Simon Drayton

Author

Gone with the Sun (The Mysteries of Just Another John Smith Book 1)

The Cardinal Crime (The Mysteries of Just Another John Smith Book 2)

The Australian Shepherd Scheme; or The American Shepherd Scheme (The Mysteries of Just Another John Smith)

The Cookie Kingdom Crumbles (The Mysteries of Just Another John Smith)

From East to West : Books 1 to 3 (From East to West Books)

From East to West: Books 4 and 5 (From East to West Books Book 2)

Simon Drayton

Simon Drayton is the author of the book, "Gone with the Sun", which was awarded with the 5 Star Review Seal on Readers' Favorite and the 5 Star Award on Readers' Choice Book Awards. Simon was born in New York and raised in South Carolina. Ever since he graduated from High School, he has enjoyed the art of writing. He especially enjoyed reading and writing stories based in the 19th century and ones about mystery. Simon also enjoys photography...

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Books

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Gone with the Sun (The Mysteries of Just Another John Smith Book 1)

From the series: The Mysteries of Just Another John Smith

On April 8th 2024, Genesis Owens disappears during the darkness of the total solar eclipse. The authorities investigate without success and barely a clue as to what happens. With no leads and no answers, the case grows cold. Six months later, eighteen year old John Smith moves to Little Rock. Recovering from past difficulties, John hopes to...

The Cardinal Crime (The Mysteries of Just Another John Smith Book 2)

From the series: The Mysteries of Just Another John Smith

During the winter in Northern Arkansas, an elusive criminal is preying on the customers of an unlikely establishment. Teenage Detective John Smith of the Noble Detective Agency is assigned to take on this daunting case. Working alongside him is Detective Yang, a more experienced private investigator. The Cardinal, a five star restaurant in the...

The Australian Shepherd Scheme; or The American Shepherd Scheme (The Mysteries of Just Another John Smith)

From the series: The Mysteries of Just Another John Smith Shorts

On a frosty morning in Little Rock, a young teen named Penny arrives at the steps of the Noble Detective Agency, seeking help to find her missing puppy, Pumpkin. What seems like a straightforward poster-and-social-media inquiry soon spirals into something more disturbing. When five more puppies from the same litter vanish without a trace—and the...

Series

The Mysteries of Just Another John Smith

The Mysteries of Just Another John Smith is a clean young adult mystery novel series that follow the eighteen year old John Smith as he solves cases with the Noble Detective Agency (NDA). The cases he takes on can be complex, unusual, and seemingly impossible to solve....

Gone with the Sun (The Mysteries of Just Another John Smith Book 1) and The Cardinal Crime (The Mysteries of Just Another John Smith Book 2)

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The Mysteries of Just Another John Smith Shorts

From the author of the Mysteries of Just Another John Smith novels comes a new short story series. This series follows eighteen year old John Smith, the youngest detective of the Noble Detective Agency (NDA). These stories are around 10,000 words or less, making for a...

The Australian Shepherd Scheme; or The American Shepherd Scheme (The Mysteries of Just Another John Smith) and The Cookie Kingdom Crumbles (The Mysteries of Just Another John Smith)

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From East to West Books

This two book series is the story of Toulouse Blanc, a shoemaker. His family in Eastern France receives a letter from an American relative promising great wealth if one would make the travel to Sacramento, California to meet him. Toulouse is chosen and he travels to the...

From East to West : Books 1 to 3 (From East to West Books) and From East to West: Books 4 and 5 (From East to West Books Book 2)

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Latest Updates

January 14, 2026

Read my interview on The Fussy Librarian

Please read my interview on the fussy librarian to see how I began to write, to learn a little bit more about my books, and the inspiration behind my writings.

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January 12, 2026

Readers’ Review for The Cardinal Crime

Reviewed by Nino Lobiladze for Readers' Favorite

“The Cardinal Crime by Simon Drayton will appeal to young adult fans of mysteries, crime fiction, and detective novels....

December 14, 2025

On January 6th 2026, the second novel of the series “the Mysteries of Just Another John Smith” will be released in ebook format on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. The...

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Blog

January 12, 2026

Five wholesome stories you may not have heard of…yet!

Sometimes it can be hard to find a good book to read, especially if you like clean literature with no profanity or other mature content. Besides my own books, I would like to recommend these following stories you may not have heard of yet. Most of these books were just released within the last 4 months.

1. Such an Odd Word to Use by Carl Goodwin

This book was released in October 2025 and is a good read for people who enjoy a slow burning, psychological mystery. It is about a man in the UK...