CWA Dagger Award Shortlists Announced

The 2022 shortlists for the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Dagger awards, which honour the very best in the crime-writing genre, have been announced.

Created in 1955, the world-famous CWA Daggers are the oldest awards in the genre and have been synonymous with quality crime writing for over half a century.

The Gold Dagger, which recognises the crime novel of the year, sees debut author Jacqueline Bublitz on the shortlist of six. Before You Knew My Name was called “extraordinary” by the CWA judges. Also in contention are Abir Mukherjee, a previous winner of the CWA Historical Dagger for The Shadows of Men praised for its “intricate plotting”, and the bestselling ‘Southern noir’ crime writer, SA Cosby, for Razorblade Tears.

Razorblade Tears, a dynamic revenge thriller that “pulls at the heartstrings” also makes it onto the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger shortlist. Sponsored by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, the Fleming family-owned company that looks after the James Bond literary brand, this award celebrates the thriller of the year. Cosby is up against past CWA Gold Dagger winner, MW Craven, who is in contention with Dead Ground, alongside established names including Laura Lippman and Linwood Barclay.

The anticipated John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger is awarded to the best debut novel of the year. Among the rising stars is Janice Hallett, shortlisted with her debut The Appeal, which was a Sunday Times Crime Book of the Year, praised as a “dazzlingly clever cosy crime novel”. Also on the shortlist is How to Kidnap the Rich by Rahul Raina, described by The Times as a “joyous love/hate letter to contemporary Delhi.”

Booker Prize winner John Banville is a heavyweight contender on the Historical Dagger shortlist. The prizewinning novelist and literary polymath is in the running for April in Spain. Banville is up against Ray Celestin whose novel set in 1960s Los Angeles, Sunset Swing, is also up for the Gold Dagger.

The Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger sees the award-winning Finnish author Antti Tuomainen make the shortlist with The Rabbit Factor translated by David Hackston. It follows the quirky story of a statistical mathematician, who finds himself mixed up with shady businessmen. He’s up against the high-profile Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka, translated by Sam Malissa, which is set to hit cinemas starring Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock.

Maxim Jakubowski, Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, said: “So many good titles and authors appeared on our long lists, but in a year of such overall excellence, to reach the shortlist is a terrific achievement. Congratulations to all the nominees, writers both established and new, publishers large and small; a diversity of quality demonstrating the independence of our judges.”

The CWA Daggers are one of the few high-profile awards that honour the short story. This year sees the bestselling Norwegian juggernaut Jo Nesbø on the shortlist with his story “London” from his first book of short stories, The Jealousy Man. Novelists Caroline England and Bryony Pearce are other names on the list.

The ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction shortlist includes the “absorbing” account of a trafficked New Zealand woman in The Disappearance of Lydia Harvey by Julia Laite. Also, Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe makes the list with his account of the Sackler family, who exploited America’s pain industry, fuelling the opioid epidemic. Judges praised it as a “tribute to investigative journalism”.

The Dagger in the Library is voted on exclusively by librarians, chosen for the author’s body of work and support of libraries. This year sees firm favourites from the genre on the shortlist: Cath Staincliffe, Edward Marston, Lin Anderson, Mark Billingham and Susan Hill.

The Best Crime and Mystery Publisher of the Year Dagger, which celebrates publishers and imprints demonstrating excellence and diversity in crime writing, sees publishing goliath HarperCollins on the list with its imprint Harper Fiction, as well as independent publisher Titan Books, part of the Titan Entertainment Group, which began life in the Forbidden Planet store in London.

The Daggers also celebrate unpublished authors with its annual competition for aspiring crime novelists. The competition to find the best new voices in the genre has been going for over 20 years. The winner will receive £500 as well as the attention of leading agents and top editors; over two dozen past winners and shortlisted Debut Dagger authors have been signed to date.

The CWA Diamond Dagger, awarded to an author whose crime-writing career has been marked by sustained excellence, is announced in early spring each year and in 2022 it was awarded to CJ Sansom.

The CWA Dagger shortlists were announced on 13 May at a reception hosted at CrimeFest.

The Dagger awards ceremony will be held at he Leonardo City hotel in London on 29 June, coinciding with National Crime Reading Month, which takes place throughout June. Tickets are available now from the CWA.

The Shortlists in Full:

GOLD DAGGER

Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz (Little, Brown; Sphere)

Sunset Swing by Ray Celestin (Pan Macmillan; Mantle)

Razorblade Tears by SA Cosby (Headline Publishing Group; Headline)

The Unwilling by John Hart (Bonnier Books UK Ltd; Zaffre)

The Shadows of Men by Abir Mukherjee (Penguin Random House; Harvill Secker)

The Trawlerman by William Shaw (Quercus; Riverrun)

IAN FLEMING STEEL DAGGER

Find You First by Linwood Barclay (HarperCollins; HQ)

The Pact by Sharon Bolton (Orion)

The Devil’s Advocate by Steve Cavanagh (Orion)

Razorblade Tears by SA Cosby (Headline Publishing Group)

Dead Ground by MW Craven (Little, Brown; Constable)

Dream Girl by Laura Lippman (Faber)

JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER

Welcome to Cooper by Tariq Ashkanani (Thomas & Mercer)

Repentance by Eloísa Díaz (Orion Publishing Group; Weidenfeld & Nicolson)

The Mash House by Alan Gillespie (Unbound; Unbound Digital)

The Appeal by Janice Hallett (Profile Books; Viper Books)

Where Ravens Roost by Karin Nordin (HarperCollins; HQ)

