James P. Sumner began writing in the summer of 2013, finally feeling ready to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a published author. He worked tirelessly to learn the business as well as the craft, and eventually self-published his debut novel, True Conviction, in February 2014. It was very well received, which spurred him on to continue his Adrian Hell series, which has now been downloaded over half a million times, with each entry topping the Amazon charts.
His Adrian Hell character has become a popular figure in the thriller genre, mainly due to Sumner’s style of writing, which puts the reader inside the head of the charismatic assassin, so they experience his thoughts and see what he sees in real time — something you rarely see in mainstream thriller fiction.
In 2015, his fifth novel, A Necessary Kill, was selected as the winner of Amazon’s Kindle Scout program, and was subsequently published by Kindle Press. It quickly became his most successful novel, and was briefly the most downloaded e-book in the world. This changed his life and his career as an author, allowing him to make the switch from part-time to full-time. Then, in 2017, Sumner was the recipient of two ATAI awards for his seventh Adrian Hell novel, Thicker Than Blood, which picked up the Best Thriller and Best General Fiction accolades.
“I believe a story is only as good as its characters. If the reader doesn’t connect with them, they’re not going to care what they do, which renders the story irrelevant.”
James P. Sumner
In 2024, around the same time he emigrated to the United States, James signed a life-changing deal with Vinci Books, which will bring his thrillers and upcoming science fictions novels to a much larger audience than ever before!
Throughout 2025 and 2026, the print editions of his novels will be traditionally published and made available on the shelves of bookstores around the world. Additionally, audiobooks will be produced by RB Media and published via Audible, iTunes, and Spotify.
Working with Vinci Books will expand the reach of his work far beyond what is possible via self-publishing, which is a dream come true for James!
