Tuesday 19 March 2024

Hostile Environments by Slava Faybysh

Anyone who has spent time in a leftist organisation has probably had a lot of haters. I myself was knee deep in a radical union for a while, and there was a guy once who wrote a full thirty pages detailing why I sucked. Then he went through the trouble of making copies of his screed and passing it out to everyone. A committee had to be put together to read the charges, and they decided it was “just a misunderstanding.”

That was only one example of the uphill battle I faced when I tried to dedicate my life to the left. Sometimes the left, despite its claim to be building a better world, can feel like a hostile place where everyone criticizes everyone over minor differences of opinion. For some reason, I had willingly placed myself in that environment. (I should note, though, that the other issue is that I can be a dick at times.)

These days, it seems like the whole world has become a more hostile place. Right-wing parties seem to be gaining ground everywhere. Like the newly elected president of Argentina, a real piece of work. This is a guy whose symbol is the chainsaw. He wants to take a chainsaw to anything even remotely smacking of socialism. He’s also a denialist who claims that upwards of 30,000 people weren’t killed and tortured and disappeared during the 1976–1983 dictatorship, that the number was less than 10,000.

Milei was only six years old at the time of the coup, and luckily there are still people around who have firsthand knowledge of what happened. Elsa Drucaroff is one of those people. She was eighteen at the time, working at a leftist magazine, when she heard the news that this guy named Rodolfo Walsh had been ambushed by the Argentine Army. Rodolfo Walsh against the full force of the Argentine Army, alone, armed with a measly .22 calibre pistol. He didn’t stand a chance. But he went down fighting.

After he was killed, Elsa Drucaroff went on to become a literature professor at the University of Buenos Aires, where one of the authors she taught classes on was this self-same Rodolfo Walsh. And decades later she went on to write a book about him, too, called Rodolfo Walsh’s Last Case. It’s a fictionalized account of the end of his life, pieced together with the few facts available and packaged in the form of a fast-paced thriller. When I got the opportunity to translate the novel, I jumped on it. I knew very little about the Argentine Dirty War before I read the novel, and I had never even heard the name Rodolfo Walsh, though he was an incredibly important figure in Argentine history.

Rodolfo Walsh was a journalist and a writer of fiction, and he was the first to write true crime. Written almost a decade before Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, Walsh’s Operation Massacre is a work of investigative journalism about some Peronist workers killed at a garbage dump outside Buenos Aires. Walsh also wrote detective novels and short stories. 

One of his stories, called “That Woman,” was exceedingly bizarre, but based on real events. In 1955, Evita Perón’s dead body was stolen by the military dictatorship and whisked away to an anonymous gravesite in an undisclosed location in Italy. The military had the bright idea this would come as a blow to Perón’s supporters.

Elsa took the character of Colonel König from this story written by Walsh. In Elsa’s version, the man who had been in charge of stealing Evita’s body in 1955 “has grown bulky, but cannot yet be called elderly.” He’s also a bit of a blunderer (endearing, though) and while he’s dedicated his life to the Argentine military, he’s not quite comfortable with all the torture and raping and killing, and he decides to help Walsh figure out what happened to his daughter. 

Both Walsh and his daughter (in the book and in real life) were members of an armed guerrilla group called Montoneros. People did not know this at the time, but Walsh was the head of intelligence for this group. Rodolfo Walsh’s Last Case centres around Rodolfo’s search for his daughter. After a standoff between the five militants at Vicki’s house and 150 troops, there are conflicting accounts as to whether she was killed along with the other four, or taken alive, which would have meant she’d be tortured, pumped for information, and eventually killed anyway.

But for me, it’s about a guy who’s struggling, nearly completely isolated, against a vicious dictatorship that’s consolidating power. A guy who tries to reason with his own organization, and they won’t take him seriously. A guy stuck between loved ones who are in danger and disappearing and an organization that’s being decimated. It’s about what a man does when things go to shit, and I mean really go to shit, on a personal level and all over the country. Luckily, I don’t think we’ve reached that point yet in the present day, but it sometimes feels like we’re moving in that direction.


Rodolof's Walsh's Last Case by Elsa Drucaroff (Corylus Books) Out Now. Translated by Slava Faybysh

A key figure in the politics and literature of Argentina, Rodolfo Walsh wrote his iconic Letter to my Friends in December 1976, recounting the murder of his daughter Victoria by the military dictatorship. Just a few months later, he was killed in a shoot-out - just one of the Junta's many thousands of victims. What if this complex figure - a father, militant, and writer who delved the regime's political crimes - had also sought to reveal the truth of his own daughter's death?  Elsa Drucaroff's imagining of Rodolfo Walsh undertaking the most personal investigation of his life is an electrifying, suspense-filled drama in which love and life decisions are inseparable from political convictions as he investigates the mystery of what happened to his own daughter.

The head of intelligence for Montoneros, a clandestine Peronist organisation co-ordinating armed resistance against the dictatorship, Rodolfo Walsh was also a prolific writer and journalist, seen as the forerunner of the true crime genre with his 1957 book Operation Massacre.

What if beneath the surface of his Letter to my Friends lay a gripping story lost to history?

A key figure in the politics and literature of Argentina, Rodolfo Walsh wrote his iconic Letter to my Friends in December 1976, recounting the murder of his daughter Victoria by the military dictatorship. Just a few months later, he was killed in a shoot-out - just one of the Junta's many thousands of victims.

