- Chris Kuzneski
-
Chris Kuzneski 
Born September 2, 1969
Indiana, Pennsylvania
United States
Occupation Author Genres Action-adventure, Action-thriller, Adventure, Mystery, Thriller, Techno-thriller Notable work(s) The Plantation
Sign of the Cross
Sword of God
The Lost Throne
The Prophecy
Influences- Clive Cussler, Nelson DeMille, James Rollins, Tom Clancy, Steve Berry
chriskuzneski.comChris Kuzneski (born in 1969) is a New York Times bestselling American author.[1] His books have been translated into more than 20 languages and have been published in more than 40 countries.[2] His works have also been named a Literary Guild's featured selection and honored by the Florida Book Awards.[3] Due to his success in the United Kingdom, his books are released in the British market several months before they are published in America.[4]
Kuzneski’s novels follow the adventures of Jonathon Payne and David "D.J." Jones, former members of the MANIACs—an elite Special Forces unit in the U.S. military. Although the main characters are ex-soldiers, the novels are not “military” thrillers. Instead, they are often compared to the works of Clive Cussler and James Rollins. Kuzneski’s thrillers are known for their action, adventure, and humor. His novels have garnered the attention of several notable authors. His books have been endorsed by James Patterson, Clive Cussler, Nelson DeMille, Lee Child, Douglas Preston, Vince Flynn, James Rollins, Tess Gerritsen, and Steve Berry.
His fourth thriller, The Lost Throne, was released in the UK in 2008 and peaked at #5 on the British fiction chart. Putnam released the American hardcover in July 2009. It won the Bronze Medal for Popular Fiction at the Florida Book Awards, which is America’s most comprehensive state book awards program.[5] The American paperback reached the New York Times mass-market bestseller list in July 2010.[6]
His fifth thriller, The Prophecy, was published in the UK in October 2009 and climbed to #4 on the British fiction chart. Putnam released the American hardcover in July 2010.
His sixth novel, The Secret Crown, was released by Penguin UK on September 30, 2010 and within two weeks rose to #10 on the The Times bestsellers list.[7] The American version won’t be released until December 2011.[8]
Contents
Biographical sketch
Born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Kuzneski currently lives in Tampa, Florida. In fourth grade, he wrote The Monster Cookbook, which so impressed the librarian that it was bound and placed in the school library.[9] He played football at the University of Pittsburgh where he received his undergraduate degree in writing and his master's degree in teaching. While studying at Pitt, he wrote for The Pitt News, the Indiana Gazette, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. From 1992 until 1998, he taught English and coached football in two western Pennsylvania school districts and was selected to Who's Who Among America's Teachers. However, he knew he wanted to be an author, so he left teaching and started working on his first novel, The Plantation.[10]
Published works
The Plantation
A ski instructor disappears in the mountains of Colorado. Hours later, a pregnant woman is grabbed in a crowded hospital and smuggled past security without a hitch. Two incidents, a single motive. And so it begins….
One by one, in cities across America, people of all ages are taken from their homes, their cars, their lives. But these aren’t random kidnappings. They’re crimes of passion, planned and researched several months in advance, then executed with a singular objective in mind. Revenge.
Ariane Walker is one of the victims, dragged from her apartment with few clues to follow. The police said there’s little they can do for her, but that isn’t good enough for her boyfriend, Jonathon Payne. With the help of his best friend, Payne gives chase, hoping that a tip about New Orleans somehow pays off. Together, they uncover the mystery of Ariane’s abduction and the truth behind the South’s most violent secret.
Sign of the Cross
Payne and Jones are recruited to find Dr. Charles Boyd, an archeologist who recently found the Catacombs of Orvieto, the safe haven for the popes of the Middle Ages. While Boyd avoids pursuit, a series of victims turn up dead, people who were tortured and crucified like Jesus Christ on his final day. All the incidents are interconnected, but it’s up to Payne and Jones to figure out the common thread and why they were selected to solve the puzzle.[11]
Sword of God
In a secret bunker run by U.S. intelligence, the unthinkable has happened. While interrogating one of the world’s most dangerous terrorists, the unthinkable has happened: an American soldier is brutally executed. Jonathon Payne and David Jones, his former commanders, offer to spearhead the investigation. They quickly realize that there is more to this atrocity than terrorist reprisal—there is a plot in motion that will burn the world in the fires of a holy war. And it's up to them to stop it.
