Justin Warren’s latest crime novel, THE LEWIS PASS, received a “Highly Commended” from the Lilian Ida Smith Awards 2020 for emerging authors. It was one of 78 entries and one of only three highly commended. It follows Dylan Harper as he ventures back to the rugged West Coast of New Zealand on the hunt for those who set him up and sent him to prison. But clearing his name is going to be easier said than done when Harper realises powerful political figures want him dead. It is available now on Amazon.
THE LEWIS PASS receives a "Highly Commended" from the Lilian Ida Smith Awards.
Jutstin Warren
Justin Warren was born in Westport, New Zealand. His father was a newspaper journalist, and his mother was a dental nurse.
During the early 1990’s he worked as a reporter at the Westport News. It was during this time he developed his love of writing, and where the idea for his debut novel was born. Justin's first three crime thrillers are all set in the small town of Westport, and the local newspaper plays a role in all three books. "That idea of the small-town mystery always appealed to me. The gossip, innuendo, isolation from the outside world, and the constant tension as anyone and everyone is a suspect."
Another thing that drew Justin to set his books in this part of the world was the scenery. "Westport is a special place. I don't live there anymore myself, but I love the town. You've got 3000-foot tall mountains on one side, the ocean on the other, and then you have this rainforest-shrouded ribbon of land where the town is and where all the action takes place. Westport has this wonderfully atmospheric quality about it, especially when it rains, which it tends to do in my books. A dark, brooding, almost claustrophobic tension, mixed with all the eccentric personalities of the locals. That's what I try and capture in my books."
In 1998 he graduated from The University of Canterbury with a degree in Commerce. In 2016 he returned to his first passion, penning the debut crime novel, THE FORGOTTEN LANDS (later renamed DEAD GROUND), which was self-published in 2017 and longlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Crime Awards in 2018. In 2020 he published his second novel, THE LEWIS PASS, which received high praise from the Lilian Ida Smith Awards and won the Book Award at the 2021 Page Turner Awards. In 2022 Justin released his third book, THE NIGHT BELONGS TO HER. He is currently working on his fourth book, due out later this year.
The authors that have most influenced his style include Michael Connelly and Raymond Chandler, with their richly layered descriptions and brooding lead characters being a major source of creative inspiration. Other favourites include Ben Sanders, Tana French, Patricia Cornwell, Ian Ranking, Peter James and Paul Cleeve.
Justin lives in Christchurch New Zealand with his wife, two children, and his 16-year-old cat Tintin who loves to sit on his lap while he writes.