What if this complex figure - a father, militant, and writer who delved the regime's political crimes - had also sought to reveal the truth of his own daughter's death? 

Elsa Drucaroff's imagining of Rodolfo Walsh undertaking the most personal investigation of his life is an electrifying, suspense-filled drama in which love and life decisions are inseparable from political convictions as he investigates the mystery of what happened to his own daughter.

The head of intelligence for Montoneros, a clandestine Peronist organisation co-ordinating armed resistance against the dictatorship, Rodolfo Walsh was also a prolific writer and journalist, seen as the forerunner of the true crime genre with his 1957 book Operation Massacre.

What if beneath the surface of his Letter to my Friends lay a gripping story lost to history?

You can find Elsa Drucaroff on X at @Elsa_Drucaroff and on Instagram at @elsadrucaroff

Photo of Slava Faybysh photo by Acie Ferguson

Photo of Elsa Drucaroff by Héctor Piastri



Thursday 14 March 2024

Inaugural McDermid Debut Award launched.

Harrogate International Festivals launches inaugural 

McDermid Debut Award 

to spotlight new generation of crime writing talent 


Festival Dates: 18 – 21 July 2024 

www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com 

#Theakstons Awards 

14th March 2024 : Submissions have opened for Harrogate International Festivals ’ new award, the McDermid Debut Award for new writers, offering a unique opportunity to be recognised among the best in the crime fiction genre . The Award will be presented on the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival ,the world’s largest and most prestigious celebration of crime fiction. 

Named in recognition of world-famous crime writer,Val McDermid, who co- founded the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in 2003 and whose dedication to fostering new voices in crime fiction through the New Blood panel is legendary, this new Award seeks to continue her legacy, celebrating and platforming the best debut crime writers in the UK. 

Val McDermid said: ‘Curating the New Blood panel over twenty years exposed me to an extraordinary range of crime fiction I might otherwise have missed. I’m hoping that this new a ward will do the same for the army of avid readers out there looking for new talent.’ 

The McDermid Debut Award is open to full- length debut crime novels by UK and Irish authors published for the first time in hardback or paperback original between 1 May 2023 and 30 April 2024, with submission s closing on the 21st March . A shortlist of six titles, selected by an academy of established crime and thriller authors, will be announced on Thursday 13th June, with the winner determined by a judging panel of industry experts, including literary, broadcasting and media figures. All shortlisted authors will receive a full weekend pass to the Festival. The Award will be presented at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Awards event on Thursday 18th July , the opening night of the Festival , with the winner receiving a £500 cash prize. 

Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, Sharon Canavar, said: ‘We are delighted to announce this new award honouring Val McDermid, one of the icons of the genre, and we can’t wait to discover the stars of the future, be they writers of psychological thrillers or murder mysteries.’ 

Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston Ltd, commented: ‘The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival has always highlighted the best in crime fiction and the new McDermid Debut Award will help readers discover the next generation of crime fiction authors. I am sure this new award will attract even more of the best of crime writing talent and I very much looking forward to welcoming them along with all our friends t o this year’s Harrogate gathering.’ 

Submissions are also now open for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year , the UK and Ireland’s most prestigious crime and thriller writing award. Previous winners include Mick Herron, Lee Child, Stef Penney, Val McDermid, Clare Mackintosh, Mark Billingham, Chris Brookmyre, Steve Cavanagh and Denise Mina. 

KEY AWARD DATES: 

• The McDermid Debut Award and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year are currently open for submissions . The deadline for receipt of entries is 23.59 (GMT) Thursday, 21st March . 

The Shortlists of the McDermid Debut Award and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year will be announced on Thursday 13th June . 

• Both Awards, along with the Award for Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction will be presented at the opening n ight of the Festival on Thursday 18th July. 

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival , which celebrates its 21st year in 2024, is delivered by the north of England’s leading arts Festival organisation, Harrogate International Festivals, and forms part of their diverse year- round portfolio of events, which aims to bring immersive cultural experiences to as many people as possible. 

This year’s event is curated by bestselling crime writer and 2024 Festival Programming Chair Ruth Ware, with the programming committee, and Special Guests include global bestsellers and fan favourites Chris Carter, Jane Casey, Elly Griffiths, Erin Kelly, Vaseem Khan, Dorothy Koomson, Shari Lapena, Abir Mukherjee, Liz Nugent and Richard Osman. Classic Weekend Break Packages, Author Dinners and tickets for Creative Thursday are on sale now. 

To book tickets, please call +44(0)1423 562 303 or email:- info@harrogate- festival.org.uk . More information about tickets and packages can be found here. The full programme for this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival will be announced in April 2024 . 

Tuesday 12 March 2024

Crime fiction: past, present and future with Simon Brett

 


The following talk is part of the launch of the Open University’s new Introduction to European Crime Fiction course

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:00 - 14:00 BST (online)

The team is delighted to welcome Simon Brett OBE, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and author of over one hundred published books.

About the talk

Crime fiction is the most popular literary genre in Europe today. In conversation with the Open University’s Bill Alder, author Simon Brett will lead us on a journey of discovery of crime fiction’s past, present and future.

He will share his thoughts on different types of crime fiction from the “golden age” mystery to the “hardboiled” thriller, from the “police procedural” to “cosy crime”, looking at different types of plots, detectives and approaches, and reflecting on the growing influence of non-Anglophone crime fiction from the latter years of the twentieth century to the present.

