Growing up, James Silvester fell in love with the Cold War Thrillers of John le Carré and the dark world of Fleming’s Bond. Combining this with a passion for the history and culture of Slovakia and the Czech Republic, born from studies of 20th century political history, he wrote his debut thriller, Escape to Perdition, in 2015. A life-long fan of film, and often taking inspiration from admired actors, James based a character in the book on Czech born actor, Herbert Lom, shaping their development to speak in the famous performer’s rich tones. James’s ‘Prague Thrillers’ series was completed with 2017’s ‘The Prague Ultimatum’, with his love for Prague also reflected in an unofficial, unauthorised, charity Doctor Who story, ‘The Creature of Vengeance’ featuring the Time Lord battling the infamous Golem.
A passionate European and opponent of Brexit, James’s third book, Blood, White and Blue, was written in part as a tribute to the EU citizens living in Britain, and featured a Czech spy, Lucie Musilova, press-ganged into the service of a country that hates her. The ‘Lucie Musilova’ series continued with 2019’s ‘Sealed with a Death’.
Seeded from his academic studies, James’s love for Prague grew after meeting his future wife, Mirka, on his first visit to the city. Since then, he has made frequent trips to the Czech Republic, and his wife’s hometown of Bojnice, Slovakia, his love for the culture and history of the regions, growing deeper with each trip.
James and Mirka have two children and live in Manchester.
