Paul Mendelson

Paul Mendelson wrote stories at school when he should have been doing other things, but went on to become the, then, youngest ever playwright performed at the National Theatre, with his play, "You're Quite Safe With Me". This was followed by further work for theatre and, briefly, for television. For over twenty years, Paul has written on mind sports, such as bridge, poker and casino games, becoming the UK's best-selling author within his genre. He has contributed to magazines and newspapers worldwide, has a weekly bridge column in the Financial Times, and also writes interviews and features. His debut crime novel, "The First Rule of Survival" was published in 2014, shortlisted for the CWA Crime Novel of the Year, and hit the best-seller charts. His next novel, "The Serpentine Road" was long-listed for the CWA Golden Dagger in 2015. Novel number 3, "The History of Blood" was released in July 2016, once again featuring Colonel Vaughn de Vries, and his fourth in February 2018, called "Apostle Lodge" which has already garnered plaudits in the UK and South Africa, proving a best-seller in the latter territory. All set in Southern Africa, the novels have allowed his creative writing once again to come to the fore, translated into numerous languages, with scripts in development for a feature film. His next book is set in the UK, with a new cast of characters, but he will return to the South African based stories again soon. Paul lives in London (and, sometimes, Cape Town) with his two and four-legged family.