About the speaker

Simon Brett is a British author of detective fiction, a playwright, and a producer-writer for television and radio. He is best known for his mystery series featuring Charles Paris, Mrs. Pargeter, Fethering, and Blotto & Twinks. His radio credits have included The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue and Just a Minute, and a number of his Charles Paris stories have been adapted for BBC radio, featuring the acclaimed actor Bill Nighy. Simon Brett is a former President of the Detection Club and a recipient of the Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger award.

To attend the online talk/get the link, register here

Saturday 2 March 2024

Why We Love The Bad Guy by Rachel Wolf

Why are we so obsessed with the bad guys? There are so many books and films where the antagonists are more compelling than the protagonists. From Satan in Paradise Lost to Tyler Durden in Fight Club, I do enjoy loving a baddie. 

Five Nights is a novel set on a cruise ship, where a billionaire and his family and guests sail from Portsmouth to New York. Over the course of the cruise, secrets spill out and someone will die. 

I wanted to write a novel about the hugely wealthy – particularly those who are selfish and entitled – and look at how badly they’d behave when something threatens their wealth and lifestyle. I also wanted to watch how characters change when tempted with great riches. Greed is a powerful motivator! 

In writing about these characters, I also wanted the novel to be one people enjoyed reading. Do we love bad guys? I decided we did. But why?

I suppose one of the reasons we feel drawn to antagonists is because of a secret desire to release all the shackles on our own behaviour. It’s freeing to live vicariously through fictional characters, enjoying bad behaviour with no consequences. We spend so much of our lives trying to live well – obeying rules and being aware of the importance of trying to get things right. 

There are a few characters in Five Nights who don’t think twice about what they say. They never spend time considering the consequences of their behaviour and trying to get things right – and this was a lot of fun to write. They are rude, selfish, and they talk to other characters in ways I’d never speak to someone in real life. Sometimes when I write, I choose characteristics from people I know – certain tells or manners of speech that make someone distinct. I also put together mood boards with images of how they might dress, and things they may say, eat, watch or places they’d visit. I did this quite carefully for the Scarmardos because I just don’t have the usual pool of people in my day to day life for inspiration. I needed their terrible qualities to be exaggerated and inflated, as much as their wealth.

I think another aspect of the appeal of the ‘bad guy’ is confidence, although this runs a tight line with conceit. There’s nothing quite as attractive as a lack of self-doubt. People tend to be plagued by self-doubt. We question ourselves repeatedly, we play over scenes from our lives in our heads like a bad rehearsal. How wonderful if we never doubted ourselves at all! Characters who never question themselves, however, are often narcissistic and ultimately selfish and sometimes cruel. When Hugh Grant went from the bumbling Charlie of Five Weddings to the charming Daniel Cleaver of Bridget Jones, he’d never seemed more attractive. He never once pauses to stumble over his words or repeatedly apologise for his inadequacies. 

This is certainly true of some of the characters in Five Nights. They live a life focused on their own pleasure, no matter how it might affect others. They don’t second guess their decisions. This is as attractive as it is repellent and it was great fun to play with when writing the novel. No one wants to marry a Daniel Cleaver, but a mini-break could be a lot of fun.

Emily, my protagonist in Five Nights, finds herself briefly the object of some love-bombing by the Scarmardos. Adoration and flattery can be very appealing – these men certainly know how to turn on the charm when they need to. In practice, love-bombing can be a very selfish tactic. It’s often done in order to deflect, or to get someone on side and to reel them in, so that you can behave badly later and get away with it! Yet to be the object of love-bombing, bombarded with charm and attention, does have its moment. Emily needs to be on her toes. She is out of her comfort zone, surrounded by threatening letters, mysterious happenings and threatening behaviour. 

Attention, and its sudden withdrawal, can also make relationships seem more exciting. The on/off element, the will he call question. Reliable, steadfast partners might be what we want in real life, but on the page, we want something a little more exciting. We go on rollercoasters to feel our sense of balance upended, and we search for fictional bad guys for much the same reason. 

Writing Five Nights gave me ample opportunity to study bad behaviour and to try to work out why it can seem so appealing. I hope readers enjoy reading about my entitled characters. They are certainly characters you love to hate!

Five Nights by Rachel Wolf (Head of Zeus) out now at £9.99 as a paperback original 

A powerful family. A luxury cruise. A killer on board… You're invited to join the infamous Scarmardo family on a five night voyage aboard their glamorous new ship. It's a chance to see your best friend, Belle, newly married to Mattia Scarmardo. You haven't seen her in years. Five - On the first night, you'll be wrapped up in the glamour of the ship. Four - On the second night, you'll wonder who is sending you threatening notes. Three - On the third night, someone will die. Two - On the fourth night, you'll discover that someone knows the truth of what you did. One - On the last night, you'll be left for dead. Will you make it back to shore alive.


Friday 1 March 2024

International Thriller Awards Nominees Announced

 

The International Thriller Writers announced the Nominees for the Thriller Awards. 


BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL  

All The Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby (Flatiron Books) 

Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni (Thomas & Mercer) 

It's One of Us by J.T. Ellison (Harlequin – MIRA Books) 

The Secret Hours by Mick Herron (Soho Crime) 

Fixit by Joe Ide (Mulholland Books) 

The Drift by C.J. Tudor (Ballantine Books) 

 

BEST AUDIOBOOK 

The Peacock and the Sparrow by I.S. Berry (Atria) Narrated by Pete Simonelli 

The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz (Macmillan) Narrated by Scott Brick 

The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden (Bookouture) Narrated by Lauryn Allman 

The House of Wolves by James Patterson, Mike Lupica (Hachette Audio) Narrated by Ellen Archer 

Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum (Macmillan) Narrated by January LaVoy 


BEST FIRST NOVEL 

The Peacock and the Sparrow by I.S. Berry (Atria) 

The Golden Gate by Amy Chua (Minotaur) 

Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy (Zando) 

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne (Bantam Books) 

Perfect Shot: A Thriller by Steve Urszenyi (Minotaur) 


BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL NOVEL 

Hide by Tracy Clark (Thomas & Mercer) 

The Paleontologist by Luke Dumas (Atria) 

The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen (Thomas & Mercer) 

To Die For by Lisa Gray (Thomas & Mercer) 

Cave 13: A Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International Novel by Jonathan Maberry (St. Martin’s Griffin) 

Call the Dark by J. Todd Scott (Thomas & Mercer) 


BEST SHORT STORY 

Slot Machine Fever Dreams by Chris Bohjalian (Amazon Original Stories) 

These Cold Strangers by J.T. Ellison (Amazon Original Stories) 

An Honorable Choice by Smita Harish Jain (Wildside Press) 

Rush Hour by Richard Santos (Akashic Books) 

Unknown Caller by Lisa Unger (Amazon Original Stories) 

One Night in 1965 by Stacy Woodson (Down & Out Books) 


BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL 

Red as Blood by Sorboni Banerjee, Dominique Richardson (Wolfpack Publishing LLC) 

Where He Can't Find You by Darcy Coates (Sourcebooks Fire) 

Where Echoes Die by Courtney Gould (Wednesday Books) 

Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah (Wednesday Books) 

Stateless by Elizabeth Wein (Little, Brown & Co.) 


BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL 

The Vulture Fund by Jeff Buick (Self-published) 

The Bigamist by Rona Halsall (Bookouture) 

A Good Rush of Blood by Matt Phillips (RunAmok Books) 

Close Her Eyes by Lisa Regan (Bookouture) 

The Killing Room by Robert Swartwood (Blackstone Publishing) 

The In-Laws by Laura Wolfe (Bookouture) 


Congratulations to all the nominated authors.

ITW will announce the winners at ThrillerFest XIX on Saturday, June 1, 2024 at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, New York City.


Thursday 29 February 2024

Drama, Conflict, and Cruelty, The Real Appeal of Reality TV.

In the basement of the psychology department at Sheffield University, where I studied for my degree, there was a nursery school in which one whole wall was a two-sided mirror. Students such as myself would file in to a thin dark room on the other side of that wall and watch. It was a sneak peek into how kids behave when they think no-one can see them. And we saw some fascinating things – like the boy behind the bookcase who hit three or four children as they were sent to fetch a book, only to then join them crying at the teacher’s table. A sign of intellect or criminal prowess? Only time would tell.

This was way before I had ideas of being a crime thriller writer, I just wanted to study people and find out what makes them tick. And TV was about to help out with that, big style, because a few years later, in July 2000, Big Brother launched and a new era of Reality TV was born. Here was the chance for all of us to stand on the other side of that two way mirror and see how real people behave in the real world. 

But no one could have anticipated the fame and shame consequences that would befall Reality TVs participants. We came to love them or we loved to hate them. And there was no going back. Ever since, the nation has tuned in to watch everything from people competing for a job on The Apprentice, to looking for love on First Dates and Married at First Sight. We’ve rooted for our favourites on The Hunted, revelled in the drama of Made in Chelsea and relished secrets and lies in The Traitors. A recent survey of 2000 people in the UK by ONEPOLL found that nearly 40% of us watch some kind of reality TV every week, and this rises to 50% for under 35s and 48% for females.* 

Why do we love it so much? Some psychologists believe it is all to do with Social Comparison Theory. We enjoy watching confrontations, people making a fool of themselves, or doing anything to entertain us, because it makes us feel better about ourselves. Others believe the shows we choose say something about our individual motivations: some of us are looking for companionship, some are looking for escapism and the competitive amongst us are enjoying taking sides. 

The truth is we love human drama in all its forms – from the books we read to the movies and TV shows we watch. But Reality TV provides something more on top. Dr Carol Lieberman, a psychiatrist who works on reality shows says, “We love reality TV because it allows us to live vicariously through the show participants without being publicly humiliated ourselves.” Many reality TV shows now employ psychologists to help them to pick the right ‘characters’ and much time is spent on designing the best scenarios to elicit an emotional reaction. So if the scenes are staged and the characters hand-picked, what is real? It turns out this question is what many people have come to most enjoy about such shows. We have to figure out what part of the show is Reality and what part is Television, so we become ever more engaged in the experience. We become part of the game.**

And so, it turns out the two-sided mirror is not enough. What we really want is to watch real people in extreme situations, and we don’t mind if this has to be stage managed. We might have been happy to watch the best of the best compete to be Sir Alan Sugar’s apprentice back in 2005, but by the time he was Lord Sugar it was more interesting to watch the egotistical being put in their place, or the whole team imploding in conflict. Perhaps this is why in 2019 the New York Times branded British Reality TV a ‘Theatre of Cruelty.’ ***

All this got me thinking, if Reality TV shows have to keep evolving to apply ever more pressure on participants so that they react in ways that keep us interested and entertained, how far would they go?

