CRIMEFEST Announce 2022 Award Nominees

 

CRIMEFEST, one of Europe’s leading crime writing conventions, has announced the shortlists for its annual awards.

Now in its 15th year, the awards honour the best crime books released in 2021 in the UK.

The awards include the Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award, the winner of which receives a £1,000 prize.

A further £1,000 prize fund is also awarded to the Audible Sounds of Crime Award, sponsored by Audible.

All category winners will receive a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.

Up for the hotly-contended Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award is Saima Mir for The Khan, which was a Times and Sunday Times Crime Novel of the Year in 2021. Featuring lawyer Jia Khan, the novel has been praised as a dark, gripping thriller with an unforgettable heroine, and dubbed a “once-in-a-generation crime thriller”.

Mir faces strong competition from five other shortlisted authors, including Abigail Dean for Girl A, which became a Sunday Times global bestseller. Dean was claimed as “the biggest literary fiction voice of 2021”. The book is soon to be a TV show, directed by Chernobyl’s Johan Renck.

The winner of the Audible Sounds of Crime Award will be voted for by Audible UK listeners. This year, Richard Osman returns to the shortlist with The Man Who Died Twice read by Lesley Manville, after winning in 2021 for his phenomenal debut smash-hit, The Thursday Murder Club. Osman is up against big-hitters including Lee and Andrew Child, Paula Hawkins and Liane Moriarty.

Abigail Dean’s Girl A also features on the Audible Sounds of Crime shortlist. Dean is the only author up for three CrimeFest awards. Girl A is also in contention for the eDunnit Award for the best e-book, alongside bestselling authors Michael Connelly and Megan Abbot, as well as Gianrico Carofiglio for The Measure of Time, which was shortlisted for Italy’s most prestigious literary award, the STREGA prize.

Shortlisted for the H.R.F Keating Award for best biographical or critical book on crime fiction are books that focus on icons of the genre, including Ian Fleming’s nephew - James Fleming – for Bond Behind the Iron Curtain, and Patricia Highsmith: Her Diaries and Notebooks, which was published for the centenary of her birth in 2021. Richard Bradford’s acclaimed Devils, Lusts and Strange Desires: The Life of Patricia Highsmith also makes the list.

The Last Laugh Award sees Mick Herron’s Slough House on the shortlist. The Jackson Lamb series of dysfunctional British intelligence agents is due to be screened by Apple TV this April, starring Oscar-winner Gary Oldman. He’s up against stalwarts of the genre, including Simon Brett for An Untidy Death and Christopher Fowler with London Bridge is Falling Down.

Best Crime Novel for Children, aged 8-12, features giant of the genre Anthony Horowitz for Nightshade, from his popular Alex Rider series. The nominees also include the multi-award-winning Frank Cottrell-Boyce with Noah’s Gold, Alexandra Page’s charming Wishyouwas and M.G. Leonard’s birdwatching detective, Twitch.

Best Crime Novel for Young Adults, aged 12-16, features C.L. Taylor’s The Island, dubbed Lost meets The Hunger Games. Faridah Àbíké Íyímídé’s Ace of Spades also makes the list. An instant New York Times bestseller, Ace of Spades is described as Gossip Girl meets Get Out, and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal 2022.

Adrian Muller, Co-host of CRIMEFEST, said: “After two years of hosting our awards online due to Covid restrictions, we’re thrilled we will be announcing and celebrating the winners of 2022’s CrimeFest Awards in person at our convention in Bristol in May. These shortlists show how valuable books have been to all ages, particularly in times of isolation, as sources of escapism, entertainment and enrichment. We’d like to thank Audible and Specsavers for their on-going support of these awards.”

CRIMEFEST has had to postpone its 2020 and 2021 conventions, due to Covid restrictions. Hosted in Bristol, it is one of the biggest crime fiction events in Europe, and one of the most popular dates in the international crime fiction calendar, with circa 60 panel events and 150 authors over four days.

Leading British crime fiction reviewers and reviewers of fiction for children and young adults, alongside the members of the School Library Association (SLA) form the CRIMEFEST judging panels, aside from Audible Sounds in which Audible listeners establish the shortlist and the winning title.

