David P. Perlmutter: From Wrongful Arrest to Write-To-Screen Sensation

Some writers chase stories. For David P. Perlmutter, the story chased him first.

Before he became an 18-book author with a growing international following, David’s literary journey began in the most unexpected way — through adversity. His breakout work, Wrong Place Wrong Time, is a raw and riveting true account of his wrongful arrest for arson and manslaughter in Marbella, Spain. What started as a blog documenting his ordeal quickly transformed into something far bigger. A friend, who happened to be an editor, read the early posts and told him, “David, this is too good for a blog. Write a book.” That simple encouragement sparked what would become a 13-year writing career — and 18 books later, he hasn’t looked back.

Wrong Place Wrong Time went on to top Amazon charts, marking David’s official arrival as a serious storyteller. But that was only the beginning.

He followed it with three more deeply personal novels — Five Weeks, 24 Hours in New York, and 13 — each inspired by real chapters of his life. What sets David apart is not just the stories themselves, but how he tells them. Every one of his books, whether fiction or non-fiction, is written in the first person. That choice creates an intimacy between author and reader, pulling them directly into his world. You don’t just read a David P. Perlmutter book — you experience it.

And then came the series that changed everything.

During the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, while working night shifts stacking shelves in a supermarket from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., David’s imagination refused to sleep. In the quiet early hours, between aisles and pallets, the plot of what would become Write To Kill began to unfold in his mind. Over a year and a half, the characters developed, the tension tightened, and a gripping crime thriller was born.

That novel became the first in his four-book CRIME THRILLER series: Write To Kill, Write To Survive, Write To Live, and the latest installment, Write To End. 

The series centers around a debt-ridden author who is offered a large sum of money to commit a hideous crime — a dark, morally charged premise set between London and New York. The writing has drawn comparisons to the gritty, stylized storytelling of Guy Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino — praise David considers a huge compliment.

What began as an idea during a night shift is now evolving into something even bigger.

The screen adaptation of the Write To series is already generating industry attention, with an international and Hollywood cast attached. Among the names involved are Joanne Whalley, Charlotte Kirk, Charlene Tilton, Don Most, Craig Kelly, Billy Hayes, Rich Graff, Sean Cronin, Amber Doig-Thorne, Brooke Lewis Bellas, Jasper Cole, Emily Wyatt, Micheal Emery, Vanessa Eichholz, James Di Giacomo, David Moskowitz, David Kallaway, Elena Sanchez, Jack Hudson, and snooker legend Jimmy White, among many others.

The international production team behind the book-to-screen project is equally impressive. Cody Pelletier serves as Executive Producer, alongside Michael Gorman, who also co-wrote the TV pilot. Donna Siggers joins as Associate Producer, William Antoniou as Composer, and Anne John-Ligali as Executive Producer and Creative Designer — including designing the new book covers for each title in the series.

The TV pilot has already received praise from a BBC Drama Commissioner, who commented: “The TV Pilot reads at a GREAT PACE.” For an independent author who still works in a bar and self-published without an agent or publishing house, this moment represents a powerful shift.

David is open about the gap he has worked tirelessly to bridge — the space between being a part-time self-published writer with no representation and seeing his stories adapted for the screen. His journey is proof that the traditional gatekeepers of publishing and film are no longer the only path to success.

For David, success is surprisingly simple. It’s not about fame or awards. “Success to me is completing a novel,” he says. Finishing the story — that’s the victory.

Still, he is proud of what he has built. Eighteen books. Thousands of readers. Direct messages from people who say his words took them on a journey. That connection is what fuels him. Reader reviews and comments continue to inspire him to write more, push harder, and dream bigger.

Beyond thrillers and memoir-style storytelling, David has also authored eight social media marketing books for indie authors under the title MY WAY, along with a children’s book — expanding his creative reach while helping others navigate the world of independent publishing.

With a combined social media following of over 120,000, David P. Perlmutter has cultivated not just an audience, but a community.

Yet through it all, his answer to what makes him unique remains refreshingly straightforward: “My writing.”

It’s honesty. The first-person intensity. The lived experience woven into fiction. The resilience behind every page.

From wrongful arrest to supermarket night shifts, from blog posts to a Hollywood-attached crime thriller series, David’s journey is a testament to persistence, imagination, and belief. His words have already traveled far — from Amazon charts to industry boardrooms — and soon, they may light up screens around the world.

And for a writer who simply wanted to tell his story, that might just be the greatest plot twist of all.