And if someone making such a show really hated the genre and the kinds of people who chose to participate - people they see as fame hungry, shallow, attention seekers – what then? What dire situation would they be willing to put people in to grab attention and make the public watch. This is the premise of The Escape Room. A reality TV show to end all Reality TV shows.

I decided that an escape room was the perfect vehicle to explore a reality TV show gone dark, because people readily volunteer to be locked inside such places to experience the thrill of being trapped. And so, my protagonist Bonnie and seven other contestants are taken to The Fortress, a three story cylindrical, concrete sea fort off the coast of Portsmouth. They arrive feeling confident that they can solve the puzzles and break free, but what they soon come to realise is that when you’re trapped inside a structure built to keep the enemy out, it can easily keep you in. 

And when one contestant’s failure on a challenge leads to his death everything changes. It’s not about fun anymore, it’s about survival. 

The death of a contestant seemed like a logical step in the dark evolution of such shows. We have all heard of the deaths sadly associated with reality TV, but thus far all have occurred outside of the show. In The Escape Room the contestants are unsure if the death is accidental or intentional. What they are sure of is that to escape they only have one option: to win. 

The Escape Room by L.D. Smithson is published by Bantam (£14.99).

Everything is a clue. Bonnie arrives on a remote sea fort off the coast of England to take part in a mysterious reality TV show. Competing against seven strangers, she must solve a series of puzzles to win the prize money, but this is no game - and the consequences of failure are deadly. No one leaves. Under scrutiny from the watching public, the contestants quickly turn on one another. Who will sacrifice the most for wealth and fame? And why can't Bonnie shake the creeping sense that they are not alone? The only way out is to win. When the first contestant is found dead, Bonnie begins to understand the dark truth at the heart of this twisted competition: there's a killer inside the fort, and anyone could be next. If Bonnie wants to escape, she needs to win... Are you ready to play?

L D Smithson can be found on “X” @LeonaDeakin1

* OnePoll (2016) The reality TV habit 

** Rose, R.L, & Wood, S. L. (2005) Paradox and the consumption of authenticity through reality television.

*** The New York Times (2019) British Reality Television Is A Theatre of Cruelty



Wednesday 28 February 2024

2025 Daggers Open for Submission 

 


You are invited to submit eligible titles to the new and expanded 2025 CWA Dagger awards, which are now open for entries. 

Daggers Submissions

The Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Daggers are considered a marker of excellence in the industry and have been synonymous with quality crime writing for over half a century. The awards are judged by independent expert panels. 

The oldest membership organisation for crime writers in the UK, the CWA was founded in 1953. It began its awards in 1955, with Agatha Christie as the principal guest at its first awards ceremony in 1956. 

2025 includes two new Daggers, announced earlier this year - the CWA Twisted Dagger and the CWA Whodunnit Dagger. Eligibility criteria for both can be found below. 

The CWA has also refreshed the name of two of its categories: the John Creasey New Blood is now known as the John Creasey First Novel Dagger, and the Debut Dagger is now the Emerging Author Dagger. 

Vaseem Khan, Chair of the CWA, said: “It’s always exciting when the Daggers open for submission, knowing that the very best books in the genre will shortly be winging their way to our independent judging panels. This year is extra special. Expanding the Daggers was one of my pledges as chair. The new Daggers recognise two subgenres that have grown to dominate the publishing landscape in recent years and I, for one, am excited to see who the first recipients of these Daggers will be. And in terms of refreshing the titles of the John Creasey New Blood and Debut Daggers – that was simply rectifying a longstanding point of confusion. The John Creasey First Novel Dagger is for a full-length debut novel while the Emerging Author Dagger is for early chapters of a work by an unpublished, unagented author.” 

Crime fiction is now the most popular genre in publishing, with this trend showing no signs of abating. 

The CWA’s mission is to promote the genre and act as a voice for the interests of its author members. 

The Daggers are one of the most inclusive genre awards, with categories for crime fiction in translation, short stories, and new authors, alongside the Gold Dagger for the novel of the year and Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for best thriller. 

Eligible books for the CWA Twisted Dagger are psychological thrillers (set in any period), suspense thrillers, and domestic noir. The Dagger will celebrate dark and twisty tales that often feature unreliable narrators, disturbed emotions, a healthy dose of moral ambiguity, and a sting in the tail. Judges for this Dagger are Gavin Bell (aka writer Mason Cross), Tracy Fenton (founder of THE Book Club on Facebook) and writer Susi Holliday 

Eligible books for the CWA Whodunnit Dagger include cosy crime (including the ‘modern cosy’), traditional crime, and Golden Age inspired mysteries. These books focus on the intellectual challenge at the heart of a good mystery and revolve around often quirky characters. The judges for this Dagger are writers, Steph Broadribb, Derek Farrell and Gytha Lodge. 

Submission guidelines for the 2025 Daggers are now live on the CWA website. 

The longlist will be announced at the CWA annual conference on 20th April, and the shortlist at the UK’s biggest crime fiction convention, CrimeFest, hosted in Bristol on Friday 10th May; the Dagger awards ceremony takes place in the summer. 

