masquerade, followed by Blackshirt Conspiracy and then Blackshirt Rebellion published in 2024.

Archaeology provided the background for five light thrillers featuring offbeat university lecturer Jeffrey Flint being drawn into solving mysteries with their roots buried in the past. These have been republished as e-books by Lume Books, having originally been published in hardback by Severn House under the pen name Jason Foss. Collectors can still find secondhand hardbacks for sale on the internet.

I was born in a Yorkshire village from a line of miners and steelworkers, and as often the case in my generation I was the first in my family to go to University. I gained a PhD from the London Institute of Archaeology, specializing in Roman pottery and working on various excavations and shipwreck projects. Ultimately becoming Director of Guernsey Museums, I’ve also been able to maintain a steady output of non-fiction books plus the historical novel Glint of Light on Broken Glass.

I travel widely, and as frequently as I can, liking nothing better than hitting the open road in my Jeep with the top open and a Country and Western soundtrack. My writing, adventures and digs provide ample material for my blog, Facebook page and Youtube channel @StudioMonaghan.