Chris Whitaker

Chris Whitaker is a British crime fiction author whose novel We Begin at the End (2021) won the CWA Gold Dagger and became an international bestseller. The novel is set in a small California coastal town and follows the intertwined lives of a local marshal, a thirteen-year-old girl, and the convicted killer released after thirty years who threatens to upend everything. Born in London, Whitaker worked in finance before turning to writing. His debut Tall Oaks was well received, but We Begin at the End brought him major attention on both sides of the Atlantic, including the CWA Gold Dagger and Edgar Award nominations. It was a New York Times bestseller and a Barnes & Noble Book of the Year selection. His subsequent novel All the Colors of the Dark (2024) was also a major bestseller. Whitaker is known for his emotional, character-driven crime fiction that blends thriller pacing with literary depth.