March Books from Bookouture

Murder at the Island Hotel. Spring, 1936. As the boat draws into the harbour of Bird Island, Kitty is absolutely delighted to see the stunning hotel for the first time. She and her friend Alice have been asked to join the distinguished guests before the hotel officially opens its doors, but they have barely unpacked when the owner is found dead in his own study… Sir Norman’s death looks like suicide. But Kitty isn’t convinced – she cannot find a note, and he is left-handed but was shot on the right side of his head. Kitty tries to reach the police, but a violent storm engulfs the island and the power goes out. Kitty and Alice need to move quickly before anyone else finds death on their dinner menu! With several old friends amongst their suspects, Kitty decides the investigation should stay secret. But it’s not until Kitty uncovers Sir Norman’s financial difficulties that she’s on the killer’s trail. Can Kitty and Alice catch the culprit in time for tea, or will they become the next guests on the murderer’s list? 

You look so happy in your wedding photo, gazing at your perfect new husband, glass of champagne held high in a toast. You chose to ignore the warning signs, but he hid more than one secret from you. And now he’s gotten away with your murder… Every night I watch Benjamin and Gwyn in their gorgeous, glass-fronted Seattle home. Your ex-husband. Your best friend. Newly engaged, they’re busy dreaming of their future. The official story is that you disappeared, but I know the truth. They killed you. I know Benjamin’s new business is in trouble, that he desperately needs your money. I saw the way Gwyn looked at him at your wedding reception, finding any excuse to be close, to laugh too loudly at his jokes. After all, she always wanted your perfect life. But don’t worry, Madeline. I won’t let it end like this. I can see everything from my place in the shadows between the trees. With their house lit up, they are on display. I’ll bide my time and worm my way into their home, their lives. They will never know the truth about who I am. You didn’t get your happily ever after, and neither will they… Never Trust The Husband is by Jessica Payne.

Her Last Hour is by B.R Spangler. She can hear the faint lapping of waves nearby as she tries to open her swollen blue eyes. But all she can see is darkness, there is nothing but the suffocating sand that surrounds her. As her consciousness fades, she wishes she had never trusted him… When Ruby Evans is abducted on her way home from volunteering at a nursing home in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Detective Casey White’s heart breaks for the inconsolable mother. Terrible memories flood back of when her own darling daughter was taken twenty years ago. Pushing her own pain aside, Casey vows to find Ruby and bring her home. After desperately searching the road where Ruby was last seen, Casey receives a letter from someone claiming to be the kidnapper. In cursive red letters, she is warned that she has less than twenty-four hours to find Ruby alive. And when forensics reveal the letter was written in blood, Casey knows this isn’t a hoax. Working around the clock, Casey is devastated when her team hit another dead end, and she’s shattered when Ruby’s body is discovered buried on the beach—she’s too late. Now looking for a twisted killer, Casey is shocked when she receives a call from an evil predator she put behind bars ten years ago. He says he knows who the killer is, and will help Casey in exchange for his freedom. Casey refuses, but when she receives another letter, she is forced to reconsider. Because the killer promises the next victim will be someone much closer to her, and the clock is ticking. With only hours left, Casey has to decide if she’s prepared to free one evil monster to catch another, and if she doesn’t, will her loved ones pay the ultimate price?

The end of our marriage was only the beginning…  Last night, we celebrated our anniversary. Over candlelight, we talked about the children, our work, and I was so happy, and felt so loved. But the next morning, when I check my phone, there is a message. From a friend. And a string of photos appear of my husband, Will, with another woman: walking along the street holding hands. Going into fancy hotels. Standing at a window, his arms around her, her head on his shoulder… I beg Will to tell me what’s going on. But all he can say is that it’s not what I think. As if the betrayal wasn’t bad enough, he won’t even be honest with me. And now there’s someone watching our house. Will is acting like a stranger and I think he’s following me. I can’t trust him anymore, and I desperately need to know who sent me those photos and why. But maybe Will is telling the truth. Maybe it’s not what I think. Because the more our pain stops us talking, and the more the two of us tear each other apart, the more I wonder if I ever knew him at all – and what I’ll have to risk to protect my children. And when at last the secrets are revealed, will the truth save our family, or destroy us all? The Split is by S.E.Lynes.

The Widow Bride is by Carey Baldwin. Her diamond engagement ring glitters as she tells me he’s the one. But I’m sure there’s hesitation in her voice and the way she winces when her fiancé pulls her close makes my stomach drop. Could he be as dangerous as I fear? I thought handsome, charming Blake would be the perfect fit for my quiet and sweet-natured friend Melanie. Widowed far too young, she deserved a second chance at love. So, when he proposed so soon after I set them up on a date, I convinced myself that the timing was just right. But I should have stopped it.  I tried to ignore Blake’s controlling behaviour. It started small; telling her not to have a glass of champagne to celebrate their engagement, putting cameras up around her house for “safety”. But Mel seemed so happy and in love, I couldn’t bring myself to share my creeping doubts. If only I had. Because now I’m not only worried about what Blake is doing to Mel behind closed doors. Since he warned me to back off their relationship, I’m certain I’m being followed. Then I look into Blake's past. I’m sure he’s working with someone else. Someone close to me… I need to get us both out of here. What have I done?

