At thirty, and after twelve years in the army, Idris concluded he was unemployable, so he started a mine clearance company. In his mind, going from making things go bang in the army to stopping them going bang in civvy street was a step in the right direction.

But that was a long time ago! Since then, several successful business ventures have bought him the time to do what he really enjoys, writing. Inspired by brilliant authors like Ian McEwan, William Boyd, Edward Docx and more recently, Gregg Hurwitz, he loves to create fast moving plots involving interesting characters.

Idris lives in England with his partner, has two grown up children and spends his free time keeping fit, walking his dogs, and coaching rugby.

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The Unkilling: A thrilling story of betrayal that pitches revenge against clemency.

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Idris’s Recent Updates

Idris Barclay made a comment in the group The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group — All about the title (new!) topic " Hi everyone - I'm a new writer, and new to Goodreads. Just looking to connect to other authors in the Thriller / Action & Adventure genres. Apologies ...more "
Oct 27, 2026 06:54AM
Idris Barclay made a comment in the group Writing Historical Fiction — Introductions topic " Hi, I'm a new writer about to publish my debut novel and keen to connect with others who will undoubtedly know more than me. Looking forward to the ch ...more "
Oct 27, 2026 06:41AM
Idris Barclay joined the groups Action/Adventure Aficionados and Mystery and Suspense Book Promotion
Oct 27, 2026 06:08AM
Idris Barclay is accepting questions on their profile page.
Oct 27, 2026 05:29AM · Be the first to ask Idris Barclay a question
Idris Barclay rated a book it was amazing Any Human Heart by William Boyd	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 22, 2026 08:35AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Any Human Heart by William Boyd. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Any Human Heart by William Boyd <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Idris Barclay rated a book it was amazing A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 22, 2026 08:33AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Idris Barclay rated a book it was amazing Watching the Door: Drinking Up, Getting Down, and Cheating Death in 1970s Belfast by Kevin Myers	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 22, 2026 08:14AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Watching the Door by Kevin Myers. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Watching the Door by Kevin Myers <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Idris Barclay rated a book it was amazing All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 22, 2026 08:12AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Idris’s Groups

Writing Historical Fiction — 649 members — last activity Oct 27, 2026 06:41AM
I had trouble locating a group dedicated solely to those of us who love writing historical fiction (but if you love reading historical fiction, you're ...more

The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group — 33064 members — last activity 13 minutes ago
“It was a dark and stormy night. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled across the sky. Rain spattered a mysterious, hooded stranger who peered over the ...more

Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers — 27529 members — last activity 19 minutes ago
Welcome! Join us for our monthly group reads. We read Crime stories, Mysteries, & Thrillers. ...more

Crime Detective Mystery Thriller Group — 2967 members — last activity Oct 28, 2026 12:04AM
This is a book club/group for ALL books about crime, mysteries, and thrillers. From romantic suspense, to pulp fiction, to cozy mysteries, british det ...more

A Good Thriller — 23327 members — last activity 37 minutes ago
We share a passion for action-packed, gripping, exciting, tense thrillers and mysteries, a genre rich with talented authors. We invite you to share yo ...more

Oprah's Book Club (Official) — 88518 members — last activity 1 hour, 42 min ago
Welcome to the official Oprah's Book Club group. OBC is the interactive, multi-platform reading club bringing passionate readers together to discuss i ...more

Mystery and Suspense Book Promotion — 338 members — last activity 3 hours, 34 min ago
This group is for mystery, suspense, romantic suspense, and thriller authors to gain reviews, and promotional opportunities. REVIEW SERVICES ARE NOT ...more

Action/Adventure Aficionados — 1923 members — last activity Oct 29, 2026 01:09AM
If you enjoy reading pulse-pounding, high octane action and adventure novels, this is the group for you. We discuss books from authors such as Lee Chi ...more

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