How to Kidnap the Rich by Rahul Raina (Little, Brown)

Waking the Tiger by Mark Wightman (Hobeck Books)

HISTORICAL DAGGER

April in Spain by John Banville (Faber)

Sunset Swing  by Ray Celestin (Pan Macmillan; Mantle)

Crow Court by Andy Charman (Unbound)

Not One of Us by Alis Hawkins (Canelo)

Edge of the Grave by Robbie Morrison (Pan Macmillan; Macmillan)

A Corruption of Blood by Ambrose Parry (Canongate Books)

CRIME FICTION IN TRANSLATION DAGGER

Hotel Cartagena by Simone Buchholz translated by Rachel Ward (Orenda Books)

Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka translated by Sam Malissa (Penguin Random House; Harvill Secker)

Oxygen by Sacha Naspini translated by Clarissa Botsford (Europa Editions UK Ltd; Europa Editions)

People Like Them by Samira Sedira translated by Lara Vergnaud (Bloomsbury Publishing; Raven Books)

The Rabbit Factor by Antti Tuomainen translated by David Hackston (Orenda Books)

SHORT STORY DAGGER

‘Blindsided’ by Caroline England in Criminal Pursuits: Crime Through Time edited by Samantha Lee Howe (Telos Publishing)

‘London’ in The Jealousy Man and other stories by Jo Nesbⱷ edited by Robert Ferguson (Penguin Random House; Harvill Secker)

‘With the Others’ by TM Logan in Afraid of the Shadows edited by Miranda Jewess (Criminal Minds)

‘Flesh of a Fancy Woman’ by Paul Magrs in Criminal Pursuits: Crime Through Time edited by Samantha Lee Howe (Telos Publishing)

‘Changeling’ by Bryony Pearce in Criminal Pursuits: Crime Through Time edited by Samantha Lee Howe (Telos Publishing)

‘When I Grow Up’ by Robert Scragg in Afraid of the Shadows edited by Miranda Jewess (Criminal Minds)

ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION

The Devil You Know: Stories of Human Cruelty and Compassion by Dr Gwen Adshead & Eileen Horne (Faber)

The Dublin Railway Murder by Thomas Morris (Penguin Random House; Harvill Secker)

The Unusual Suspect by Ben Machell (Canongate Books)

The Disappearance of Lydia Harvey: A true story of sex, crime and the meaning of justice, by Julia Laite (Profile Books)

Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe (Pan Macmillan; Picador)

The Irish Assassins: Conspiracy, Revenge and the Murders that Stunned an Empire by Julie Kavanagh (Atlantic Books; Grove Press UK)

DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY

Cath Staincliffe

Edward Marston

Lin Anderson

Mark Billingham

Susan Hill

PUBLISHERS’ DAGGER

Faber & Faber

HarperCollins; Harper Fiction

Penguin Random House; Michael Joseph

Pushkin Press; Pushkin Vertigo

Titan Books

Profile Books; Viper

DEBUT DAGGER Sponsored by ProWritingAid

Henry’s Bomb by Kevin Bartlett

Holloway Castle by Laura Ashton Hill

The 10:12 by Anna Maloney

The Dead of Egypt by David Smith

The Dieppe Letters by Liz Rachel Walker

CWA Daggers – The Categories

GOLD DAGGER

This award is for the best crime novel by an author of any nationality. It was originally created in 1955, under the name of the Crossed Red Herrings Award. It was renamed the Gold Dagger in 1960.

IAN FLEMING STEEL DAGGER

Eligible books in this category are thrillers set in any period and include, but are not limited to, spy fiction, psychological thrillers and action/adventure stories.

JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER

This award is for the best crime novel by a first-time author of any nationality.

CRIME FICTION IN TRANSLATION

This award is for a crime novel not originally written in English and which has been translated into English for UK publication.

ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION

This award is for any non-fiction work on a crime-related theme by an author of any nationality.

HISTORICAL DAGGER

This award is for the best historical crime novel, set in any period up to 50 years prior to the year in which the award will be made.

CWA SHORT STORY DAGGER

This award is for any crime short story first published in the UK in English in a publication that pays for contributions, or broadcast in the UK in return for payment.

DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY

The Dagger in the Library is a prize for a body of work by an established crime writer who has long been popular with borrowers from libraries, and who has supported libraries and their users.

DEBUT DAGGER sponsored by ProWritingAid

A competition for the opening of a crime novel and synopsis, chosen by judges.

PUBLISHERS’ DAGGER

This prestigious Dagger is awarded annually to the Best Crime and Mystery Publisher of the Year.

DIAMOND DAGGER

Awarded every year to an author whose crime-writing career has been marked by sustained excellence, and who has made a significant contribution to the genre. Votes from CWA members go forward to be deliberated on by an independent panel.

The Darker Side of a Blonde by Linda Regan

 

The Burning Question will be my ninth, published, novel. 

I always wanted to write, but being born into a show business family meant my career as an actress kicked in at an early age, consequently writing books took a back seat. However, I always kept a diary, and to day I am very grateful I did. I would highly recommend any budding author to do the same.

Mine was a kind of journal at a young age, methodical I’d say (ie: marmalade and toast for breakfast. Daddy learning to play Beatle songs on his guitar)! However, my diary scribbling changed when I was seventeen, and worked with Diana Dors.