The joyous crowd applauds as the happy couple strides down the aisle. This Cotswolds country wedding has everything – friends and family, beautiful flowers and… murder? When Julia Bird’s ex-husband Peter and his lovely partner Christopher decide to get married in Berrywick, Julia is delighted – after all, who doesn't love a country wedding? Little does Julia know that normally calm and collected Christopher will turn into a full-on Groomzilla – and that by the end of the night, someone will end up dead. The morning after the big day, the jolly nuptial mood turns grim when Julia discovers the lifeless body of the caterer, Desmond. Someone locked him in the cold truck and the poor man froze to death. Now looking for a murderer, all eyes are on Christopher who, mid-tantrum, had publicly threatened to kill him. Convinced that Christopher is innocent, Julia vows to find the real culprit. Julia soon discovers Desmond had a long list of enemies as she races against the clock to clear Christopher’s name. Could his death be the work of the respected wedding planner who was heard exchanging choice words with the victim? Or perhaps it was his wife – ‘til death do them part – who didn’t shed a single tear at his funeral? But just when Julia thinks she’s cracked the case, her prime suspect is found dead with a knife in their back. Can Julia find the murderer before they strike again? A Country Wedding Murder is by Katie Gayle.

The Garden Party is by Wendy Clarke. It’s so kind of our neighbours to throw this party welcoming us to our new home. My husband and I finally moved to the right place. A happy, safe street where nobody knows about my mistakes. But I soon learn their smiling faces hide even deadlier secrets…  As I take in the little plates of sandwiches arranged over checked tablecloths, the lavish cocktails, and children playing, I finally feel happy in my new home with Owen. I love hearing the gossip from the local families; the whispers about which wives I should avoid, and which husbands sneak out at night. But then I notice that the mother at number 3, Phillipa, is completely ignoring her sweet little girl. All blue-eyed Lexi wants is for her mother to play with her. And as Lexi pulls on Phillipa’s skirt, I’m certain I hear the woman threaten to smack her. Isn’t anyone going to say something? Even as I’m filled with rage, terrible memories flood back: of standing in a cold, thin hospital gown, hearing I may never have my own biological child. And then a shout pierces my memory. Lexi has run away from her mother and nearly fallen into the large, deep pond in the middle of the green. Everyone rushes over to comfort her, while Phillipa stays at the party to top up her drink. I promised Owen I’d put my past behind me so that we could start a new life. But some people don’t deserve to become mothers. I plaster a smile onto my face. I need to befriend Phillipa. And do whatever it takes to keep Lexi safe…

A discovery of bones on a windswept beach, the disappearance of a young woman, and a detective whose secrets are about to come out… Summoned to a crime scene swarming with people, Detective Billie Ann Wilde is devastated to find a woman’s broken bones abandoned in a suitcase on the sand of a popular Florida beach. And Billie’s blood runs cold when she reads the name “Danni” handwritten on the luggage tag in black ink: the name of Billie’s own best friend. Rushing over to Danni’s home, Billie is relieved to find her alive, preparing dinner for her two young daughters. So whose bones are in the suitcase? And why was Danni’s name at the scene? For years, Billie has worried that the dark secrets in her past might put her loved ones in danger, and soon her connection to the case is confirmed. Another set of bones is found at a busy local mall. With shaking hands Billie reaches out to read the luggage tag where another name is written in black ink: but this time, it’s Billie’s own name. And now, Danni has gone missing… Can Billie face up to the past and unravel her connection to this twisted killer? Or, with two young women already gone, is it too late for Billie to save Danni’s life? Then She Is Gone is by Willow Rose.

I Let Her In is by Maria Frankland. I tread quietly up the plush carpeted stairs. There’s no-one here to see me as Cassie and Jon’s bedroom door creaks gently open. I’ve watched them from afar for so long. Now I’m finally in their house. But there’s no time to waste. I’m here for a reason, and I’m going to get what I came for, whatever the cost…  I open the front door and there’s Amy, smiling sweetly and ready to help. She’s been a lifesaver since Jonand I moved here – from walking the dog to picking up my little son Teddy from nursery last minute. I’m so lucky we met in the playground the first day we arrived. Amy is more than just a good friend. My only friend, really. Whenever Amy and Jon exchange glances I’m sure it seems like they’ve met before, even though Jon swears they haven’t. But then again Jon recognises lots of people from his childhood round here without truly knowing them. I’ve put it out of my mind. Just like my fear of being watched. I need to remember I’m safe now. But today, when I turn up at Teddy’s nursery, I learn I was so, so wrong. The teacher tells me Amy picked him up an hour ago. Now they have both disappeared. I am frantic. I will do anything to get my son back. I should have known I can’t trust anyone. Then the phone rings, and I know what I have to do… 

Breath catches in my throat and terror grips me as my daughter’s favourite jumper slides into focus. Time slows. Helpless, I watch my precious little girl run into the road. Screeching tyres slice through the quiet afternoon. Days from now, my friends will say the worst day of my life was all my fault… A bright and welcoming haven, the playgroup sits at the heart of the town, tucked away inside a red-brick building. The Nest should have been the safest place for my rosy-cheeked, pink-obsessed daughter, Florence. Run by mothers like me, I trusted my newfound friends – Alice, Beth and Georgie – to take care of my child. But now my choice has left Florence fighting for her life. My heart pounds thinking about what I will tell my husband, James. He stayed with me through the darkest times, and I thought some space would bring us closer. But as I watch our little girl sleeping in a hospital bed, I know our relationship may never recover from this. How can I tell James what really happened if I don’t know myself? I can’t shake the feeling the other mothers are lying to me; they know I’d never let Florence leave the nursery by herself. We’ve all got dangerous secrets we want to protect, but if they expose mine, will anyone, including my husband, believe me when I say I didn’t harm my daughter? The Playgroup is by Leah Mercer.

