Douglas Jackson

Douglas Jackson (born 1956, Jedburgh, Scotland, now residing in Stirling, Scotland) – spent 36 years in local and national Scottish journalism before turning full-time to writing historical thriller fiction. In 2026, he is publishing the fourth novel in his Warsaw Quartet featuring Jan Kalisz, a character described as the “natural heir” to the Bernie Gunther detective protagonist of Philip Kerr’s Berlin Noir trilogy [see Philip Kerr entry below in this bibliography]. Like Gunther, Kalisz is a non-Jewish detective trying to pursue justice and apprehend murderers under a regime he deeply opposes and in a historical setting where he interacts intensively with local Jews suffering terrible oppression. He speaks fluent German and acts as a reluctant collaborator while working for the Polish underground. And like Kerr, Douglas Jackson is a non-Jewish, Scottish thriller author.

Of particular Jewish interest is Blood Sacrifice, the second book in the series, set in January 1943, a “historical noir” that blends a murder mystery with the tragic reality of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The story begins with the murder of a high-ranking German officer. The victim is found to have had three separate identities, one of which was a wealthy Jew. This discovery forces Kalisz to enter the heavily policed Warsaw Ghetto. Kalisz, a secret double agent for the Polish Resistance, is under pressure to fulfill a promise to supply the 50,000 remaining Jews in the ghetto with weapons. Amidst the chaos of SS death squads, a new threat emerges: a mysterious figure known as ”the Golem” is stalking the ruined streets and kidnapping orphaned children. Kalisz must track down this killer before he strikes again. He interacts with Sol Goldberg, an old acquaintance and former ruthless gangster who now leads a group of Jews determined to fight back against the Nazis

Blood Enemy, the final installment in the Warsaw Quartet, is scheduled for publication in July, 2026. This concluding novel follows Kalisz as he faces his most harrowing mission yet, taking him into the heart of the Nazi death machine. The search for a key witness forces Kalisz to enter the Auschwitz concentration camp. There, he is reacquainted with a terrifying “old acquaintance”—Dr. Josef Mengele.

Jackson, Douglas [Warsaw Quartet #2], (Blood Sacrifice: The gritty, gripping World War 2 historical crime thriller [hc, Canelo, 2024] 978-1804367490 [pb, Canelo Action, 2025]) 978-1804366141

Jackson, Douglas [Warsaw Quartet #4], (Blood Enemy [hc, Canelo, July 2026] 9781835983690