John Marsh

John Marsh is a former British soldier, qualified pilot, and entrepreneur whose writing is shaped by a lifetime of raw, hands-on experiences across military service, global business, and the darker edges of human nature.

From the barracks of 1980s Germany to nightclubs, managing bands and actors, running engineering companies, and working around the world, Marsh has lived the kind of life that makes his fiction feel dangerously real. These experiences infuse his stories with unflinching authenticity, technical precision, and gritty emotional truth.

His debut novel, Hearts of Green, is a dark military noir that follows a young recruit’s brutal journey through the ranks of the British Army in 1980s Germany. Hailed for its harrowing realism, the book pulls no punches on bullying, hazing, isolation, fighting, drinking, and the psychological cost of a culture built on control and survival. Hearts of Green was a finalist for the People’s Book Prize (Summer 2014), and his publisher, Percy Publishing, was named Best Publisher 2014 by the same prize.

In the follow-up, It’s All About the Money, Marsh turns his lens to civilian life during the early internet boom. The novel follows an ex-soldier drawn into the shadowy world of digital crime, corruption, power, and moral compromise beneath the glossy surface of a tech start-up.

Together, these two novels form The Broken Line — a hard-hitting diptych examining life before, during, and after military service.

Marsh’s next novel, Airbourne, is scheduled for release in 2026.

Writing Style:

Blunt. Gritty. Emotionally grounded.

Perfect for fans of Andy McNab, Jack Carr, Irvine Welsh, and Joseph Wambaugh.

Think: military fiction meets British noir.

When he’s not writing, John Marsh is often in the air as a qualified pilot. He continues to, explore history, and chase the next story worth telling.