The Girl in the Dark is by Zoë Sharp. The woman falls. Her body begins to shake. Her brown eyes turn upwards, showing a mix of panic and desperate hope. She takes a deep breath and says one word: 'Blake.' Then her eyes close, her face pales, and she goes still forever…  The victim: Shannon, a woman who went out of her way to help the lost and hopeless, left abandoned to die by the side of the road. Where was she in those last few days before her death, and why was she so frightened? The avenger: Blake Claremont, who knows only too well how it feels to be alone on the streets of a big city. Blake survived, thanks to Shannon. She’s determined to find out who killed her friend, and why. Before she died, Shannon was searching for answers. She knew that people were going missing… never to be seen again. Now, with the help of Detective John Byron, Blake must take up Shannon’s investigation. She knows these streets and the predators who walk in the darkness. She will follow in Shannon’s footsteps until she finds her target: the ruthless men and women who steal people’s lives and will do anything to protect their secrets. And then, they will pay. 

Mother of the Bride is by Samantha Hayes. My mother is obsessed with every detail of my wedding – controlling my dress, my ring, my happiness… But when the day finally comes, will she really let me go?  I’m smiling as I walk down the aisle, but my smile masks cold, clammy, prickling fear, even though it’s meant to be the happiest day of my life. My husband-to-be, Owen, is everything to me, with his sandy hair and sparkling blue eyes. He convinced me everything would be fine. That we’d be safe. I pray he was right as I reach for his hand. He smiles reassuringly. I swallow hard. Because last year, my sister’s fiancé was murdered on his wedding day. And I found my mother’s corsage next to his body… So when our guests are asked if they have any objections, I hold my breath. Please let me be wrong about what she did. Please let Owen be safe. But when I turn to look at my mother, my blood turns to ice. There is only dark, calculating fury in her eyes. I knew she didn’t want to let me go. But is my husband’s life actually in danger? Or is mine…?

You let her in. You shouldn’t have… I was so nervous about someone new joining our house share; after everything that happened with my parents, my friends are like my family. Our imperfect but well-loved house is the only place where I can be myself. But when Poppy knocks on our door, blonde hair, wide eyes and a friendly smile, we all agree she’s a perfect fit. I just wish I could shake the feeling that I’ve seen her before… At first, everything runs smoothly. But one day, Poppy arrives home with my housemates in tow. She says she ‘forgot’ to invite me to the movie. My stomach drops. As she sidles up to my friends, I’m gripped by a familiar panic. If Poppy is from my past, will she turn my friends against me? Will she tell them the secret I’ve so carefully buried? I feel like Poppy’s watching my every move. My home used to be the place where I felt most comfortable. But as she places a delicious home-cooked meal in front of me, I don’t even feel safe eating here. I have to find out who she really is, and what she wants. And when I do, will she realise too late which one of us is truly dangerous? The Perfect Housemate is by Lorna Dounaeva.

Stunning views across the Grand Canal and a hotel suite fit for royalty… Lady Eleanor Swift is having a jolly good time on her Italian vacation, until a gondola ride is cut murderously short! 1924. Lady Eleanor Swift has been on a grand tour around Italy for a month with her butler Clifford. Finally arriving in Venice, she’s thrilled to be attending the famous carnival: all that’s needed is the perfect bejewelled costume for her faithful bulldog, Gladstone. But on her first gondola ride to take in the sights, a passenger collapses into the canal with a knife sticking out of his back. Eleanor saw an argument break out between the gondolier and the victim, Councillor Benetto Vendelini, and it turns out they're rivals from the city's two great families. Vendelini’s murder is sure to reignite their centuries-long feud. While attending a glitzy ball that night, Eleanor learns of a plot to steal a precious family heirloom from the Vendelini household. Is the stolen item the key to solving this baffling murder? In this floating city of tiny winding alleyways, Eleanor traces the missing heirloom to an antiques dealer in a far-flung corner of town. But when her handbag is snatched by a cloaked thief, she realises the murderer is dangerously close. Can Eleanor unmask this most cunning of killers, before she joins the other victim at the bottom of the Grand Canal? A Death in Venice is by Verity Bright.






Tuesday 27 February 2024

Murder by the Book: A Celebration of 20th Century British Crime Fiction


 Murder by the Book: A Celebration of 20th Century 
British Crime Fiction


23 March – 24 August 2024

Monday – Friday 9am – 6:30pm

Saturday 9am – 4:30pm

Closed Sundays, and 29 March to 1 April 2024 inclusive 

Booking is essential. Entry is FREE.

Crime fiction is the UK's most read, bought and borrowed genre. Cambridge University Library draws on its world-leading collections of British crime fiction to stage a murderously good exhibition! 

Bringing together literature, culture and heritage, Murder by the Book: A Celebration of 20th Century British Crime Fiction illuminates and celebrates the stories of the UK’s most popular fiction writing. Curated by award-winning crime novelist Nicola Upson, the Library's exhibition challenges traditional distinctions between literary fiction and genre fiction. Murder by the Book examines crime’s place in our literary history and the Library’s own Special Collections. 

The exhibition showcases rare books and audio-visual recordings looking at the genre from its origins in the works of Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens to contemporary best-sellers Val McDermid and Ian Rankin. 

With first editions of The Moonstone and Bleak House, as well as Sherlock Holmes' debut appearance, the exhibition also looks at the Library’s remarkable collections and stylish dust jackets that represent more than a century of British book design. 

Tickets can be booked here.

Curated by crime novelist Nicola Upson.