John Griffiths

I’m John Griffiths, a journalist and nonfiction author whose books range from disturbing true crime to the considerably less sinister hazards of budget cruising.

My book FATAL PRESCRIPTION: A Doctor without Remorse has now inspired the US 2026 Lifetime movie THE MONSTER SHE MARRIED, starring Matthew Morrison and Molly Saunders. The film is also available through Amazon Prime Video in the United States.

I became a cub reporter in England at the age of 16 and emigrated to Canada five years later in 1966. I spent the next ten years at Vancouver’s morning newspaper, The Province, covering general news, politics and crime, including two years as City Hall reporter.

I was married to Province columnist Kathy Tait. Our newspaper was then a broadsheet with a large editorial staff and a fierce appetite for exclusive stories. We spared few expenses to beat the competition. How times have changed!

FATAL PRESCRIPTION: A Doctor without Remorse

“Extraordinary ... a remarkable story.” —Leeza Gibbons, NBC-TV

BEWARE OF THIS FAMILY DOCTOR . . .

HE MAY HIRE SOMEONE TO KILL YOU.

And the medical authorities may not stop him in time.

This was my first book, and it documents the chilling case of a physician who plots to silence two sisters after they accuse him of sexual misconduct. His terrified young wife must decide whether to come forward while the medical authorities procrastinate.

The updated edition offers the fuller story behind the film, with eight pages of original photographs and developments in the case through 2020. It is available in hardcover, paperback, Kindle and audiobook editions.

“Reads with the pace of a taut thriller.” —George Henderson, Gloucester Citizen

“Grippingly told ... a wonderful, powerful book.” —David Berner, Radio CKNW Vancouver

“Mesmerizing.” —Bob Stall, Vancouver Province

RESURRECTION: THE KIDNAPPING OF ABBY DROVER

As the reporter who covered Abby Drover’s dramatic rescue on the outskirts of Vancouver, I was struck by her extraordinary courage—and by the note she hid identifying her kidnapper, beginning with the words “If you find me dead.”

Abducted on her way to school at the age of 12, Abby survived six months imprisoned in an underground cell. Twenty years later, she worked with me to document her ordeal, just as her kidnapper was approaching release.

I recently changed the title to IF YOU FIND ME DEAD but this resulted, despite assurances otherwise, in the loss of your greatly appreciated reader reviews on Amazon, possibly making it harder for new readers to find. The print and Kindle editions are currently available under both titles, RESURRECTION or IF YOU FIND ME DEAD, while the audiobook retains the latter and is available through Amazon, Audible and iTunes.

Both this book and FATAL PRESCRIPTION tell the stories of young women finding the courage to confront abusive men and seek justice.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT . . .

After true crime, perhaps you could use a holiday. So could I.

My two nonfiction cruise books, DON’T MISS YOUR SHIP! and HIGH SEAS LOW COST, combine practical advice on travelling economically with the true misadventures of bargain-hunting Rupert Flange and his increasingly frustrated Editor—yours truly.

Rupert finds the bargains. The Editor picks up the pieces!

Our travels take us from Peru, Iceland and the Panama Canal to the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Asia, Australia, Polynesia and Alaska. Along the way, useful money-saving advice competes with unexpected encounters involving seagulls, bears, crocodiles and some equally unpredictable humans.

Both books are available in Kindle, print and audiobook editions, with more than 13½ hours of listening between them. You can also join us on YouTube at CRUISING WITH RUPERT FLANGE for nonfiction travel documentaries with plenty of humorous surprises.

These days, I’m happiest finding a good story—or a cruise bargain Rupert hasn’t already claimed.