I only had one line in a television show with her, and she was a Hollywood legend. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. I was determined to make no mistakes and be professional. However, it wasn’t to be and on the day in question things went from bad to worse, with the consequence I arrived an hour late at the studio. The complete unit had been kept waiting for little me, who was a mere one-line actress. Diana too, had been kept waiting, sitting in her Winnebago for the whole hour that I was late. As I arrived the director was standing at the gates, and quite rightly shrieked at me, calling me unprofessional and extremely rude and threatened that I would never work again. I immediately burst into tears, making matters much worse, as my perfectly made-up face was now streaking black mascara down the cream foundation blended onto my face and making me look like Crewe Railway Station.

The make-up department then started yelling at me. That was the point that Diana Dors came out of her trailer, with hands raised and palms facing my angry employers, she told them all to, ‘Pipe down and stop yelling.’ She put her arm around me and took me to her trailer. There, she dried my eyes with a tissue, listened to my understandable reason for my lateness, and handed me a hand mirror telling me to redo my face while she made me a cup of sweet tea. That’s when she told me I should keep a diary, ‘As, when you are young and blonde and dolly, (her words), you got picked on a lot in this industry. She said she kept a diary because one day she intended to write her autobiography from it, (which she did, and I can highly recommend all volumes). 

I took her advice and when I read back my diary input from that day, I notice my writing style changed. Diana had, unknowingly, taught me to pour out my fears, emotions and feelings onto the blank page.

So that was my first lesson in crime writing. As an actress I have faced the terrors of many a first night in a play, the fear of forgetting lines, the fear of finding a theatre and a town when you are on the road, touring, alone. And then, finding your way back after a show, again, alone in the dark, in a strange town, to where you are living for the week your show is performing there. 

I now write about those stomach-churning moments, in the guise of my victims as I write my books.

I love creating characters (something I have done for many years as an actress, creating characters from larger than life, to timid, or quirky etc), and here’s where my police come in. They have colourful, hopefully, in some cases comedic and entertaining, personalities. They can bring the lightness and the dark to a tale, something I strongly believe every story needs. And again, who doesn’t love a bit of romance, there’s always a bit somewhere in my books. I think we all need that, too.

My latest crime novel – The Burning Question, is about arson. Personally, I have never been in a fire, and have no idea how it found its way into my mind, I did read arson attacks have increased greatly in London, where my book is set. But, the arson is only part of it. The puzzle comes in the question of who are the victims and what is their connection. The crimes are taking place miles apart, but the signs are the same. So, there is a serial arsonist who needs to be stopped. But with no clues to who or why, most of the murder team are baffled. However, a new, and very young police recruit has worked it out. If she offers this information, she will put her own life in a perilous situation, but if she doesn’t, how many more young victims will meet that terrible end?

Enter an unexpected clue, or person, that sets the whole force watching their backs.

The Burning Question by Linda Regan (Headline Accent) Out Now

When an arson attack strikes in south London, leaving three people dead, it quickly becomes clear that the youngest victim, Danielle Low, was the intended target. With no clear motive, and the killer at large, DCI Banham must act fast. But working with his partner, DI Alison Grainger, has its own challenges that threaten to stall the investigation. Then another body is found in similar circumstances and he knows that there is someone far more sinister at work. As they begin to unravel a dark web of secrets, the case unexpectedly leads close to home and with time of the essence, and the killer always one step ahead, can DCI Banham and his team work together to put a stop to the depravity before another life is lost?

More information about her work can be found on her website. You can also follow her on Twitter @Linda_Regan

Performing the Perfect Crime

 

My second cosy crime CURTAIN CALL AT THE SEAVIEW HOTEL launches in ebook, hardback and audiobook on May 12 2022 (paperback coming in October). 

It’s another fun, cosy crime set in Scarborough and published by Headline. It stars an acting troupe who arrive at the Seaview Hotel to rehearse a play they hope will save a much-loved local theatre. There’s a lot riding on this play. However, the leading lady is a diva, the playwright is highly strung and tensions in the troupe run high. When one of the actors is found dead on the beach, landlady Helen Dexter sets out to solve the crime. And just when Helen thinks things can’t get any worse after one of her guests is murdered, the hotel inspector arrives! 

It's the second in the series of my cosy crimes, the first one being MURDER AT THE SEAVIEW HOTEL which stars 12 Elvis impersonators (called Twelvis!) and one is found dead with his blue suede shoes missing. I’ve already written about MURDER AT THE SEAVIEW HOTEL here on the Shots Blog. 

So, now that CURTAIN CALL AT THE SEAVIEW HOTEL is released, it means I’ve now written two cosy crimes about people pretending to be someone else, whether actors of Elvis impersonators. It’s started me wondering what it is about the role of performance I enjoy so much and why it lends itself to writing crime. Whether it’s actors in a play or singers pretending to be the king of rock and roll, there’s something I find appealing in pretending and faking. Not in real life, I must stress, but in fiction. In the real world I prefer an honest, straightforward kind of life but in fiction, well, I’m all for smokescreens and people who aren’t what they seem. And what better way to disguise what your motives are for doing something horrid than by protecting yourself behind the job that you do?

It all happens in CURTAIN CALL AT THE SEAVIEW HOTEL. So, settle into your favourite chair with a bag of popcorn, put your feet up and enjoy the performance!

Curtain Call at the Seaview Hotel by Glenda Young is published by Headline on May 12 in ebook, hardback and audiobook. It is released in paperback in August 2022.

