I’m Christopher Reilly, a general surgeon, storyteller, and lifelong explorer of human nature. Born in New York, my curiosity for both science and the human experience guided me from studying chemistry at the State University of New York College at Purchase to pursuing medicine in the United Kingdom, where I earned degrees from the University of St Andrews and the University of Wales College of Medicine in Cardiff.
Early in my career, I was honored with the Maldwyn Cattell Memorial Prize for Tropical Medicine for my fieldwork in medical research in India. Today, I practice as a fiction author and general and bariatric surgeon, and have had the privilege of serving as president of the Houston Bariatric Society. My professional life is rooted in precision, care, and relentless curiosity—qualities that naturally spill into my writing, shaping each crime thriller novel I create. The worlds I create in my novels are often inspired by the dualities I’ve encountered in medicine: suspense and resolution, vulnerability and strength, peril and redemption, elements that define a powerful medical suspense thriller novel.
Writing El Chancho allowed me to merge my love of storytelling with the intricate understanding of human psychology I’ve cultivated through years of medical practice, resulting in an intense crime drama book that explores moral complexity and consequence. In 2023, El Chancho earned the Claymore Award at the Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference for Best Thriller. This recognition affirmed my passion for crafting narratives that are both gripping and thought-provoking, including stories shaped by the spirit of a vigilante justice thriller that American readers won’t forget.
Beyond surgery and writing, I am endlessly fascinated by the stories that define us, the choices that test us, and the courage that carries us forward. Through my work on crime thriller books, I aim to captivate readers, challenge perceptions, and explore the thrilling depths of the human spirit.