Co-host of CRIMEFEST, Donna Moore, added: “We are proud to be one of the few genre awards that recognise e-books and audiobooks, humour, children and Young Adult crime fiction novels. We aim to be the most inclusive of awards to reflect the values of our convention, and the incredible diversity and reach of the genre which dominates the cultural landscape.”

CRIMEFEST was created following the hugely successful one-off visit to Bristol in 2006 of the American Left Coast Crime convention. It was established in 2008. It follows the egalitarian format of most US conventions, making it open to all commercially published authors and readers alike.

The 2022 Shortlists in full

SPECSAVERS DEBUT CRIME NOVEL AWARD

In association with headline sponsor, the Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award is for crime novels by previously unpublished authors bring vital fresh blood to the genre.

Girl A by Abigail Dean (HarperCollins)

The Appeal by Janice Hallett, (Viper)

The Khan by Saima Mir,(Point Blank)

How to Kidnap the Rich by Rahul Raina, (Abacus/ Little, Brown Book Group)

One Night, New York by Lara Thompson, (Virago/Little, Brown Book Group)

Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden, (Simon & Schuster)

AUDIBLE SOUNDS OF CRIME AWARD

The Audible Sounds of Crime Award is for the best unabridged crime audiobook available for download from audible.co.uk, Britain’s largest provider of downloadable audiobooks.

Better Off Dead by Lee and Andrew Child - read by Jeff Harding (Penguin Random House Audio)

Girl A by Abigail Dean - read by Holliday Grainger (HarperFiction)

Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins - read by Rosamund Pike (Penguin Random House Audio)

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell - read by Joanna Froggatt (Penguin Random House Audio)

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty -read by Caroline Lee (Penguin Random House Audio)

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman - read by Lesley Manville (Penguin Random House Audio)

The Marriage by K.L Slater - read by Lucy Price-Lewis (Audible Studios / Bookouture)

False Witness by Karin Slaughter - read by Kathleen Early (HarperCollins)

eDUNNIT AWARD

The eDunnit Award is for the best crime fiction eBook

The Turnout by Megan Abbott (Virago/ Little, Brown Book Group)

The Measure of Time by Gianrico Carofiglio (Bitter Lemon Press)

The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly (Orion Fiction)

Girl A by Abigail Dean (HarperCollins)

Running Out of Road by Cath Staincliffe (Constable/ Little, Brown Book Group)

The Royal Secret by Andrew Taylor (HarperCollins)

H.R.F. KEATING AWARD

The H.R.F. Keating Award is for the best biographical or critical book related to crime fiction. The award is named after H.R.F. ‘Harry’ Keating, one of Britain’s most esteemed crime novelists.

The Detective's Companion in Crime Fiction: A Study in Sidekicks by Lucy Andrews (Palgrave Macmillan)

Devils, Lusts and Strange Desires: The Life of Patricia Highsmith by Richard Bradford Bloomsbury, Caravel)

Bond Behind the Iron Curtain by James Fleming (The Book Collector)

Patricia Highsmith: Her Diaries and Notebooks by Patricia Highsmith (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)

Murder Isn't Easy: The Forensics of Agatha Christie by Carla Valentine (Sphere/ Little, Brown Book Group)

Hank Janson Under Cover by Stephen James Walker (Telos Publishing Ltd)

LAST LAUGH AWARD

The Last Laugh Award is for the best humorous crime novel.