The Lost Throne
In the Meteora monasteries high in the towering cliffs of Central Greece, an Elite group of warriors hurl the silent monks from the cliff-top to their Death - the holy men take their secret to their grave. In Russia, an American academician, Richard Byrd, fears for his life as he tries to uncover one of the greatest treasures of human history. But others are dedicated to protect it and will go to any measure to prevent its discovery...
In the turmoil and blood running from Russia to Greece to the fabled city of Spati (Sparta) Jonathan Payne, David Jones and Nick Dial uncovers the terrifying series of deaths and tries to discover a secret guarded since the start of time...
The Prophecy
When the writings of 16th-century visionary Nostradamus ring alarmingly true, Jonathon Payne and David Jones find themselves in a life-or-death race to stop those who would use the seer’s predictions for their own dark purposes.
In an adventure that spans two continents and several centuries, Payne and Jones must locate a sacred text that may change everything we know about the future.
The Secret Crown
Bavaria, 1886: King Ludwig II is declared insane by his government and forcibly removed from the throne. A day later, Ludwig’s corpse washes up in the shallows of Lake Starnberg. Rumors swirl about the tragedy, but few know why the eccentric king was really killed—and what secret was silenced by his death.
Germany, present day: Hidden amongst the crates in a newly discovered World War II bunker are documents stamped with a black swan, the insignia of the murdered king. As a favor to a friend, Payne and Jones fly to Bavaria to investigate the discovery, but soon face a deadly battle against an unknown enemy. The duo must solve the mystery behind the king’s death, or else they’ll share his tragic fate.
Recurring characters
Jonathon Payne, a retired Special Forces officer and former commander of the MANIACs.Payne is CEO of Payne Industries, a hi-tech company. He was introduced in The Plantation and has appeared in every Kuzneski novel.
David "D.J." Jones, Payne’s former second-in-command with the MANIACs. Best friends with Payne, he operates a detective agency out of the Payne Industries building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Jones was introduced in The Plantation and has appeared in every Kuzneski novel.
Nick Dial, director of the homicide division of Interpol. Dial was introduced in Sign of the Cross and made a brief appearance in Sword of God. His character was featured in Kuzneski’s thriller, The Lost Throne.
Petr Ulster, historian and curator of the Ulster Archives in Küsendorf, Switzerland.
Randy Raskin, a computer researcher at the Pentagon. He can access classified information that would otherwise be unavailable to Payne and Jones. The character is based on a real-life person, a college friend of Kuzneski’s from the University of Pittsburgh. Raskin was introduced in Sign of the Cross and has appeared in every Kuzneski novel since.
MANIACs, an elite Special Forces team composed of the best soldiers in the United States military. The term MANIACs is an acronym for Marines Army Navy Intelligence Air Force and Coast Guard.
Bibliography
Payne & Jones Series
- The Plantation (2002)
- Sign of the Cross (2006)
- Sword of God (2007)
- The Lost Throne (2008)
- The Prophecy (2009)
- The Secret Crown (U.K. 2010, U.S. January 12, 2012)
- The Death Relic (U.K. 2011)
References
- ^ New York Times
- ^ Author biography at www.chriskuzneski.com
- ^ Roth, Heather (2010-07-18). "Kuzneski enjoys hectic life of novelist". Indiana Gazette (Indiana, PA). http://online.indianagazette.com/articles/2010/07/18/news/10047991.txt. Retrieved 2010-08-06.
- ^ FAQ at www.chriskuzneski.com
- ^ Forum magazine, Summer 2010
- ^ New York Times
- ^ Latest news from 10/13/10 at www.chriskuzneski.com
- ^ The Secret Crown - Buy the Book
- ^ Koma, Debra Martin (September, 2001). "Thrilling Book". Pitt Magazine (Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh). http://www.pittmag.pitt.edu/sept2001/hc_spotlight.html. Retrieved 2010-08-06.
- ^ Author biography at www.chriskuzneski.com
- ^ Plot summary at www.chriskuzneski.com
External links
Categories:- 1969 births
- Living people
- American thriller writers
- Writers from Florida
- Writers from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- People from Indiana, Pennsylvania
- Players of American football from Pennsylvania
- Pittsburgh Panthers football players
- University of Pittsburgh alumni
- Military humor
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