Michael Slade Books In Order

Publication Order of Special X Books

Working under the pen-name of Michael Slade, the Canadian author Jay Clarke has been writing his unique brand of horror, psychological thriller, supernatural and police procedural novels for quite some time now, as he combines this mixture of genres to great effect. Gaining commercial and critical success not just in his home country of Canada, but abroad as well, he’s managed to build a strong name for himself over the years, creating an idiosyncratic style all of his own that’s entirely unique to him. With a screenplay having been optioned in the past as well, he’s no stranger to the silver screen either, with an impressive writing resume behind him.

Early and Personal Life

Born in 1947 in the area of Lethbridge, Alberta, he always had a strong passion for both reading and writing for as long as he can remember, something which has never left him right into his adulthood, as he’s nurtured his talent over the years. Taking in inspiration from the world around him, he’s managed to build upon his material, thus creating many of the characters and plot-lines that were to follow, creating many of his novels in the years to come. With a clear eye for detail, he was able to quickly pick up on the little intricacies that made people tick.

Taking his undergraduate studies and focusing them primarily on history, Jay Clarke managed to gain a wealth of information and insight, giving him a lot of material to use later on in his career, whilst also honing his clear eye for detail. Going on to study law, he managed to gain a look into the criminal mind, taking his thought processes further and giving them the framework needed when building and developing the police procedural genre, something which would also benefit him in the years to come. This is something that he has continued, as he still works closely with police officers in order to ensure that his books retain state-of-the-art police techniques throughout.

Prior to working as a writer full-time he also practised a lawyer, along with working as a historian as well, both of which allowed him to travel the world extensively, taking in the sights and sounds, all of which would help him later on his career as a writer. Taking part in over one hundred criminal cases, he managed to gain a highly unique perspective into the criminal mind, providing him with the resources needed to get his writing career going. Building his profile up he then settled into creating his pen-name of Michael Slade, which he used as part of the ‘Special External Section’ series writing team.

Working within a collective he now works under the pseudonym Michael Slade, as they write police procedurals together. He also has a horror novel out under this name as well, titled Ghoul, and he has also had film adaptations optioned for his work too. With his writing career growing from strength-to-strength, it appears that he’s not stopping anytime soon.

Writing Career

The novels themselves are written with layered effect, as each one utilizes a number of different style and genres, creating the overall stories and their layout as a whole. On the surface they are formatted using all the tropes and ideas of the police procedural, whilst within that there’s an element of psychological horror, which allows a certain strain of the supernatural to be interjected, and then, at its center, is the basic whodunit setup which everything else tends to revolve around feeding off of. All this helps to create the novels that their many readers have come to know and love over the years, creating a brand that is at once instantly recognisable, whilst simultaneously able to standalone.

Winning awards for his efforts, these books manage to weave a highly intricate and complex worl filled with intriguing characters and equally immersive narratives, something which has captured the imagination of both his critics and his general readers alike. Over the years they have grown in their popularity with both critical and commercial success, as more and more begin to discover their books every day. There’s plenty more books that are set to be released on the horizon too, which is something that shall continue on into the foreseeable future for quite some time yet.

Cutthroat

Published on the first of November, 1992, through the Signet publishing label, this was set to be the third book in the long-running and ongoing ‘Special X’ series. Carrying on in the same style and tone as the previous novels, it manages to capture the essence of what made the first two tick, whilst bringing in just enough of its own to make it different. Capturing the atmosphere and how the characters work, it managed to further develop the story, whilst still giving readers more of what they want.

Working as a standalone story in its own right, the action returns once again to the Special X department of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police department. This time looking at a serial killer who’s striking throughout the streets of San Francisco, as well as throughout history, it concerns three intertwined narratives converging into one exciting climax. With each thrilling chapter getting one step closer to revealing the truth behind this serial killer known only as the ‘Cutthroat’, it seeks to uncover the truth of who he really is and what his intentions are. Where will the killer strike next? Can they capture him before he strikes again? What is the secret behind Cutthroat?

Red Snow

Initially published in 2010 through the Mass Market Paperback publishing label, this was one of the later offerings when the series was already well underway. Marking the fourteenth instalment, it continues in much the same vein as before, giving the readers more of what they’ve now come to expect from the series as a whole. It also works upon developing not only the charaters, but establishes the world it’s set in too, with a further look into the environment bringing it even more to life in the process.

In it Whistler Mountain has been cut-off from civilization by a team of mercenaries, all during a raging winter storm. That’s when Mephisto attacks members of the Special X squad, but it seems that’s only just the begining. From there on out their nefarious plans are set in motion for a series of mind-games, torture and, ultimately revenge. It seems only one side can exit the red snow.

One Response to “Michael Slade”

1. Tom Gregorchuk: 3 years ago

   Will there be a follow up to Red Snow & if so when can I expect it?

   Reply