Les spent over five decades at the heart of the global media industry, starting as a teenage copy boy in Adelaide before rising to become CEO of Dow Jones, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, and Executive Chairman of News International.

Following the success of his memoir Bootle Boy (Scribe, 2018), Les Hinton returned to writing with a new ambition: to publish his first novel. Dying Days is a thriller rooted in the world Les knows best – newspapers at the height of their power – set across the UK and the US during the last gasps of the print media empires.

With decades of experience at the top of the global media industry, Les approached the project with clarity and a clear sense of how he wanted the book to look, feel and land with readers. While he had initially hoped to publish traditionally, he also understood how the landscape had changed. Keen to move forward quickly and maintain creative control, Les turned to Whitefox to help bring the novel to life on his own terms.

We worked closely with Les to shape a publishing plan that reflected both the quality of the writing and the topicality of the story. The novel draws directly from Les’s own experience in British and American media, lending it an unmistakable authenticity. From editorial input through to cover design, Les was closely involved at every step, seeking a collaborative process and clear communication throughout.

The book was produced as a trade paperback, alongside an ebook and an actor-narrated audiobook edition. We organised a traditional print run for the UK market and set up print-on-demand for wider availability in other territories, including the US.

Publicity was led by one of our trusted partners, with the campaign benefiting from Les’s high media profile and deep connections across the industry. Despite a tight publication schedule, the process remained smooth and focused.

Since publication, Dying Days has had a flurry of brilliant media reviews.  It was selected as one of The Times ‘Best Thrillers of 2025’, The Financial Times included it their thriller round-up and it has had glowing reviews in The Daily Mail, The Daily Mirror and The Daily Express who described Hinton’s debut thriller as ‘a belter’.

Les thoroughly enjoyed the publishing process. He said “everything went seamlessly, from my first draft to the final proofs, with constant and thoughtful advice from an excellent team of editors. I felt in control every step of the way, from marketing to the print run, through to auditioning for the audiobook.”