The Crime Writers’ Association

You are here:

Jill Johnson

Jill Johnson is a crime novelist whose inventive storytelling and botanical knowledge have carved out a distinctive place in contemporary mystery fiction. A Māori-British writer based in Brighton, Johnson combines her multicultural heritage, academic curiosity, and lifelong love of plants to create thrilling crime narratives.

Born in Southeast Asia and raised across continents including Europe and New Zealand, Johnson developed an early appreciation for cultural diversity and storytelling. She moved to London at eighteen, and not long after opened Gosh! Comics. Alongside this, she and her partner launched a graphic novel publishing company and an editorial cartoon gallery.

While running her businesses and raising her three children, Johnson earned a BA (Hons) in Ornamental Horticulture and Design — a field that would later become central to her fiction. In 2013, she was accepted into the Faber Academy, where she began her debut novel, The Time Before the Time to Come (2018), an evocative exploration of identity, heritage, and belonging that reflects her Māori roots.

Johnson is best known for her “darkly addictive” Professor Eustacia Rose Mystery cosy crime series, beginning with Devil’s Breath (published July 2023). The novel was selected for BBC2’s Between the Covers Book Club and celebrated for its queer, neurodivergent protagonist: Eustacia Rose, a reclusive Professor of Botanical Toxicology whose expertise in poisonous plants helps her unravel London’s deadliest mysteries. In Devil’s Breath and its sequels Hell’s Bells (published 2024), Bella Donna (2025) and Blood Root (2026), Johnson blends botanical science, atmospheric settings, and sharp character work to create dark academia crime fiction.

Other Awards

2023 Devil’s Breath – BBC Between The Covers Book Club pick

2024 Ngaio Marsh Awards:

Devil’s Breath – Best first novel finalist

Devil’s Breath – Best novel finalist

2025 Ngaio Marsh Awards:

Hell’s Bells – Best novel long list

Writes

Sub-genres

Books by Jill Johnson

Join the CWA

Become part of a thriving community of successful crime writers with invaluable support, expertise and marketing opportunities for all our members.

Advertise with us