In June 2024, a ransomware attack hit NHS services across London, affecting primary care services across the city, including five NHS trusts. But what if cyber criminals escalated their activities to target national infrastructure? Not just one type of service in one city, but things we rely on across Britain, and even internationally…

This very real risk is what Epsom-based author John Cheshire explores in his debut novel, System Lockout, which we wrote about here on the site in March. With a career behind him in technology and cyber security – both with major firms and IT consultancies – John has used his experience to craft a plot line that feels all too real. And, it was while consulting in the Caribbean that he was first inspired to write a novel as he sat by the pool reading thrillers. Now, 20 years later, his first novel is available.

Alongside eco thrillers, books involving cutting edge technology and cyber crime are fascinating simply because these issues pose a very real threat and can affect everyday people in so many ways. We decided to invite John onto the site to find out more about how he combined realism and insider insight with imagination to create System Lockout.

What are crime fiction lovers going to love about System Lockout?
System Lockout gives crime fiction readers what they look for: intelligence, tension and that unsettling sense that the systems we rely on are far more fragile than they appear. The story taps directly into the rising tide of headline‑grabbing cyber attacks on major UK companies, and the growing risks created by outsourcing critical IT services to third‑party providers.

It also offers an authentic window into the life of a fresh management consultant – the expectations, the pressure and the steep learning curve, grounding the thriller in real‑world experience.

The result is a crime‑driven cyber‑thriller that feels timely, plausible, and uncomfortably close to home.

Who is Peter Beamish, what inspired the character and how have you developed him?
Peter Beamish is a new recruit at Lex Savart, a Big‑4 consultancy firm, and System Lockout follows him through his first real assignment after university. As a fresh graduate trainee, he’s thrown into a situation far beyond anything he’s prepared for, reacting first with concern, then bewilderment, then fear, and finally outright horror as the scale of the threat becomes clear.

His character is rooted in real experience: junior consultants being dropped in at the deep end, often in unfamiliar territory, while facing clients with high expectations, tight deadlines and no room for error. Peter embodies that steep learning curve, the mix of ambition, imposter syndrome and sudden responsibility that defines the early years of consultancy.

And what is he up against in System Lockout?
Peter is abruptly dismissed from Lex Savart with barely any explanation. He could have walked away but instead he finds himself treated as a suspect. It doesn’t take him long to realise that his life is in danger unless he can uncover who is really behind the events unfolding around him.

Some of what happens sounds like it’s straight from the headlines. Did you face anything similar when you were working in tech? How has that experience informed the fiction?
The risk of compromise to business operation through cyber attacks generally features very high on every company’s risk register. But legacy systems are often very complex and expensive to replace and the timescales for replacement can be very long. There is always a tension between growing revenues, cutting costs verses system replacements and some companies have not prioritised correctly.

Writing a techno thriller must be quite challenging. How have you made the technical side relatable to people?
There’s always a trade‑off between presenting the technical side realistically and overwhelming readers with too much complex detail. I managed this by sharing early drafts with candid non‑technologists and adjusting the content based on their feedback, refining the balance until the story felt both authentic and accessible.

The size and scale of tech companies, their increasingly prominent political and military involvement, our reliance on their products. Where do you think the main dangers from big tech lie and how are they reflected in the book?
A full answer could fill an entire book, but several hotspots stand out.

• An ever‑shifting geopolitical landscape – which countries’ products and technologies can be trusted, and what happens when sensitive data stored in the cloud becomes accessible to actors who may use it unscrupulously.
• The risks of IT outsourcing – while outsourcing can reduce short‑term costs, it often leads to organisations losing deep knowledge of their own systems. That creates blind spots and potential Achilles heels that attackers can exploit.
• Rapidly evolving technologies – quantum computing and AI will bring enormous benefits, but they also threaten to render today’s encryption obsolete and undermine long‑standing security assumptions.

Some of these themes are woven into System Lockout, including the potential vulnerability of transatlantic fibre optic cables, a reminder that even the physical backbone of the internet is not as safe as we would like to imagine.

What are some of the other themes you wanted to explore in System Lockout?
System Lockout unfolds across multiple countries, offering readers not only a sense of place but also a glimpse into the realities of consultancy life the constant travel, shifting environments and the need to adapt quickly.

The story is told largely through the eyes of Peter Beamish, allowing readers to experience each discovery, setback and escalation alongside him. 

Which other authors have inspired you?
I would have to call out John Grisham as my inspiration, for it is his books that I would read at the poolside in Jamaica over the weekends.

What’s next for Peter Beamish, and what’s next for John Cheshire?
I have already drafted much of the sequel to System Lockout, continuing the cyber‑driven storyline and expanding the world established in the first book. Peter Beamish remains a central figure, with his journey and the evolving threat landscape pushing the narrative into new territory.

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