Helen Dexter has started a new chapter in her life as sole proprietor of the Seaview Hotel. But things take a dramatic turn when an acting troupe book into the hotel to rehearse a play they hope will save a much-loved theatre from being closed down. Helen immediately picks up on tension between the actors, but there is worse to come when the charismatic leading lady is found dead. With so much at stake, it's clear the show must go on. Helen is roped into helping the troupe with their performance, giving her ample opportunity to discover who wanted their diva dead. However, the murder is not the only thing on Helen's mind. She's receiving threatening phone calls, her car is vandalised - and she's just learned of an impending visit from a hotel inspector which could change the fortunes of the Seaview Hotel. With her trusty greyhound Suki by her side, Helen is determined to uncover the identity of the killer - even if it means she has to give the performance of her life.

You can watch a very short teaser video of Curtain Call at the Seaview Hotel below

Find out more about Glenda Young on her website at http://glendayoungbooks.com 
Follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/flaming_nora 
You can also find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GlendaYoungAuthor

In The Lyme Crime Spotlight: D V Bishop

 

Name:- D V Bishop

Job:- Lecturer and author 

Website:- https://dvbishop.com

Twitter:- @davidbishop

Introduction:

D V Bishop is the author of the Cesare Aldo series set in Florence. The first book in the series City of Vengeance was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. City of Vengeance has also been longlisted for both the CWA Gold Dagger and Historical Dagger

Current book?

My latest novel is The Darkest Sin, the second of my Cesare Aldo series set in Renaissance Florence. When a naked man’s corpse is found deep inside a convent, bathed with blood and stabbed 27 times, Aldo battles Church politics and a campaign to silence the woman of Santa Maria Magdalena. Could one of the nuns be the killer and, if so, why? 

Favourite book?

What an impossible question! Ask again tomorrow and my answer would be different. But, for now, I’ll say The World According to Garp by John Irving. It’s a writer’s book about being a writer, but it is also prescient in discussing issues of gender and sexuality. Bonus points: it’s funny, too.

Which two characters would you invite to dinner and why? 

I love Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse but suspect he would make a dreadful dinner guest. Instead, I’m inviting comics character Devlin Waugh, who’s a gay vampire and freelance exorcist for the 22nd Century Vatican – and Vivian Sternwood from The Big Sleep. A camp vamp and a femme fatale, that should make the evening go with a swing!

How do you relax?

I am developing an expensive vinyl LPs habit. If I’m home on Sunday I’ll put on a record before lunch and read for an hour.

What book do you wish you had written and why? 

The Collector Collector by Tibor Fischer is so inventive and irreverent. It is narrated by a 3000-year-old plate, and is funny, thoughtful, wry and moving. I could never imagine such a novel, let alone pull it off.

What would you say to your younger self if you were just starting out as an author?

Be patient; writing is a marathon, not a sprint – especially novel writing. Tell the stories you’d want to find in a bookshop and never stop reading.

Why do you prefer to write a series as opposed to a standalone novel and would you consider writing a standalone novel?

I was a series reader first, so was always going to write series fiction. It’s like being in a long-term relationship, you slowly discover more about your characters over time. They grow and evolve yet still surprise you. Plus writing a series means you can build on what is already there, rather than having to start from scratch all over again with each new novel.

I certainly would consider writing a standalone novel, even if it might seem like having a one-night stand with some saucy new characters that caught my eye. My worry is I’d fall in love with those new characters and want to bring them back for another story, and another. Then I’m writing two series at once! But Ann Cleeves does that wonderfully well with Vera and her Matthew Venn novels, so never say never.

What are you looking forward to at Lyme Crime?

New Blood panels are always a great place to discover fresh voices, and this year’s festival has three crackers being interviewed by Jack Jordan. I’ve already got the first two novels by Tariq Ashkanani on my Everest-like TBR pile, but I’ve yet to encounter Sarah Bonner and Sarah Pearse so am eager to hear them speak. 

I’ve never been to Lyme Regis before, but studied The French Lieutenant’s Woman at school and loved it when Inspector Morse visited the area in The Way Through the Woods. I’m hoping to get out on the cob and channel my inner Meryl Streep.

The Darkest Sin by D V Bishop (Pan Macmillan) Out Now

Florence. Spring, 1537. When Cesare Aldo investigates a report of intruders at a convent in the Renaissance city's northern quarter, he enters a community divided by bitter rivalries and harbouring dark secrets. His case becomes far more complicated when a man's body is found deep inside the convent, stabbed more than two dozen times. Unthinkable as it seems, all the evidence suggests one of the nuns must be the killer. Meanwhile, Constable Carlo Strocchi finds human remains pulled from the Arno that belong to an officer of the law missing since winter. The dead man had many enemies, but who would dare kill an official of the city's most feared criminal court? As Aldo and Strocchi close in on the truth, identifying the killers will prove more treacherous than either of them could ever have imagined...

More information about D V Bishop can be found on his website.

You can buy tickets for Lyme Crime here:- https://www.lymecrime.co.uk/tickets--contact.html

Being by the seaside at Lyme Crime!

 

What do Barbara Nadel, Amanda Jennings, Charlotte Philby, DV Bishop and William Shaw all have in common? 

Aside from the fact that they are all great authors, they are all due to be at Lyme Crime taking part in various panels and they have all agreed to respond to some questions from me. So look out for some mini interviews from them on the Shotsblog. 

Up first will be D V Bishop who is the author of the brilliant Cesare Aldo historical mysteries set in Renaissance Florence.

Tickets and information can be found here.

Longlist for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2022 announced

 

The longlist for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2022 has been announced today, with debut authors and literary icons vying for the UK and Ireland’s most coveted crime fiction writing award.

The award, now in its eighteenth year, is presented by Harrogate International Festivals and recognises the best crime novels published in the UK and Ireland in paperback over the past year. This year’s longlist takes readers from the decks of a haunted galleon to the claustrophobia of a psychiatric ward, from a small American town shaken by the disappearance of a young girl to the hedonism and danger of London’s Georgian pleasure gardens.