An Untidy Death by Simon Brett (Severn House)

Riccardino by Andrea Camilleri (Mantle)

Bryant & May: London Bridge is Falling Down by Christopher Fowler (Doubleday)

The Appeal by Janet Hallet (Viper)

Slough House by Mick Herron (Baskerville, John Murray Press)

The Rabbit Factor by Antti Tuomainen, (Orenda Books)

BEST CRIME FICTION NOVEL FOR CHILDREN

This award is for the best crime fiction novel for children (aged 8-12)

Noah's Gold by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, (Macmillan Children's Books)

Vi Spy: Licence to Chill by Maz Evans (Chicken House)

Nightshade by Anthony Horowitz, (Walker Books)

The Five Clues by Anthony Kessel, (Crown House Publishing)

Lake Evolution by Jennifer Killick Crater, (Firefly Press)

Twitch by M.G. Leonard,(Walker Books)

Wishyouwas: The Tiny Guardian of Lost Letters by Alexandra Page illustrated by Penny Neville-Lee (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)

The Secret Detectives by Ella Risbridger (Nosy Crow)

BEST CRIME FICTION NOVEL FOR YOUNG ADULTS

This award is for the best crime fiction novel for young adults (aged 12-16).

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké Íyímídé, (Usborne Publishing)

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley (Rock the Boat)

The Girl Who … by Andreina Cordani (Atom/ Little, Brown Book Group)

The Outrage by William Hussey (Usborne Publishing)

As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson (Electric Monkey)

Splinters of Sunshine by Patrice Lawrence (Hodder Children's Books)

The Outlaws of Scarlett & Browne by Jonathan Stroud (Walker Books)

The Island by C. L Taylor (HQ)

Books to Look Forward to From Pan Macmillan

July 2021

The Killling Tide is by Lin Anderson. After a fierce storm hits Scotland, a mysterious cargo ship is swept ashore in the Orkney Isles. Boarding the vessel uncovers three bodies, recently deceased and in violent circumstances. Forensic scientist Dr Rhona MacLeod's study of the crime scene suggests that a sinister game was being played on board, but who were the hunters? And who the hunted? Meanwhile in Glasgow DS Michael McNab is called to a horrific incident where a young woman has been set on fire. Or did she spark the flames herself? As evidence arises that connects the two cases, the team grow increasingly concerned that the truth of what happened on the ship and in Glasgow hints at a wider conspiracy that stretches down to London and beyond to a global stage. Orcadian Ava Clouston, renowned investigative journalist, believes so and sets out to prove it, putting herself in grave danger. When the Met Police challenge Police Scotland's jurisdiction, it becomes obvious that there are ruthless individuals who are willing to do whatever it takes to protect government interests. Which could lead to even more deaths on Scottish soil . . .

A daring escape from a Cairo prison. An assassin who kills with a single touch. A vicious drug war on the streets of America. Suspecting these events are related, ex-MI6 officer Scott Pearce uncovers a chilling plot to unleash a terrifying new toxin on an unsuspecting world. When Pearce's team deploy to fight the menace on two fronts an undercover operation goes horribly wrong, leaving Pearce in a race against time to stop this deadly new threat. Pearce has burned the espionage rulebook, but now he is about to find out he's not the only one who can light a fire, and his enemies are determined to see the world burn . . . Red Wolves is by Adam Hamdy.

August 2021

Brian Murphy and his family are enjoying a relaxing summer vacation when his wife, Emma, comes down with mild flu-like symptoms. Their leisurely return home to New York City quickly turns into a race to the ER when her condition dramatically deteriorates. At the hospital, she is diagnosed with Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a rare and highly lethal mosquito-borne viral disease caught during one of their evening cookouts. Worse still, Brian and Emma's young daughter exhibits alarming signs of the same illness. An already harrowing hospital stay turns even more fraught when Brian receives a staggering hospital bill that his insurer refuses to pay out on, citing dubious clauses in his policy. Forced to choose between the health of his family and bills he can't afford, and furious at both an indifferent healthcare system and the lack of public awareness about a virus that poses a growing threat, Brian vows to seek justice.As he uncovers the dark side of a historically ruthless industry that preys on the sick and defenceless, it becomes clear he must take his revenge against those responsible by whatever means necessary Viral is by Robin Cook.

The Guilt Trip is by Sandie Jones. They went away as friends. They came back as suspects . . .Jack and Rachel. Noah and Paige. Will and Ali. Five friends who've known each other for years. And Ali, Will's new fiancee. To celebrate the forthcoming wedding, all three couples are having a weekend get-away together in Portugal. It's a chance to relax and get to know Ali a little better perhaps. A newcomer to their group, she seems perfectly nice and Will seems happy after years of bad choices. But Ali is hiding more than one secret . . . By the end of the weekend there'll be one dead body and five people with guilty consciences wondering if they really know each other so well after all. Because one of them has to be the killer . . .

