Answers to questions about the background to my novel, will there be a sequel, sexual content and more…Q: Why did you decide to write about the hunt for Bin Laden? It’s been done before many times.
A: Although his whereabouts is one of the great mysteries of our time and it is a theme which runs through the book, the story is not about Bin Laden. The main plot is about the characters that are chasing Bin Laden and the dangers that they face.
Q: Is it true that you have been to all of the principal settings in the book?
A: I have first hand experiences of most of the Middle Eastern locations - Saudi, Oman, Yemen, Dubai and Egypt. I currently live in NE Brazil and have travelled to the Amazon. I have also been fortunate to have lived and worked in many of the remaining places from Venezuela to Central America, the Caribbean and Russia.
Q: Of all the places you have been what is your favorite and why?
A: It has to be Brazil, as I love the relaxed lifestyle, the climate, the beaches and find that the people really know how to enjoy life.
Q: What is your next novel about, and when will it be published?
A: I am working on a sequel to Most Wanted, which has Nigerian 419 fraud and nanotechnology as themes. I plan for it to be published in 2010.
Q: What inspired you to write?
A: I enjoy the creative process and was curious to see if I had at least one good book in me. My main inspiration was a generation of action movies and novels, which are one of my favorite forms of entertainment.
Q: What is different about your book when compared to the plethora of spy thrillers on sale today?
A: My goal was to produce a well-written modern-day spy thriller, fresh in style and substance. I wanted to write a novel in a popular genre that would have commercial success. I have attempted to steer clear of the formula approach and to develop characters with depth, set against real but interesting backdrops.
Q: Is it true that you wrote most of the book while on airplanes?
A: A significant part of the book was written in 2006, when I was living in the US and traveling to China every month on business. I must have flown nearly half a million miles that year.
Q: Why do you, as an English author, use so many American terms?
A: My use of American terms in Most Wanted is because I have written mainly with American characters and settings, although British terms have been applied where the context demands. I’m not sure how much this matters: almost everyone understands both.
Q: Is the sexual content of your books suitable for young teenagers?
A: This is adult fiction. The sexual content of the story is explicit in parts, but it is intended to be part of the character development and not gratuitous.
Q: How do you pronounce your surname?
A: It is pronounced as Mac + the name Hugh, which sounds like hue, as the gh is silent.
Q: Who are your favorite authors?
A: Among others: John Le Carre, Robert Ludlum, Stephen King and Dan Brown.
Q: Where do you get your ideas for your books from?
A: Most of my ideas come from my extensive world travel, the Internet, and newspapers.
Q: How many books have you sold?
A: To the best of my reckoning it must now be about 200. I am hoping to sell many more…
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Buy the book Most Wanted.
Many ask if the “Circus,” as MI6 has commonly been referred to in books and film, has ever been real slang for the MI6—the UK Secret Intelligence Service—or is it just a invention of John le Carré in his famous Smiley trilogy? 
Currently the Firm is housed at Vauxhall Cross in London, in an avant-garde building designed by architect Terry Farrell and branded as “Legoland” by those who work there. It is almost impossible to imagine a more conspicuous building along the Thames and it remains a bizarre choice for a secret service who presumably should want to keep a low profile. Or are they hiding in plain sight?