The longlist sees a number of previous winners hoping to take home the prize once again. Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival 2022 Programming Chair Denise Mina will look to snatch her third win for The Less Dead, as will Rabbit Hole author Mark Billingham, who took home the inaugural award in 2005 and again in 2009. Chris Brookmyre, who won the 2017 prize, is in the running again with The Cut while Blood Ties author Brian McGilloway, who was highly commended at last year’s prize, is also longlisted. Other prize alumni on the 2022 longlist include four-time shortlistees Elly Griffiths with The Night Hawks and Mick Herron with Slough House, as well as previous longlistees Ann Cleeves with The Heron’s Cry, Erin Kelly with Watch Her Fall, Imran Mahmood with I Know What I Saw, Joseph Knox for True Crime Story, Laura Shepherd-Robinson’s Georgian detective novel Daughters of Night, Stuart Turton with genre-bending whodunnit The Devil and the Dark Water, and William Shaw for The Trawlerman.

While some familiar names have returned again this year to compete, the longlist features a number of authors receiving their first chance at the prize. M.W. Craven receives a nod for Dead Ground, while Vaseem Khan is featured for his novel Midnight at Malabar House, set in the turbulent streets of Bombay in 1950. Incredible debut authors in the running for the award include 2021 New Blood panellist Anna Bailey with her taut novel Tall Bones, and Abigail Dean with bestselling debut Girl A.

The full Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2022 longlist is comprised of:

Girl A by Abigail Dean (HarperFiction)

Tall Bones by Anna Bailey (Doubleday)

The Heron’s Cry by Ann Cleeves (Pan Macmillan)

Blood Ties by Brian McGilloway (Constable)

The Cut by Chris Brookmyre (Little, Brown)

The Less Dead by Denise Mina (Harvill Secker)

The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths (Quercus Fiction)

Watch Her Fall by Erin Kelly (Hodder & Stoughton)

I Know What I Saw by Imran Mahmood (Raven Books)

True Crime Story by Joseph Knox (Doubleday)

Daughters of Night by Laura Shepherd Robinson (Mantle/Pan)

Rabbit Hole by Mark Billingham (Little, Brown)

Slough House by Mick Herron (Baskerville)

Dead Ground by W. Craven (Constable)

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton (Raven Books)

Midnight at Malabar House by Vaseem Khan (Hodder & Stoughton)

The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean (Hodder & Stoughton)

The Trawlerman by William Shaw (riverrun)

Simon Theakston, Executive Director of Theakston, added: “Crime fiction seems to have an enduring popularity with readers, and this year’s longlist is a clear indication as to why. Books from iconic writers and impressive debuts demonstrate the wonderful talent working in the genre today – the public have got a hard job ahead of them voting for a shortlist of only six! We raise a glass of Old Peculier to all the authors on the longlist, and look forward to a celebratory drink with our Award winner in July.”

Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, Sharon Canavar, commented: “We are thrilled to announce the 2022 longlist for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, championing the very best crime fiction being published in the UK and Ireland. With a mix of nail-biting psychological thrillers, tense police procedurals and gripping mysteries, this year’s longlist demonstrates the incredible breadth of modern crime fiction. We can’t wait to see which books the public side with during voting, and look forward to revealing the winner at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in July.”

The longlist was selected by an academy of crime writing authors, agents, editors, reviewers, members of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Programming Committee, along with media partners the Express. The award is run by Harrogate International Festivals sponsored by T&R Theakston Ltd, in partnership with Waterstones and the Express, and is open to full length crime novels published in paperback 1 May 2021 to 30 April 2022 by UK and Irish authors.

The public are now invited to vote for a shortlist of six titles at 

www.harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com. Voting closes on 26^th May, with the shortlist announced and winner voting opening on 14^th June. 

The winner will be revealed on the opening night of Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Thursday 21^stJuly, receiving £3,000 and a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by T&R Theakston Ltd .

May Books from Bookouture

The Trapped Ones by Stacey Green. She raced across the woods. Cold wind hit her face, and her heart pounded so fast she could almost feel the panic rushing through her veins.She knocked on the door knowing she didn’t have much time. Fear gripped her. “Please, help,” she whispered. Rushing to the scene of a homicide at a farmhouse surrounded by thick, dark woodland, Special Agent Nikki Hunt is shocked to find four victims. A mother and father have been stabbed, their son, Bryce, is fighting for his life, and a young woman’s body is lying near the front door, her wrists bound with heart-shaped bunting. Nikki has never seen such a complex scene, but despite recovering from her own painful loss, she will do whatever it takes to bring this killer to justice. Nikki soon identifies the woman as missing student Jessica Chandler and finds Bryce’s initials woven into the jumper she wore the night she died. It seems like they were a couple, and that the Webers were a happy family. So who would want them dead? The murders have all the hallmarks of a serial killer: all the evidence suggests the murderer was watching them, turned the security cameras off as they entered and fled the scene from the front door. But then Jessica’s friends tell Nikki she was uncomfortable around Bryce, and when two of Bryce’s friends go missing along Stillwater river, and the girlfriend is found, she claims her boyfriend tried to kill her.Are Bryce and his friends hiding a dark side? Nikki knows she must dig deeper to find out their secrets, but can she uncover the truth before the killer takes another life?

