Dr Aaron Mullins is a Scottish psychological thriller author and an award-winning psychologist. He grew up in Wick, in the far north of the Highlands, and now lives and writes by the beach in Ayrshire. His thrillers and horror stories draw on PhD-level psychology, so the twists come from how real minds behave under pressure. His books have reached Amazon bestseller lists in mystery, crime and thriller categories.
Aaron’s books have become bestsellers in several mystery and thriller categories. Alongside the fiction, he’s spent more than 21 years in the publishing industry, helping fellow authors reach their writing goals.
Why a psychologist writes psychological thrillers
Aaron earned a first-class honours degree in Psychology from the University of Northampton, then completed his PhD at Coventry University. He’s an internationally published psychologist, and that training drives his fiction.
As a psychologist and thriller writer, he builds each story around a phenomenon from real psychology, then turns it loose on his characters. The suspense has PhD-level knowledge underneath it, so the twist lands hard and still makes sense.
Scottish psychological thriller books and stories
Aaron’s psychological thriller short stories appear in multiple collections set in the parts of Scotland he knows best:
- Mysteries and Misadventures: Tales from the Highlands, set across the Highlands where he grew up
- Ayrshire Stories: Tales from the West Coast, set on the coast he now calls home
Aaron’s books have become bestsellers in multiple mystery, crime and thriller categories
He also writes mystery and suspenseful horror, along with Scottish myths and legends. For readers drawn to real crime, Scottish Killers: 25 True Crime Stories looks at Scotland’s killers through a psychologist’s eye.
See every book by author Aaron Mullins on the Books page.
From the Scottish Highlands, writing in Ayrshire
Aaron is from Wick, in Caithness, in the Highlands of Scotland. After many years living south of the border in England, he returned to Scotland and settled by the beach in Ayrshire, on the west coast. Both places run through his writing: the Highlands in Mysteries and Misadventures and the west coast in Ayrshire Stories.
Aaron’s book How to Write Fiction: A Creative Writing Guide for Authors has become a staple reference book for writers and those interested in a publishing career.
Helping other writers
Aaron previously owned Birdtree Books Publishing, where he worked as Editor-in-Chief, and he edited two fiction anthologies. He also taught academic writing at Coventry University.
He partnered with World Reader Charity to get ebooks to readers across Africa, and through Birdtree Books he sponsored English lessons at an under-tree school in India.
His book How to Write Fiction: A Creative Writing Guide for Authors has become a staple reference for writers and for anyone considering a publishing career.
Explore his website for free resources for authors, including writing guides, publishing and marketing advice, and lists of competitions and literary magazines.
Awards and press
Aaron has won many awards, including the British Psychological Society Prize for Outstanding Academic Achievement. He has delivered keynotes and workshops at industry events around the world, and newspapers and magazines across the UK have covered his work. You’ll find interviews and press releases on the Media page.
Four years in the Royal Air Force
Aaron served four years in the Royal Air Force. He carried out duties at minus 40 degrees in Norway and Sweden and worked with NATO forces in Belgium. He also earned a medal for his work in Northern Ireland.
A personal message from Aaron
Thank you for your support. It’s amazing to hear that you’ve enjoyed reading my stories as much as I enjoyed writing them. It’s also an honour to support so many of your writing ambitions, and there’s nothing better than knowing my books and talks have helped shape your enthusiasm into a novel.
I love exploring psychology through the minds and behaviour of my most memorable characters. I also have a daughter, Olivia, for whom I invent fantastical stories and characters every night. There’s no feedback quite like the honesty of a child.
Aaron Mullins
Contact Aaron Mullins
Email me through my contact page, or message me on social media.