September 2021

The Heron's Cry is by Ann Cleeves. North Devon is enjoying a rare hot summer with tourists flocking to its coastline. Detective Matthew Venn is called out to a rural crime scene at the home of a group of artists. What he finds is an elaborately staged murder - Dr Nigel Yeo has been fatally stabbed. His daughter Eve is a glassblower, and the murder weapon is a shard of one of her broken vases. Dr Yeo seems an unlikely murder victim. He's a good man, a public servant, beloved by his daughter. Matthew is unnerved though to find that she is a close friend of Jonathan, his husband. Then another body is found - killed in a similar way. Matthew finds himself treading carefully through the lies that fester at the heart of his community and a case that is dangerously close to home …

The Vacation is by John Marrs. How far would you run to escape your past? Venice Beach, Los Angeles. A paradise on earth. Tourists flock to the golden coast and the promise of Hollywood. But for eight strangers at a beach front hostel, there is far more on their mind than an extended vacation. All of them are running from something. And they all have secrets they'd kill to keep...

October 2021

State of Terror follows a novice Secretary of State who has joined the administration of her rival, a president inaugurated after four years of American leadership that shrank from the world stage. A series of terrorist attacks throws the global order into disarray, and the secretary is tasked with assembling a team to unravel the deadly conspiracy, a scheme carefully designed to take advantage of an American government dangerously out of touch and out of power in the places where it counts the most. This high-stakes thriller of international intrigue features behind-the-scenes global drama informed by details only an insider could know. State of Terror is by Hilary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny.

'Contrary to what you think, I'm carrying out this investigation as best I can. But let's do this: if I get stuck, if I find I can't go forward or back, then I'll let you know, and you can step in. And offer me a way out. You've gained a bit of detective work through me, haven't you? What do you say?' I'm game,' said the Author . . . When Inspector Montalbano receives an early-morning phone call it proves to be the start of a very trying day. For the caller expects Montalbano to arrive imminently at a rendezvous with some friends. But before he can reply the caller announces himself as someone called Riccardino and hangs up. Later that day news comes in of a brutal slaying in broad daylight by an unknown assassin who makes his getaway on a motorbike. And when the Inspector learns of the victim's identity - a man called Riccardino - his troubles are only just beginning. For soon he must contend with the involvement of a local bishop and a fortune teller who reports some strange goings-on in her neighbourhood. All roads soon lead to a local salt mine but the case proves stubbornly intractable until Montalbano receives another unexpected call . . . Riccardino is by Andrea Camilleri.

The Lonely Ones is by Håkan Nesser. A trip behind the Iron Curtain would change their lives forever . . . It begins in 1969. Six young people arrive in Uppsala. Different circumstances push the three young couples together and, over the course of a few years, they become friends. But a summer trip through Eastern Europe changes everything, and when their time at Uppsala University is over it also signals the end of something else. Years later, a lecturer at Lund University is found dead at the bottom of a cliff in the woods close to Kymlinge. And chillingly, it is the very same spot where one of the Uppsala students died thirty-five years before. Detective Inspector Gunnar Barbarotti takes on this ominous case of history repeating itself, and is forced to confront an increasingly grave reality.

November 2021

Sunset Swing is by Ray Celestin. Los Angeles. Christmas, 1967. A young nurse, Kerry Gaudet, travels to the City of Angels desperate to find her missing brother, fearing that something terrible has happened to him: a serial killer is terrorising the city, picking victims at random, and Kerry has precious few leads. Ida Young, recently retired Private Investigator, is dragged into helping the police when a young woman is discovered murdered in her motel room. Ida has never met the victim but her name has been found at the crime scene and the LAPD wants to know why . . . Meanwhile mob fixer Dante Sanfelipe has put his life savings into purchasing a winery in Napa Valley but first he must do one final favour for the Mob before leaving town: find a bail jumper before the bond money falls due, and time is fast running out. Ida's friend, Louis Armstrong, flies into the city just as her investigations uncover mysterious clues to the killer's identity. And Dante must tread a dangerous path to pay his dues, a path which will throw him headlong into a terrifying government conspiracy and a secret that the conspirators will do anything to protect . . .

The Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Thief is by Maurice Leblanc. The inspiration for the hit Netflix show, LUPIN, Arsène Lupin is charming, clever and bold. A master of disguise, he steals from the rich, he always outsmarts the police and he’s generous to those in need. And above all, he never takes himself too seriously. This gallic Robin Hood has charmed readers for generations and the stories about his dazzling escapades have been adapted countless times for television, stage and film. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition of The Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Thief uses the classic English translation by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos with an introduction by Emma Bielecki. In the opening stories, Lupin is arrested, only to engineer his own incredible escape. What follows are wonderfully entertaining and action packed stories that finish with a brief encounter with none other than Sherlock Holmes. These stories were first published together in 1907. 

Also published in November is Never by Ken Follett and Mercy by David Baldacci

Books to Look Forward to from Pan MacMillian

August 2020

Mary McIntyre's disappearance tore the local community apart, inflicting wounds that still prove raw for those who knew her.  So when the present-day discovery of a child's remains are found in a peat bog south of Glasgow, it seems the decades-old mystery may finally be solved.  Called in to excavate the body, forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod uses the advances made in forensic science since Mary's vanishing to determine what really happened all those years ago . . . and who was responsible. One key person had been Karen Marshall who was devastated by her best friend's abduction. Questioned by the police at the time had led to a dead end and the case soon went cold.  Now the news of the discovered body brings the nightmares back. But added to that, memories long-buried by Karen are returning, memories that begin to reveal her role in her friend's disappearance and perhaps even the identity of the killer . . . The Innocent Dead is by Lin Anderson.

When I was Ten is by Fiona Cummins.  Twenty-one years ago, Dr Richard Carter and his wife Pamela were murdered in what has become the most infamous double murder of the modern age.  Ten-year-old Sara Carter - nicknamed the Angel of Death - spent eight years in a children's secure unit and is living quietly under an assumed name with a family of her own.  Now, on the anniversary of the trial, a documentary team has tracked down her older sister Shannon Carter, compelling her to break two decades of silence.  Her explosive interview sparks national headlines and journalist Brinley Booth, a childhood friend of the Carter sisters, is tasked with covering the news story.  For the first time, the three women are forced to confront what really happened on that blood-soaked night - with devastating consequences for them all.

Witness is by Mandasue Heller.  Holly Evans and her over-protective mother, Josie, are living a hand-to-mouth existence, moving constantly from one squalid dump to the next. When they move into an illegally sub-let council flat in Manchester's rough Lansdowne Estate, Holly finally feels settled for the first time in her life - even if she is forbidden to go out, or even open the front door to callers when her mum's at work due to fear of eviction. Increasingly cut off from friends at school, she soon feels isolated and alone in the world.  But Holly is about to make a new friend in Suzie - the glamorous woman who lives directly across the road who Holly witnesses being beaten up by her violent boyfriend. When it happens a second time, it's Holly that Suzie turns to for help. A bond is quickly formed between the pair, but there are things about Suzie that don't quite add up and Holly begins to suspect that there is more to this woman than meets the eye. Then Holly makes a shocking discovery about her past, which turns her entire world upside down, and she no longer knows who she can trust . . .

September 2020

The Darkest Evening is by Ann Cleeves.  Driving home during a swirling blizzard, Vera Stanhope's only thought is to get there quickly.  But the snow is so heavy; she becomes disoriented and loses her way. Ploughing on, she sees a car slewed off the road ahead of her. With the driver's door open, Vera assumes the driver has sought shelter but when she inspects the car she is shocked to find a young toddler strapped in the back seat.  Afraid they will freeze, Vera takes the child and drives on, arriving at Brockburn, a run-down stately home she immediately recognizes as the house her father Hector grew up in.  Inside Brockburn a party is in full swing, with music and laughter to herald the coming Christmas. But outside in the snow, a young woman lies dead and Vera knows immediately she has a new case. Could this woman be the child's mother, and if so, what happened to her?

