A UK author living part-time in Spain has just signed a publishing deal for several crime novels.

Gordon Brown just received a publishing deal to continue novels that draw inspiration from life in the UK and Spain. 

The 64-year-old Scottish crime writer, who publishes under the pen name Morgan Cry, spends part of the year on the Costa Blanca, where he creates fictional worlds blending crime and mystery.

His four-book deal was signed with Severn House, an imprint of Joffe Books, which is one of the UK’s leading independent publishers. 

Inside tennis star Novak Djokovic’s €11m Marbella mansion where he relaxes after training at Puente Romano

Scottish author Gordon Brown with his newest books The Cost and The Fracture under the pen name Morgan Cry.

The agreement will continue his popular crime series that began with The Cost.

Meanwhile his latest thriller, titled The Fracture, recently hit bookshelves. 

The published author lives part-time in Javea with his wife, Leslie.

He attributes Spain’s landscapes, villages and characters as a constant source of inspiration. 

Brown even published an article for American outlet crimereads.com to outline the history of the Costa del Crime.

While crime fiction often paints Spain as a hotspot for misconduct, Brown says the reality ‘is not that bad’.

That hasn’t stopped him finding plenty of material for his books. 

One of his short stories is based on a real crime that took place in Javea, while two of his novels transport readers to the fictional Spanish town of El Descaro, a setting heavily inspired by the Costa Blanca.

In Thirty-One Bones, a group of expat misfits become entangled in a mystery surrounding the sudden death of a woman’s mother.

Its sequel Six Wounds ups the stakes with a dead gangster and the return of the colourful cast, with a promise of twists and turns.

Spain’s influence on Brown’s writing extends beyond his fiction.

Spain’s oldest bookshop is saved from oblivion after 176 years in business by loyal customers who raised €60,000 in 13 days 

Brown with four other Scottish authors who perform improvised crime scenes at Bloody Scotland.

He has attended several crime-writing festivals across the country, including events where he and fellow authors performed entirely improvised crime stories live on stage.

He is also keen to see stronger links between Scotland’s thriving crime-writing scene and literary events in Spain.

Before becoming a novelist Brown built a career in business, working in marketing and consultancy, along with serving as a brand director for one of Scotland’s largest breweries.

According to his website biography, his varied career included helping create a technology company that floated on the London Stock Exchange and once being booed by nearly 50,000 football fans while standing on the pitch during a major cup final.

Brown recently made the decision to focus his time on writing for pleasure. 

Since then, the writer has published multiple short stories, a novella and 13 novels, establishing himself as a respected voice in British crime fiction.

His two most recent books are set in his father’s hometown of Fraserburgh in northeast Scotland, and feature a retired police officer turned taxi driver, echoing elements of his own father’s past.

OPINION: ‘I saw how Barcelona celebrates St George’s Day with pride… I wish England would take a page out of their book!’

Even his pen name has personal roots, with Brown explaining that Morgan Cry is derived from a combination of his brother’s surname and his grandmother’s maiden name.

Away from the page, he remains deeply involved in the crime-writing community. 

Brown was one of the founders of Bloody Scotland, an internationally acclaimed crime-writing festival held annually in Stirling, which attracts a combination of authors and readers every year.

He has also been involved with the Shetland Noir festival and continues to champion crime fiction on both sides of Europe.

After decades of writing, Brown remains grateful simply to have found an audience.

“I’m happy that nearly forty years of writing has turned me into something more than a pile of dusty paper in an old suitcase,” he said.

Despite publishing 13 crime and thriller novels, Brown insists he doesn’t spend months meticulously plotting his stories. 

“I never plan what I’m going to write,” he told the Olive Press. “I just write myself into an idea using Stephen King’s method of 2,000 words a session.” 

Readers can find out more about Brown’s books and writing through his website and his Substack newsletter, For Crying Out Loud.

Click here to read more Spain News from The Olive Press.