John Gilstrap (born February 27, 1957) is an American novelist and a New York Times Bestselling author of over twenty thrillers, including the Jonathan Grave thriller series, which first appeared in 2009. His prior works include five stand-alone novels and one nonfiction thriller about the Delta Force rescue of Kurt Muse.
John Gilstrap was raised in Northern Virginia, where he attended public school in Fairfax County Public Schools, graduating from Robinson Secondary School in 1975. Gilstrap earned a bachelor's degree in 1979 from the College of William & Mary in Virginia, and a master's degree from University of Southern California in 1983. He lives in Berkeley County, West Virginia and has a YouTube channel where he gives writing advice and insight on the publishing industry.
Prior to his writing career, Gilstrap was a safety engineer specializing in explosives and hazardous materials. He served 15 years in the volunteer fire and rescue service, first with the Burke Volunteer Fire Department in Fairfax County, and later with the Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department in Prince William County, Virginia.