From Oxfordshire to Omdurman: Local author launches spy thriller at 75

Former pilot, peace negotiator, and long-time Oxfordshire resident Lindsey Mellon is celebrating the launch of The Sheikh, the second instalment in his acclaimed Haydon Talbot spy thriller trilogy — proof that it’s never too late to follow your passion.

At 75, Mellon is drawing attention for his sharp storytelling, lived geopolitical insight, and a surprise rise on BookTok, where he’s quietly amassed over 100,000 likes.

Set in 1990s Sudan, The Sheikh follows MI6 agent Haydon Talbot as he uncovers a rising extremist plot tied to Al Qaeda. The novel draws heavily on Lindsey’s own time living and working in Sudan during the rise of jihadist movements, offering what reviewers have called “an authentic, gripping deep dive into espionage and global politics.”

“I didn’t start writing until my seventies,” Mellon explains. “Lockdown gave me the space to finally sit down and put decades of global experience into fiction. I’d always wanted to write, but life kept me busy in some of the world’s most unpredictable places.”

Born in London and now retired in rural Oxfordshire, Lindsey’s life has taken him across Ireland, Kenya, Sudan, Somalia, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. He became a commercial pilot at 18, worked in oil and gas, produced films, and even served as a ‘resource person’ during the Sudanese peace negotiations. He’s also witnessed multiple coups firsthand in Sudan, Somalia, and Greece — experiences that now infuse his fiction with striking realism.

His debut, Straw Man, was written during lockdown and dedicated to his stepson Oliver, who sadly died of COVID. The trilogy has since been picked up by Northside House, with publisher Chris Jackson praising it as:

“A masterful blend of lived experience and espionage. These stories stay with you long after the final page.”

Mellon’s work has also caught the attention of readers in military and diplomatic circles. Author Caroline Cass called The Sheikh “a must-read for anyone interested in the cut and thrust of world affairs,” while Commander Robert Forsyth RN (Rtd) described it as “the best book on intelligence operations I have ever read.”

Retired pilot turned author Lindsey Mellon

Lindsey is currently working on book three, The Black Swamp, set amid the oilfields of South Sudan. And if the momentum behind Talbot continues, Oxfordshire’s unlikely spy fiction star is only just getting started.