Savage Kiss is by Roberto Saviano.  Nicolas Fiorilla and his gang of children - his paranza - control the squares of Forcella after their rapid rise to power. But it isn't easy being at the top.  Now that the Piranhas have power in the city, Nicolas must undermine the old families of the Camorra and remain united among themselves. Every paranzino has his own vendettas and dreams to pursue-dreams that might go beyond the laws of the gang. A new war may be about to break out in this city of cutthroat bargaining, ruthless betrayal, and brutal revenge. 

October 2020

Hidden in Plain Sight is by Jeffery Archer.  William Warwick has been promoted to Detective Sergeant, but his promotion means that he, along with the rest of his team, have been reassigned to the Drugs Squad. They are immediately tasked with apprehending Ahmed Rashedi, a notorious drug dealer, who operates his extensive network out of South London.  As the investigation progresses, William runs into enemies old and new: Adrian Heath, from his school days, now a street dealer who he convinces to turn informer; and financier Miles Faulkner, who makes a mistake that could finally see him put behind bars. Meanwhile, William and his fiancée Beth enjoy making preparations for their upcoming wedding, though an unpleasant surprise awaits them at the altar.  As William's team closes the net around a criminal network like none they have ever faced before, he devises a trap they would never expect, one that is hidden in plain sight . . .

To the outside world, suave, charming and confident doctor Marcus Valentine has it all.  A loving wife, three kids, a great job.  But there is something missing, there always has been… or, rather someone…  Driving to work one morning, his mind elsewhere and it on the road, he almost mows down a female jogger on a crossing.  AS she runs on, Marcus is transfixed.  Infatuated.  She is the splitting image of a girl he was crazy about in his teens.  A girl he has never been able to get out of his head.  Lynette had dumped him harshly. For years he has fantasised about seeing her again and rekindling their flame.  Might that jogger be her after all this time?  Could this be the most incredible coincidence?  Despite all his attempts to resist, his thoughts are consumed by this woman.  And when events take a tragically unexpected turn his obsession threatens to destroy both their worlds.  But still he won’t stop.  Can’t stop.   I Follow You is by Peter James. 

Mimi Augello is visiting his lover when the woman’s husband unexpectedly returns to the apartment; he climbs out the window and into the downstairs apartment, but one danger leads to another. In the dark he sees a body lying on the bed. Shortly after, another body is found, and the victim is Carmelo Catalanotti, a director of bourgeois dramas with a harsh reputation for the acting method he developed for his actors.   Are the two deaths connected? Catalanotti scrupulously kept notes and comments on all the actors he worked with, as well as strange notebooks full of figures and dates and names. Inspector Montalbano finds all of Catalanotti’s dossiers and plays, the notes on the characters, and the notes on his last drama, Dangerous Turn–the theater is where he’ll find the answer.  The Sicilian Method is by Andrea Camilleri.

The Secret Life of Mr Roos is by Hakan Nesser.  At fifty-nine years old Valdemar Roos is tired of life.  Working a job that he hates, married to a wife he barely talks to. He doesn’t have a lot to look forward to.  Then, one day, a winning lottery ticket gives him an opportunity to start afresh.  Without telling a soul he quits his job and buys a hut in a remote Swedish countryside.  Everyday he travels to this man made oasis, returning each evening to his unsuspecting wife.  Life couldn’t be better, until a young woman arrives…. Anna Gambowska is a twenty-two year old recovering drug addict.  On the run from the rehab centre she hated and an abusive relationship, Anna’s prayers are answered when she comes across a seemingly vacant hut in the Swedish woodland.  But it’s not long before Anna’s ex discovers her location, and an incident occurs that mars the life of Anna and Valdemar forever.  Inspector Barbarotti doesn’t take much interest when a woman reports her husband missing.  That is until a dead body is found near the missing man’s newly bought hut, and Mr Roos becomes the number one suspect.  