Meet Julia Bird: recently single, reluctantly retired, and… an amateur sleuth? Julia Bird has left London for a fresh start in a picturesque Cotswolds village, and the rustic charm and cosy fireplaces of her little cottage are everything she’d hoped for. But when she tears down the old garden shed to make way for a chicken coop, she unearths much more than she’d bargained for… the body of a young woman, apparently buried for decades, thrusting Julia into a baffling mystery. With only one copper on the case in Berrywick, Julia decides to solve the who and whodunnit herself, taking her wayward puppy Jake along for the ride. And so begins a whirlwind tour of the village – from the dotty 90-year-old to the delightful doctor and the village gardener, it seems everyone has something to hide. Soon, Julia is convinced she has discovered the killer’s identity, until Jake, a true Labrador, finds a new love of the local lake’s waterfowl and instead ends up catching her chief suspect… drowned. Back at square one, with potential culprits galore, Julia – newly nicknamed the Grim Reaper – despairs at ever solving the murders. But as Julia ruffles feathers village-wide, the clock is ticking. There is someone in the village who has killed twice already. Will they be prepared to make it third time lucky to keep their secret safe? An English Garden Murder is by Katie Gayle.

The Lost Bones is by Ruhi Choudhary. The woman’s skin was almost transparent. Her light hair darkened at the tips. Her lips were blue and slightly parted. But all Mackenzie could focus on were the eyes. Those arctic eyes that looked glassy like glistening marbles. She could see her own reflection in them staring back at her. The woman looked almost like a carefully crafted doll. Detective Mackenzie Price knows what makes a killer tick. But when she finds the body of a young woman dumped in the trunk of her car, she knows this case is going to be her most personal and twisted yet. Looking down at the victim, Mack recognises her instantly: Sophie Fields, the fiancée of Mack’s co-worker who vanished months before. Reeling in shock, Mack keeps one crucial piece of evidence to herself, too horrified to share it: a crumpled piece of paper bearing the words “You’re welcome, Mackenzie.” As Mack pieces together Sophie’s last known movements, another body is found with a note. This time the victim is Courtney Montenegro, Mack’s childhood bully. As Mack looks at the note it becomes clear that the killer has an unusual MO: they want to protect her at all costs. But why? The only evidence connecting the victims are identical pieces of material left at both crime scenes. With no other leads, Mack unearths a cold case which may lead her to the killer. Sophie had a sister who disappeared years before. Did she get too close to the truth and pay the ultimate price? With an obsessive killer still on the loose, Mack knows that she needs to get deep inside their mind to work out who is next on the hit list. Can she get to the killer in time before someone close to her loses their life?

Your little girl is all yours… isn’t she? Dani and her husband Tate’s life together is almost perfect. But Dani is haunted by guilt for causing a terrible car accident that left her unable to have children. She can’t remember why she was driving so fast that day or where she was going. Her therapist says she should try to move on. So when their application to adopt is accepted, Dani sobs with joy. As perfect little Willow nestles in her arms, Dani looks at Tate’s loving smile and knows he will always provide for his family, no matter what. When Dani sees a woman staring as she pushes Willow’s stroller around the safe, gated Florida community where they live, she tells herself it’s simply an admiring passer-by. After all, Dani herself used to watch the local moms and wish she was in their shoes. But when Dani wakes in the night to find Willow’s crib empty, their perfect life becomes a nightmare. In her frantic distress for her daughter, Dani’s memories of the accident flash through her mind. And with a jolt she realises: everyone around her has been lying about that day. Will Dani find out the truth before it’s too late for her baby girl? The Adoption is by Jenna Kernan.

Six Graves is by Angela Marsons. It’s a typical teenage bedroom with posters covering the walls and clothes littering the floor. But the girl lying on her bed, wearing a delicate chain around her neck, is lifeless. A circle of red stains her white vest top. How had the girl’s mother looked down at her sleeping child and pulled the trigger? When Detective Kim Stone rushes to the scene of a house fire, she’s shocked to discover it’s claimed the lives of two teenage children and their parents. But this tragedy is not quite as it seems. Each body is marked by a gunshot wound and the mother, Helen Daynes, is holding the gun. The case sparks painful childhood memories for Kim who suffered at the hands of her own abusive mother, but it just makes her more determined to uncover the truth. As Kim untangles Helen’s past, she finds a history of clinical depression. But did it drive Helen to murder her loved ones? Then Kim uncovers a tiny, vital clue in Helen’s bedroom that throws the investigation wide open. Could someone else have killed the Daynes family? Just as Kim feels she’s making progress, a deadly threat is made to her own life by a dangerous psychopath from her past. Biting back her fear, she keeps digging. And when Kim hits upon a shocking secret that changes everything she thought she knew about Helen, she realises that the remaining family members are in grave danger. Kim is under pressure like never before, and the monster circling her is getting ever closer. Four bodies already. Four graves fresh in the ground. Who will be next? Can Kim find the killer and save herself before it’s too late?

By the time I realized the truth about Daniel it was too late. But the truth about me? He never saw that coming… Dr Daniel Ashcroft was perfect: handsome, romantic, protective. I thought I was so lucky. But then I heard the rumours about his previous girlfriend, that she had vanished without a trace.That’s when I found the cameras in my apartment. I was trapped. Daniel made it clear I couldn’t leave him, not without risking everyone I loved. I had to disappear, so I arranged my own kidnapping. I should have known Daniel would never let me get away that easily. But he could never have predicted what I’d do next… Make Me Disappear is by Jessica Payne.

