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 civil parish in the North Yorkshire District, district and North Yorkshire, county of North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist de ...

, United Kingdom, and attended the

University of Auckland The University of Auckland (; Māori: ''Waipapa Taumata Rau'') is a public research university based in Auckland, New Zealand. The institution was established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Initially loc ...

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

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

. 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 Co ...

detective in

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

. 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 for Best Crime Novel: '' Inside Dope'' (1995) * Ngaio Marsh Award 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 who first gained recognition in his home country for playing Dr. Hone Ropata on the soap opera ''Shortland Street''. He garnered critical acclaim for starring as Jake "The M ...

. *''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