November 2020

Defend or Die is by Tom Marcus.  When no one knows you exist, you don’t have to play by the rules… Meet former MI5 officer Matt Logan. Now part of a totally deniable Government organisation known as “Blindeye”, with full licence to do whatever it takes to neutralise threats to the UK’s National Security.  When intelligence comes through that the Kremlin plans to launch a terror attack in London, Logan and the team set in motion surveillance on a billionaire Russian oligarch who may be connected with the oncoming threat.  As they dig into the man’s life, they soon discover a network of incredibly dangerous individuals whose plans could tear the nation apart.  Battling personal demons of his own, Logan must defend his country from a terrifying enemy or die trying …

Also published in November currently untitled Agent Atlee Pine novel by David Baldacci

Books to Look Forward to from PanMacmillan

January 2020

Dora O'Brien had a good start in life, but things went bad when she began to mix with the wrong company. Pregnant by her gangster lover, she found herself on the streets and then in the grips of a bent copper called Donny Maguire.  When her daughter Angel is born, Dora is already under the influence of drink and drugs, and handed around to Donny's mates. Growing up in the shadow of her mother's abusive relationship, Angel is nothing like her mother, but when matters turn murderous, Angel is forced to grow up fast and survival becomes the name of the game.  For some, being on the wrong side of the law is the safest place to be . . . No one uncovers the underworld like Jessie Keane.  The Knock is by Jessie Keane.

An exiled agent. A growing threat. A clandestine war.  The world is changing beyond recognition.  Radical extremists are rising and seek to enforce their ideology globally.  Governments, the military and intelligence agencies are being outmanoeuvred at every step. Borders are breaking down. Those in power are puppets.  The old rules are obsolete. To fight this war a new doctrine is needed.  In a world where nothing is at it seems, where trust is gone, one man will make the difference.  Meet Ex-MI6 agent and man in exile, Scott Pearce.  It's time to burn the espionage rulebook.  Watch Pearce light the fire.  Black 13 is by Adam Hamdy.

February 2020

A Window Breaks is by C M Ewan.  If your family was targeted in the middle of the night, what would you do?  You are asleep. A noise wakes you.  You stir, unsure why, and turn to your partner.  Then you hear it.  Glass. Crunching underfoot.  Your worst fears are about to be realized.  Someone is inside your home.  Your choices are limited.  You can run. Or stay and fight.   What would you do?  If your family was targeted in the middle of the night, what would you do?  You are asleep. A noise wakes you.  You stir, unsure why, and turn to your partner.  Then you hear it.  Glass. Crunching underfoot.  Your worst fears are about to be realized.  Someone is inside your home.  Your choices are limited.  You can run. Or stay and fight. What would you do?

Babes in the Wood is by Graham Bartlett with Peter James takes us to the heart of a murder case that shocked the nation. Both gripping police procedural and an insight into the motivations of a truly evil man, it is a unique account of what became a thirty-two year fight for justice. nnOn 9 October 1986, nine-year-olds Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway went out to play on their Brighton estate. They would never return home; their bodies discovered the next day concealed in a small clearing in a local park. This devastating crime rocked their close-knit community and the whole country.  Following the investigation moment by moment, drawing on exclusive interviews with officers charged with catching the killer, former senior detective Graham Bartlett and bestselling author Peter James tell the compelling inside story of the murder hunt and the arrest of local man Russell Bishop. The trial that followed was one of the most infamous in the history of Brighton policing - a shock result sees Bishop walk free. 'Not guilty.'   Three years later, Graham is working as a junior detective in Brighton CID. A seven year old girl is kidnapped and found wandering naked on the freezing South Downs. When Bishop's name comes up as a suspect, it's clear history had come close to repeating itself. With the law and science against them, the police are frustrated that, still, he would escape justice for the double murder.   Decades later detectives are handed a surprise second chance. Can Bishop finally be made to answer for his horrendous crimes?

