Jay Bonansinga Books In Order

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Jay Bonansinga is a suspense and horror novelist and a New York Times bestselling author who writes “The Walking Dead” series of novels. The Bram Stoker finalist is the author of more than fourteen novels and made his debut with the publishing of “Black Mariah” in 1994. Since then he has blown up in popularity and his work has been translated into more than sixteen languages across the world. He has also earned critical acclaim and the Chicago Tribune called him one of the most imaginative authors in the thriller genre. As a screenwriter, he has worked with some of the big hitters in Hollywood such as Giancarlo Esposito, Dennis Haysbert, and “Might of the Living Dead’s” George Romero. He is also a director and won top honors with his directorial debut of “STASH” that won several awards at independent film festivals. Any of his screenplays have been optioned and are currently in development to be made into a film. As a fiction author, he made a name for himself with his historical work “The Sinking of the Eastland” that would later be adapted into Eastland a hit musical. Apart from writing novels in the “Walking Dead Universe,” he has also created several videogames in the same universe that have become quite popular. He currently lives with Jill Norton his photographer wife and his two children.

Jay first got interested in authorship as a seven-year-old when his grandparents took him to the screening of “101 Dalmations.” He was so scared and traumatized by the lead protagonist Cruella DeVille that he determined never to get that scared again. A few years later, it hit him that the only way to never be scared is to be the person who writes the scenes and characters of horror and suspense stories. Bonansinga sold his first short story to a magazine. He still remembers how happy he was when one of the great horror editors of the time Peggy Nadramia said that she loved the story and would publish it. Straight out of college, he got into a depressive funk whne financing for what would have been his directorial debut fell through. He decided to get an agent or manager to protect himself while he converted the ideas he had for the screen into novels. His debut was the Bram Stoker award-winning novel “The Black Mariah” that opened the way for him working with George Romero when it was optioned later in the year. Since he had worked with Romero and had a grounding in horror it was only natural that he would be offered the job of writing the novel format of the Walking Dead novels when it became available. He has said that he gets much of his inspiration from anything scary from Ice-Capades to clowns, Catholic priests, and tax returns.

Jay Bonansinga’s involvement in writing the “Walking Dead” novels does not have an elaborate story to it. It was just a typical Hollywood story where Robert Kirkman’s agent was well known to his agent and they hung out regularly. It was while the two were having lunch in 2009 that the executive producer of The Walking Dead casually mentioned that Robert was on the lookout for a novelist for the franchise. Jay’s agent says to him that he has someone in mind that could be perfect for the job. Since he had once worked with Romero and was all in when it came to zombies and monsters, he seemed the perfect fit for the project. He wrote “Descent” his first of “The Walking Dead” novels in 2014. When Jay Bonansinga is not writing his novels he may be found spending time with his wife Jilly and watching thriller movies and series.

“Frozen” by Jay Bonansinga is the story of Ulysses Grove, a profiler with the FBI frustrated with a case he cannot crack. The Sun City serial killer has committed six homicides and Ulysses is no closer to tying it all together. The stress is affecting his physical health, he has become prone to fainting and he is unable to sleep. He is also not over the pain of losing his wife a few months past which is more complicated by the strained relationship he is having with his mother. While he is working on his serial killer case, he is approached by journalist Maura County for help. A mummified body was found in the ice of the Alaskan wilderness and is believed to have the victim of a ritualistic killing going back six millennia. If Maura can break the story and crack it with the help of Ulysses, she will make it into the big time. But even though he is a manhunter, dealing with recent frustrations and tragedies have made him a man on the edge. But he is about to make a shocking discovery that may connect the tiniest details from the prehistoric murder to his current serial killer. Past and present collide as Ulysses and Maura go down a nightmare path that will take them inside the darkest reaches of the human heart. They are trying to stop a powerful and eternal cycle of evil as old as time.

Jay Bonansinga’s “Twisted” opens to Ulysses Grove the FBI profiler escaping to a rural retreat to get back his bearing. But in New Orleans, a serial killer strikes again and he is called back into action in a fight against evil in which his life might be in danger. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has put in place measures to rebuild the worst-hit areas and this has proven a huge challenge. Meanwhile, the serial killer is only interested in destruction and has been taking out his victims in a ritualistic manner given the mysterious clues found at the murder scenes in the French Quarter. Ulysses Grove takes the case as personal especially after the murder of a Tulane professor who had been a dear friend. The professor was the latest in a string of killings but his death has the most startling clues into what drives the deranged killer. As journalist Maura County teams up with Grove and they pore through some horrifying cold cases, they also find the professor’s half-destroyed journal. They find a terrifying truth of an ancient civilization, a Mayan expedition gone wrong, ritual human offerings, and the modern-day serial killer that used the ancient secrets to get access to indestructible power. But a storm is threatening the Gulf Coast even as Grove hunts the psycho who seems to have a connection to what he thought he had left behind.

“Shattered” by Jay Bonansinga sees Ulysses Grove getting very close to catching a deranged serial killer though the man counters with a strike that is too close for comfort. The man who has been nicknamed the Mississippi Ripper usually kills his victims in pairs. For every body found, there is usually a second one, a grotesque reflection of the torment and terror. Grove believes he has figured out the modus operandi of the seemingly mad killer. But in his quest to understand the motivation for the brutal killings, he finds himself on a dangerous mortal path that threatens not only him but also everything he cherishes. When push comes to shove, the only thing left to do is go back into his past. However, this man is unlike any he ever faced before as he seems to always be one step ahead and has access to a lot of power and resources.