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John A. Connell

Goodreads Author

Born

Atlanta, The United States

Website

http://johnaconnell.com

Genre

Thriller, Mystery, Historical Fiction

Member Since

April 2014

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John was born in Atlanta, where he earned a BA in Anthropology, and has been a motion picture camera operator, a jazz pianist, a stock boy in a brassiere factory, a machinist, repairer of newspaper racks, and a printing-press operator. His first in the Mason Collins series was nominated for Barry Award, and Where the Wicked Tread has been nominated for Best E-book 2022 by ITW. The series has also received endorsements from the likes of Lee Child and Steve Berry. He and his wife divide their time between the U.S. and France.

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Popular Answered Questions

When will the third Mason Collins book be published?

John A. Connell Hello, David, thank you for asking. The third in the Mason Collins series is finished, but some issues have arisen that have caused a delay in its pub…moreHello, David, thank you for asking. The third in the Mason Collins series is finished, but some issues have arisen that have caused a delay in its publication. I'm hoping those issues will be resolved soon. Meanwhile, I'm outlining number 4, and working on a new series simultaneously. I should be able to announce something this fall.(less)

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How do you deal with writer’s block?

John A. Connell Actually, I haven't experienced classic writer's block. Every writer has their good days and bad days, where the writing seems to shine or reek of the…moreActually, I haven't experienced classic writer's block. Every writer has their good days and bad days, where the writing seems to shine or reek of the most foul things on the planet, and I'm no different. On those days, when nothing seems to come out right, I may do research (since I write historical crime thrillers, there's always research!), or I do a brief outline of the coming pages to make sure I'm going in the right direction. There are thousands of things that go into creating a novel, so there's always something that can be done.
Another thing I've learned from some sage writers is to forgive myself for a bad writing day. Even if I think what I'm writing deserves a vigorous flush down the toilet I keep going. On those days I'll write myself a note of apology for what's ending up on the page, only to read it the next day and say, "Hey, that's not so bad after all."(less)

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Combine Editions
John A. Connell’s books

Average rating: 4.26 · 2,846 ratings · 255 reviews · 14 distinct works • Similar authors

	Madness in the Ruins (Mason Collins #1) 4.13 avg rating — 1,305 ratings — published 2015 — 16 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Bones of the Innocent (Mason Collins #3) 4.37 avg rating — 698 ratings — published 2019 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Haven of Vipers (Mason Collins #2) 4.28 avg rating — 362 ratings — published 2016 — 15 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	To Kill a Devil (Mason Collins #4) 4.43 avg rating — 182 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Where the Wicked Tread (Mason Collins #5) 4.55 avg rating — 143 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Upon A Bloodstained Land (Mason Collins #6) 4.56 avg rating — 81 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	At Their Own Peril (A Mason Collins Crime Thriller 7) 4.56 avg rating — 36 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Mason Collins Box Set - Books 1-3: Madness in the Ruins, Haven of Vipers, Bones of the Innocent 4.09 avg rating — 22 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Good Night, Sweet Daddy-O 4.46 avg rating — 13 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	In Malevolent Hands: A Mason Collins Novella (Mason Collins Crime Thriller Book 0) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Series by John A. Connell

Mason Collins (8 books)
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John A. Connell (Goodreads Author)

4.26 avg rating — 2,829 ratings

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John Connell is now friends with Jessica
Feb 25, 2026 01:19AM · like

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Quotes by John A. Connell (?)

“The ocean always falls away before the tidal wave roars ashore.”
― John A. Connell, Madness in the Ruins

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
The Seasonal Read...: Summer Challenge 2016: Completed Tasks: PLEASE DO NOT DELETE ANY POSTS IN THIS THREAD	2596	496	Aug 31, 2016 09:00PM
Historical Fictio...: TBR Challenge 2018 Reading Lists	23	114	Jul 31, 2018 01:33PM

John’s Quotes

“And now,' said the unknown, 'farewell kindness, humanity, and gratitude! Farewell to all the feelings that expand the heart! I have been heaven's substitute to recompense the good - now the god of vengeance yields to me his power to punish the wicked!”
― Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo

tags: good, vengeance, wicked

71 likes

“War always reaches the depths of horror because of idiots who perpetuate terror from generation to generation under the pretext of vengeance.”
― Guy Sajer, The Forgotten Soldier

tags: soldier, terror, timeless, vengeance, war, world-war-ii

29 likes