John McMahon

The New York Times called John McMahon’s debut novel, THE GOOD DETECTIVE “pretty much perfect” and listed it among their “Top Ten Crime Novels of 2019.” The book was a finalist for the 2020 Edgar Award for Best First Novel.

His follow up, THE EVIL MEN DO, was also a New York Times “Top Ten Crime Novel” for 2020.

John’s book, HEAD CASES (2025) is the first in a new series about the FBI’s Patterns and Recognition, or PAR team: puzzle solvers who are unexpectedly sent on a chase for a serial killer. INSIDE MAN, its follow-up, comes out in January of 2026.

HEAD CASES was part of a six-way bidding war in Hollywood and is in development as a TV series at HBO MAX.

John lives in Southern California with his family and rescue dog. In his day job, he’s an advertising creative director and is in search of the perfect chocolate chip cookie.