John Kemp -British Author of the Sterling P.I. Film Noir Mysteries

Film Noir. Crime. Mystery.

Meet Sterling — a modern private investigator with a taste for trouble, a dry sense of humour and a talent for finding it.

The author of the Sterling P.I. series, John Kemp combines his fascination with classic Film Noir, crime and mystery to create stories of intrigue, deception and danger.

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MEET STERLING

Some cases are complicated. Sterling's usually are.

Former policeman. Private investigator.
Cynical when necessary. Curious when it matters.
And usually one step away from trouble.

Sterling knows that the simplest cases rarely stay that way. A missing person, a suspicious client or a seemingly straightforward job can quickly lead somewhere much darker.

With a dry wit, an instinct for trouble and a distinctly noir view of the world, Sterling takes on cases that other detectives might prefer to leave alone.

THE STERLING P.I. SERIES

Modern-day mysteries with the atmosphere, humour and attitude of classic film noir. google-site-

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THE STERLING P.I. SERIES

Four cases. One private investigator. And trouble wherever Sterling goes.

From missing persons and murder to deception, double-crosses and characters who aren't quite what they seem, Sterling's cases take him into the darker corners of modern England.

Written with a love of classic film noir, the Sterling P.I. novellas combine mystery, dry humour and a touch of old-school detective style.

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BEYOND STERLING

Not every story lives in the shadows.

FLASHBULB MEMORIES

A Soldier. A Lost Memory. A Love That Won't Let Go.

A soldier awakens from a coma with no memory of his past. Fragments of war, love and a life he can no longer remember begin to return — but can he discover who he was before it's too late?

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THE SECRET LETTERBOX

Thirty years ago, on the wild Dartmoor moors, Alan Havers died in a tragic accident. His brothers never recovered. Neal left—and never looked back... Until now.

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FAR REACHING ASPECTS

For readers who enjoy atmospheric Gothic mysteries, supernatural suspense, buried secrets, and reality that isn't quite what it seems.

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BEFORE NOIR

Before there was noir, there were the stories that inspired it.

 

Long before private eyes stalked rain-soaked streets, writers such as Jacques Futrelle, Arthur Morrison, W. W. Jacobs, Jack London and E. W. Hornung were creating stories filled with mystery, danger and intrigue.

Before Noir brings together ten forgotten gems from the golden age of storytelling — stories that helped lay the foundations for the crime fiction we know today.

Before modern hard-boiled PI stories took over, a golden age of fiction laid the groundwork for the crime genre. This collection curated by John Kemp brings together classic mystery tales, early detective fiction, and vintage suspense stories from legendary authors like Jack London and Jacques Futrelle. 

Dive into these forgotten crime classics and discover the rich literary roots that inspired modern film noir.

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FILM NOIR FLASHBACK

Classic films. Dark streets. Dangerous people.

John Kemp takes a look back at the films that helped define the noir genre — the detectives, criminals, femme fatales, shadows and stories that continue to influence crime fiction today.

THE LATEST FLASHBACK

Cry Danger starring Dick Powell & Rhonda Fleming

A classic film noir — revisited.

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WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

“I could imagine Humphrey Bogart playing the lead character Sterling.”

— Pat, Goodreads

“An interesting detective story, with dry as a bone dialogue, that ticks all the film noir boxes.”

— Shaun, Amazon

“John Kemp captures the language and feel of the film noir genre...”

— J.P. Farley

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ABOUT JOHN

From crime scenes to film noir.

John Kemp's fascination with crime and storytelling began long before Sterling appeared on the page.

A former crime-scene photographer and lifelong admirer of hard-boiled detective fiction and classic film noir, John brings together photography, crime, travel and storytelling in his writing.

His Sterling P.I. series is his modern take on the world of the private investigator — with a distinctly British setting and a healthy dose of noir.

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WHAT'S NEW

NEW BOOK

Film Noirs and Doused Cigars

The latest Sterling P.I. case.

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FILM NOIR FLASHBACK

The latest classic revisited

Discover John's latest look back at the world of film noir.

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COMING SOON

Film Noirs and Poison Jars

Another Sterling case is on the horizon.

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STEP INTO THE SHADOWS

Discover John Kemp's world of film noir, mystery and crime.

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The next case is never quite what it seems.