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Marcus Sakey Biography, Books, and Similar Authors

Author Biography  | Interview  | Books by this Author  | Read-Alikes

Marcus Sakey
Photo: Brett Carlson

Marcus Sakey

Marcus Sakey Biography

Marcus Sakey's thrillers have been nominated for more than fifteen awards, named New York Time's Editor's Picks, and selected among Esquire Magazine's Top 5 Books of The Year. His novel Good People was made into a movie starring James Franco and Kate Hudson, and his other books are in various stages of development for film.

Born in Flint, Michigan, he attended the University of Michigan before beginning a decade-long career in television and advertising.

His debut thriller The Blade Itself was sold at auction and published to wide critical acclaim, allowing him to work full-time as a writer.

Marcus was the host and writer of the acclaimed television show Hidden City on Travel Channel, for which he was routinely pepper-sprayed and attacked by dogs. He lives in Chicago with his wife and daughter.

Marcus Sakey's website

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Interview

An interview with Marcus Sakey in which he talks about his first novel, The Blade Itself, beginnings, the publishing industry and the passions that drive us.

Acclaimed author David Morrell is the author of 28 books, including First Blood, the novel that introduced the world to John Rambo. With 18 million books in print, he’s considered one of the fathers of the modern thriller and is a co-founder of International Thriller Writers.

Morrell is also a friend and mentor to debut novelist (and diehard fan) Marcus Sakey, and recently interviewed him about beginnings, the publishing industry, and the passions that drive us.

My debut novel First Blood was published in 1972.  Because I set a version of the Vietnam War in the United States, it got attention, rare for a first book.  I'm pleased to see that your first novel The Blade Itself is getting its own wonderful buzz.  Excellent reviews.  Blurbs from fabulous, heavy-hitting writers like Lee Child, George Pelecanos, and T. Jefferson Parker.  You've been compared to Elmore Leonard and Dennis Lehane.  But in fact, you don't imitate.  You're one of a kind.  What do you think makes your work distinctive?
Well, that’s very flattering, as is being compared to guys like Elmore Leonard and Dennis Lehane, both of whom are literary heroes of mine.

I suppose one factor might be that while I ...

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Books by this Author

Books by Marcus Sakey at BookBrowse
Brilliance jacket The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes jacket Good People jacket At the City's Edge jacket
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Read-Alikes

All the books below are recommended as read-alikes for Marcus Sakey but some maybe more relevant to you than others depending on which books by the author you have read and enjoyed. So look for the suggested read-alikes by title linked on the right.
How we choose read-alikes

  • Lee Child

    Lee Child

    Lee Child was born in the exact geographic center of England, in the heart of the industrial badlands. Never saw a tree until he was twelve. It was the sort of place where if you fell in the river, you had to go to the ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    The Blade Itself

    Try:
    Bad Luck and Trouble
    by Lee Child

  • Harlan Coben

    Harlan Coben

    Harlan Coben was born and raised in New Jersey.  After graduating from Amherst College as political science major, he worked in the travel industry. He now lives in New Jersey with his wife, Anne Armstrong-Coben MD, a... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    The Blade Itself

    Try:
    The Innocent
    by Harlan Coben

We recommend 6 similar authors

View all 6 Read-Alikes

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