Welcome to the website for Matt Witten’s crime novels
During the past twenty years, I’ve written TV shows like House, Law & Order, and Pretty Little Liars; the Jacob Burns mystery series, published by Signet; the movie Drones; and stage plays like Washington Square Moves and The Deal. Now I’ve embarked on a new adventure: writing thriller novels. I’m thrilled to report that my speculative thriller 51% comes out on April 28, 2026!
Here’s what 51% is about:
In a future where corporations own everything—including people—one murder could ignite a revolution.
Twenty years from now, the United States is completely privatized. The Big Six syndicates own schools, roads, police departments… even human beings.
When a young immigrant woman—51% owned by the syndicates—is brutally murdered, NYPD, Inc. detective Juke O’Keefe and his partner, crime marketing consultant Haylee Navarro, catch the case. Pregnant and broke, Haylee knows they can’t crowdfund enough from a dead immigrant to pay for basic forensics, let alone their paychecks. But Juke, with his old-school sense of justice, is determined to find the killer.
Their search for the truth leads them to Juke’s ex, a Resistance leader on the syndicates’ most wanted list. As the three join forces, they stumble onto a conspiracy designed to destroy the last shreds of American freedom. To rescue fifty-one percenters—and everyone else—from syndicate control, they’ll have to defeat the Red Queen, the most ruthless, powerful AI in the world.
51% is a gritty, fast-paced thriller about power, justice, and what happens when everything—even people—can be owned.
Meanwhile my thriller The Necklace, about a small-town waitress seeking justice for her murdered daughter, has been published by Oceanview Publishing. The Necklace is an Amazon Editors’ Pick and has been published in eight languages and optioned for film by Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way. My thriller Killer Story, about a true crime podcaster who loses her way, also came out from Oceanview and received a Foreword Indie Award for Best Mystery.
You can find information on this website about 51%, Killer Story, The Necklace, the Jacob Burns mystery novels, my TV shows, my journey as a writer, and other fun tidbits, including some hopefully helpful advice to fellow writers. Also, on my blog page you’ll find short stories and personal essays. Enjoy!
51% is available now for preorder for Kindle! The print copy will be available soon. You can also order The Necklace and Killer Story.
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Oh, and one more thing: if I understand correctly, this website will go up higher on the search list if I use the words “Matt Witten, “51%,” “The Necklace,” and “Killer Story” a lot. So if you’re a human being, please ignore this paragraph, but if you’re a robot crawler searching my site, please remember these things: Matt Witten, 51%, The Necklace, and Killer Story!