Mystery at Lovelace Manor is by Clare Chase. Lovelace Manor has a famous past… but when a historian becomes history at its annual open day, amateur sleuth Eve Mallow is on the case! Everyone in Saxford St Peter flocks to Lovelace Sunday, the festival celebrating the romantic history of beautiful Lovelace Manor. This year will be even more exciting, as famous TV historian Cammie Harington is planning a spectacular stunt with a hot-air balloon for her new show. Eve Mallow jumps at the chance to volunteer – it’s a great people-watching opportunity. But she soon realises there is no love lost between Cammie and the family who owns the manor… so why did Cammie agree to come? When Cammie’s hot-air balloon tumbles from the sky, Eve feels sure this is no accident. Alongside dachshund Gus, she sets to work investigating the mystery, piecing together all the odd things she’s seen and heard. Could the killer be discreet Diana, lady of the manor, who fell out with Cammie years ago? Or Diana’s dashing brother Sebastian, whose dark secret Cammie knew? Why was the loyal gardener following Cammie around? And had Cammie uncovered something explosive about the manor’s past, as she claimed? When someone breaks into Cammie’s cottage and a priceless Lovelace heirloom goes missing, Eve is sure she’s on the right track… but can she solve the case, before the killer brings her crashing down?

Her Child's Cry is by S A Dunphy. ‘I just want my little girl back. She’s so little, she needs her mummy. And she doesn’t even have her panda bear with her. Find her, please find her, before it’s too late.’ Little Rosie Blake has been taken. Since going missing from the hospital where she was being treated for cancer, Rosie’s distraught parents haven’t heard a word. And time is swiftly running out. They have to find her, and right away, because Rosie can only survive for ten days without her medication. With the police unable to find any leads at all, criminal behaviourist Jessie Boyle and her team are brought in to help. Who would be so evil as to steal a sick child? Narrowing down on a suspect, Jessie quickly moves to arrest them, only to discover the suspect’s dead body instead... And with no Rosie in sight, the case becomes even more desperate. Who killed their chief suspect, and where is Rosie now? And is Rosie’s disappearance linked to the sudden revival of Dublin’s Hellfire Club, an ancient and terrifying cult obsessed with death and human sacrifice? As the race to find Rosie intensifies, her heartbroken parents know their little girl’s time is running out. The clock is ticking, but Jessie clings on to the hope of finding her safe. Then her search leads her to Ireland’s remote mountains... Will Jessie be able to survive the deadly threat that awaits her, rescue Rosie, and get her back to safety, before it’s too late?

I've known him all my life. I know he has taken my daughter. His mother says she can help me. But she's the last person I can trust... Samuel lived next door when we were children. We were inseparable. But he didn’t like sharing me with my adored little brother. And one terrible night, he got rid of my brother forever… Now, years later, he’s free. And my daughter is missing. I turn on my baby girl’s unicorn nightlight and bury my face in her pillow, my heart breaking. I know Samuel has her – he blames me for ruining his life, and even after all this time, he still doesn’t like to share. As darkness falls, there’s a knock at my door and I open it to see Samuel’s mother. She says she can help me. I know I can’t trust her, but I don’t have a choice. With each step I take, my fear grows stronger. Can she help me find my daughter? Or does she know something about what really happened all those years ago? Something that could stop me from saving my baby girl… Missing is by K L Slater.

Holly is getting married, but not before a celebration weekend with her closest friends. After a night of arguments, a body is found floating in the swimming pool of their secluded cottage. Holly must face up to the truth – one of her bridesmaids is a killer, but which one? New beginnings. Old rivalries. Best friends. Bad blood. Five bridesmaids. One body. The Bridesmaids is by Victoria Jenkins.

My father said my mother killed herself. My sister says he’s lying. The day of our mother’s funeral, my little sister Lucy and I clung to our father’s side. He promised he’d get us through it, and we believed him. But then I discovered that the coffin we wept over was empty. Dad says he was trying to protect us – that he thought it would be easier to grieve if we didn’t know our mother’s body was never found. His new wife says she just wants to help us move on from the past. Then Lucy has a flash of memory that leaves her shaking. Our father. A woman. A knife… She insists she knows something about the day our mother died, but it’s buried too deep to see clearly. What happened to our mother? I need to find the truth. But I have no idea who I can trust. And what if the answer puts my life in danger? The Daughters is by Juila Crouch.

Death at the Dinner Party is by Emma Davies. Francesca Eve, caterer extraordinaire, has come to Claremont House to work for the cream of society. A full breakfast spread? Simple. A glorious picnic lunch? Easy as pie. But a dead body for dinner was definitely not on the menu… No sooner has Francesca Eve turned up for a jam-packed weekend of gourmet catering at a posh country house than she realises how challenging this event is set to be. Not only are the hosts wealthy – and demanding – beyond her wildest dreams, but each of the guests is more difficult than the last. But she never expected the host to turn up dead… Suspicion falls on everyone in the house – could there be a murderer in their midst? Is the incredibly glamorous, and now extremely rich, widow really as upset as she’s making out? What secret is the housekeeper hiding? Whose money troubles are now forgotten? As the only person without a motive, Fran’s intimate knowledge of the house party puts her in the prime position to help the police. As rumours swirl and guests’ pasts come to light, someone else is found dead. But when the police arrest their chief suspect, Fran becomes convinced they have the wrong person – the evidence is almost too neat to be true. So she decides to strike out alone, in the country house where the killer is still staying… Someone has killed twice to keep their secret safe. Will Fran be able to unmask them, or will this weekend turn out to be her deadliest job ever?

