Paul Thomas (born 1951) is a New Zealand novelist, journalist, sports biographer and scriptwriter. He has been described as 'the Godfather of New Zealand crime fiction.'

Life and work

Thomas was born in

Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor at ...

, United Kingdom, and attended the

University of Auckland , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...

. Thomas' novels are set primarily in Australia and New Zealand, and often also in France, where he spent several years in

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...

. He is known for his humorous writing style, especially in the novels featuring Tito Ihaka, a

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

detective in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

. The Ihaka novels also draw a panoramic view of the contemporary society in Auckland. While Thomas' earlier work consists primarily of crime and sports novels, his recent books explore the psychological state-of-mind of middle-aged urban people at the beginning of the new century. ''Inside Dope'' (German title: ''Transfer'') and '' Dirty Laundry'' (''Schmutzige Wäsche'') have been translated and published in German. Thomas is a sports and current affairs columnist for the

New Zealand Listener The ''New Zealand Listener'' is a weekly New Zealand magazine that covers the political, cultural and literary life of New Zealand by featuring a variety of topics, including current events, politics, social issues, health, technology, arts, f ...

Awards

Ned Kelly Award The Ned Kelly Awards (named for bushranger Ned Kelly) are Australia's leading literary awards for crime writing in both the crime fiction and true crime genres. They were established in 1996 by the Crime Writers Association of Australia to rewar ...

for Best Crime Novel: '' Inside Dope'' (1995) *

Ngaio Marsh Award The Ngaio Marsh Awards (formerly Ngaio Marsh Award), popularly called the Ngaios, are literary awards presented annually in New Zealand to recognise excellence in crime fiction, mystery, and thriller writing. The Awards were established by jour ...

for Best Crime Novel: ''Death on Demand'' (2013)

Bibliography

Tito Ihaka Novels

The Ihaka character was adapted for the 2001 TV Movie ''Ihaka: Blunt Instrument'' starring

Temuera Morrison Temuera Derek Morrison (born 26 December 1960) is a New Zealand actor and Singer who first gained recognition for his role as Dr. Hone Ropata on the soap opera ''Shortland Street''. He gained critical acclaim for his starring role as Jake "The ...

. *''Old School Tie'' (1994) (aka ''Dirty Laundry'') *'' Inside Dope'' (1995) *''Guerilla Season'' (1996) *''Death on Demand'' (2012) *''Fallout'' (2014)

Other Novels

*''Star Struck'' (1999-2000) *''Final Cut'' (1999) *''The Empty Bed'' (2002) *''Work in Progress'' (2006)

Short Story Collections

*''Sex Crimes'' (2003)

References

Paul Thomas website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Paul 1951 births Living people 20th-century New Zealand novelists New Zealand crime fiction writers Ned Kelly Award winners 21st-century New Zealand novelists