From paratrooper and police chief to award-winning storyteller
Some writers imagine danger. David Dean spent much of his life encountering it firsthand.
Before becoming an accomplished author of crime, suspense, supernatural fiction, and historical thrillers, David served as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division and spent twenty-five years in law enforcement, rising from patrolman to Chief of Police. Those experiences gave him an intimate understanding of human nature, the consequences of split-second decisions, and the unsettling truth that danger often hides in seemingly ordinary places.
Yet David’s love of storytelling began long before he wore either uniform.
Growing up in a blue-collar neighborhood in Columbus, Georgia, he found an escape from the world around him through books. A third-grade teacher introduced his class to stories such as Black Beauty and The Secret Garden, planting the seed for a lifelong love of reading. He later devoured the works of Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Flannery O’Connor, and Graham Greene.
His path to publication, however, was anything but direct.
David left home at sixteen and spent the next decade pursuing acting in Atlanta, New York City, and Los Angeles. He appeared in regional theater, Off-Off Broadway productions, and a small number of television and film roles before realizing that acting was not where he belonged. Writing would eventually offer him something acting could not: the freedom to practice his craft without waiting for someone else’s permission.
The assignment that changed everything
David did not seriously begin writing until 1989, while attending a night class during his police career.
For his final assignment in an art appreciation course, he was required to create something of artistic merit. Following the familiar advice to “write what you know,” he wrote a short story about a police officer pursuing an increasingly violent burglar.
The story earned an A-minus. More importantly, his professor gave him a simple piece of advice:
Submit it to a publisher.
David did.
In 1990, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine published “The See-Through Man,” beginning a relationship that would continue for decades.
Since then, David’s short fiction has appeared regularly in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and in anthologies including The Best American Mystery Stories. His work has earned a Derringer Award and four Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine Readers Awards, while other stories have been finalists for the Shamus, Barry, and Edgar Awards. His story “The Duelist” was selected for The Best American Mystery Stories 2020.
Stories shaped by a remarkable life
It is easy to see how David’s varied experiences have found their way into his fiction.
His years in law enforcement lend realism and insight to his crime stories. His military service and time in West Germany provide a convincing foundation for Cold War intrigue. His early fascination with Poe, Bradbury, and Lovecraft can be felt in his darker tales of terror and the supernatural.
Across novels and short-story collections, David writes about people confronted by danger, misunderstanding, betrayal, violence, and the consequences of choices they cannot take back. His stories may begin in quiet neighborhoods, family homes, small towns, or familiar workplaces—but beneath those ordinary surfaces, something troubling is often waiting.
His work moves easily between police procedurals, psychological suspense, supernatural horror, historical thrillers, and tales of children who may be endangered, dangerous, or both. Whatever the setting, readers can expect carefully drawn characters, escalating tension, dark humor, and stories that rarely travel in the direction they first appear to be heading.
Finding a home with Genius Books
David’s relationship with Genius Book Publishing began with The Thirteenth Child.
After numerous submissions, he had decided to self-publish the novel and contacted Genius for editing and e-book preparation. Instead, publisher Steven Booth called and asked whether David would consider allowing Genius to publish it.
Fortunately for readers, he said yes.
That novel became the beginning of a growing body of work with Genius Books—one that now includes full-length novels and several themed collections drawn from David’s decades of acclaimed short fiction.
Explore David Dean’s books
David Dean’s titles available through Genius Books include:
Tomorrow’s Dead and Other Stories of Crime and Suspense
The Wisdom of Serpents and Other Stories of Tragic Misunderstandings
Her Terrible Beauty and Other Tales of Terror and the Supernatural
Shadow Lane and Other Tales of Dangerous Children
The Thirteenth Child
The Purple Robe
The German Informant
Whether you prefer crime and suspense, Cold War espionage, supernatural terror, or short stories with a sharp and unexpected turn, David’s collection offers plenty of dark territory to explore.
Meet David Dean through the unforgettable characters, mysteries, and dangerous worlds he has created. Explore all of his available titles at Genius Books.
David Dean is one of the finest contemporary masters of short crime fiction … and one of the *nicest* human beings I know (tied with his wife Robin)!