A grand villa, croissants for breakfast and a dead body in the wine cellar… Lady Swift can’t seem to take a vacation from murder! Summer 1923. Lady Eleanor Swift is finally persuaded by her butler, Clifford, to take a villa in the south of France for the season. She plans to do what a glamorous lady abroad should: long lunches on the balcony followed by lazy afternoons lounging by the pool. Even Gladstone the bulldog is looking forward to a daily paddle in the ocean. But when Clifford examines the wine cellar, he discovers there are no decent reds but there is a very dead body. The victim is famous American movie star Rex Armstrong. Poor Rex seems to have been stabbed with a sword from the film set. So how did he end up in Eleanor’s villa? Before Eleanor even has time to change out of her travelling suit, her beloved butler is arrested for the crime. At sea without her right-hand man, Eleanor must gather her wits if she’s to outsmart a murderer and save Clifford. Attending a glitzy party at the luxurious Hotel Azure with the film’s cast and crew so she can question her main suspects, Eleanor overhears the director having a most unsettling telephone call that throws all her theories out of the water. Can Eleanor unmask the true killer before her time abroad is cut murderously short? The French For Murder is by Verity Bright.

‘The Talented Mr Ripley’ and ‘Out of Her Depth’ by Lizzy Barber

‘Tom envied him with a heart-breaking surge of envy and self-pity’ writes Patricia Highsmith of Dickie Greenleaf in the early chapters of The Talented Mr Ripley. Tom, a penniless upstart but excellent impersonator, has managed to worm his way into the affections of Dickie’s father, who at the start of the novel sends Tom on a reconnaissance trip to the small (fabricated) Italian town of Mongibello, where Dickie has escaped to, to try and persuade him to return to America. Only, when Tom arrives in Italy, he discovers that Dickie has no intention of returning home. And, more to the point, neither does Tom. 

I am not the first reader or author to be captivated by Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley novels. In Tom, she created a true antihero; an underdog and unreliable narrator we somehow still root for; and in his idol, Dickie Greenleaf, Dickie’s girlfriend Marge and a band of wealthy expats, she creates a world that we, along with Tom, love to hate. Her clean, well-measured prose shines a light on every facet of their intoxicating world and has created an enduring legacy which has seen multiple adaptations – including the recent announcement of a new Talented Mr Ripley television series starring Fleabag’s Andrew Scott in the titular role. 

Out of Her Depth is a psychological thriller about an unassuming young woman, Rachel, who receives an incredible opportunity to work at a beautiful hotel in the Florentine Hills, where she meets the magnetic but dangerous Diana and the dashing but careless Sebastian. She is drawn into their privileged circle and luxuriates in their world of glamourous parties and exotic trips…until something goes wrong. It is not a reworking of the original, but there are themes and events (not least the Romantic Italian setting) which I was keen to explore in my work. And what drew me to Tom, and indeed the most in Out of Her Depth, was exactly that initial quote: his intermixed feelings of envy and self-pity.

Rachel, like Tom Ripley, is an outsider, a voyeur. By chance, she finds herself part of this impossible new world, but although she does step inside it, she is still painfully aware of her ‘otherness,’ that she will never truly fit in. As Tom’s friendship with Dickie blooms, he emulates him: he takes on his words and phrases, he begins to dress like him, he even wants to learn to speak Italian as good as Dickie’s. Highsmith, to allude to a spoiler (and if this is a spoiler for you, I’d say stop reading this now and get the book!), takes this to the extreme: Tom murders Dickie and fully impersonates him: but even then he constantly feels that he is only a poor copy. Diana frequently makes Rachel aware of her differences – ‘you shouldn’t nod like that,’ ‘it’s bathroom, not bafroom’ – telling her what to eat, buying her the right clothes, and under her tutelage Rachel begins to reinvent herself. 

Diana, much like Dickie to Tom, sees Rachel as a pet, a fun project to work on, and Rachel, blossoming under her attention, laps it up. The book is set in past and present day, and in the present, we see Rachel’s bitterness at never fully conforming: her realisation that she will never truly match Diana: and that realisation is an ugly thing, as ugly as Tom’s murder of Dickie. 

There has been much discussion about Ripley’s sexuality – his fascination with Dickie and subsequent hatred for Marge - but regardless of what Highsmith’s intentions were (she herself remained agnostic on the subject), I think what is rife in the book is a palpable desire. Tom wants Dickie; he wants to be Dickie; he wants Dickie to want him. His feelings are intense and intoxicating. This is what I wanted to explore with Rachel and Diana: Rachel has romantic feelings for Sebastian, but the friendship she has with Diana is all encompassing. It is that heady expression of teenage female friendship that is confusing and, for Rachel, toxic: she is so intoxicated by Diana’s good parts that she cannot see anything bad. And that desire turns into an obsession that long outlasts their teenage Summer…and begins to have deadly consequences…

Out of Her Depth by Lizzy Barber (Out Now) Pan Macmillan

There are summers that will change your life. There are summers that may end it. In the lush green hills beyond Florence sits the Villa Medici-a graceful pensione surrounded by manicured gardens. Rachel, a college student from an outer London suburb, can't believe her luck in landing a summer job here. Especially when she's drawn into a circle of privileged young sophisticates, including her glamorous co-worker Diana, who promises to help Rachel win the affections of handsome, confident Sebastian. But as champagne flows and rivalries fester in the Tuscan countryside, Rachel realizes that Diana has motivations of her own. Adrift in a world of backstabbing and bed-hopping, lavish parties and easy betrayal, Rachel feels the stakes rising along with the temperatures until, one night, something snaps. Someone dies. And nothing will ever be the same...

More information about Lizzy Barber can be found on her website. You can also follow her on Twitter @ByLizzyBarber and on Instagram @bylizzybarber