D.L Grace

D.L. Grace writes military-intelligence thrillers shaped by lived experience, operational insight and a deep understanding of modern conflict.

A former Royal Marine Commando, he went on to serve with UK Special Forces, completing more than a decade of operational service. His career later took him into the close-protection industry, with work across Afghanistan, Iraq, Central and South America, and London.

Across more than two decades in elite military units and close protection, Grace gained first-hand experience of conflict, instability and resilience in some of the world’s most austere and volatile environments. That experience sits at the centre of his fiction, giving his writing a rare level of authenticity and weight.

He also holds an MLitt in Terrorism and Political Violence from the University of St Andrews, grounding his work not only in experience, but in a serious academic understanding of conflict and security.

His debut novel, No Safe Ground, opens the Operator series, inspired by true events. Set against the rise of ISIS in Northern Iraq, the book introduces Mat "Johno" Johnson, a former UKSF operator, drawn into a world of oil interests, intelligence betrayal and shifting loyalties.

The series continues with The Ghost of Grozny, a companion novel, told from the opposite side of the board. Books 1 & 2 then converge at book 3, Devil's Passage, which picks up Johno's story in Istanbul. Grace also has a standalone novel coming soon, 'Knife's Edge.' Set against the troubles in 1980's Belfast.

Now, based in the rugged Scottish Highlands, Grace brings his hard-won experience to fiction that is visceral, cinematic and morally weighted.