The crazy girls, they called them - or at least, Elizabeth liked to think they did. As a teenager in the late 1970s, she was clever, overweight and a perfect victim for the bullies. Then Rachel and her family arrived in town and, for Elizabeth, it was as if a light had been switched on. She was drawn to the bright and beautiful Rachel like a moth to a flame.  Rachel had her own reasons for wanting Elizabeth as a friend, and although their relationship was far from equal, Elizabeth would do anything for Rachel.Then the first body was discovered.  Twenty years on, Elizabeth wants nothing more than to keep the secrets of her teenage years where they belong: in the past. But another body has been found, and she can't keep running from what happened.  Can she?  Our Dark Secret is by Jenny Quintana

March 2020

You are not Alone is by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.  Shay Miller has three strikes against her: no job, no apartment, no love in her life. But when she witnesses a perfectly normal looking young woman about her age make the chilling decision to leap in front of an on going subway train, Shay realizes she could end up in the same spiral. She is intrigued by a group of women who seem to have it all together, and they invite her with the promise: "You are not alone." Why not align herself with the glamorous and seductive Moore sisters, Cassandra and Jane? They seem to have beaten back their demons, and made a life on their own terms - a life most people can only ever envy. They are everything Shay aspires to be, and they seem to have the keys to getting exactly what they want.  As Shay is pulled deeper and deeper under the spell of the Moore sisters, she finds her life getting better and better. But what price does she have to pay? What do Cassandra and Jane want from her? And what secrets do they, and Shay, have that will come to a deadly confrontation?  You are not alone: Is it a promise? Or a threat?

April 2020

Vigata is bustling as the new filming location for a Swedish television series set in 1950. In the production frenzy, the director asks the locals to track down movies and vintage photos to faithfully recreate the air of Vigata at that time. Meanwhile, Montalbano is grappling with a double mystery, one that emerges from the past and another that leads him into the future . . .  Engineer Ernesto Sabatello, rummaging in the attic of his house, finds some films shot by his father between 1958 and 1963, always on the same day, 27 March, and always the same shot: the outside wall of a country house. Montalbano hears the story and, intrigued, begins to investigate its meaning. Meanwhile, a middle school is threatened by a group of armed men, and a closer look at the case finds Montalbano looking into the students themselves and delving into the world of social media.  The Safety Net is by Andrea Camilleri.

Could the courts really order the death of your innocent baby? Was there an illegal immigrant who couldn't be deported because he had a pet cat? Are unelected judges truly enemies of the people?   Most of us think the law is only relevant to criminals, if we even think of it at all. But the law touches every area of our lives: from intimate family matters to the biggest issues in our society.  Our unfamiliarity is dangerous because it makes us vulnerable to media spin, political lies and the kind of misinformation that frequently comes from loud-mouthed amateurs and those with vested interests. This 'fake law' allows the powerful and the ignorant to corrupt justice without our knowledge - worse, we risk letting them make us complicit.  Thankfully, the Secret Barrister is back to reveal the stupidity, malice and incompetence behind many of the biggest legal stories of recent years. In Fake Law, the Secret Barrister debunks the lies and builds an hilarious, alarming and eye-opening defence against the abuse of our law, our rights and our democracy.

May 2020

A Brighton gangster is on trial for conspiracy to murder, following the death of a rival crime family boss. As the jury file into Lewes Crown Court, twelve anonymous people selected randomly from fifty, there is one person sitting in the public gallery observing them with keen interest, and secretly filming them. Later, a group of the accused's henchmen sit around a table with the full personal details of each of the twelve jurors in front of them. They need to influence two of them - a jury can convict if directed on a 10-2 majority verdict but no less. But which two?   When Roy Grace is called in to investigate a murder that has links to the accused and the trial, and the suspicion that an attempt has been made to intimidate jurors, he finds the reach and power of the accused's tentacles go higher than he had ever imagined.  Find Them Dead is by Peter James.

She had lived a lie for thirteen years, and the perfect life as she had known it was about to change forever.  Everyone remembered Sara and Shannon Carter, the little blonde haired sisters. Their Dad was the local GP and they lived in the beautiful house on the hill. Their best friend, Brinley Booth, lived next door. They would do anything for each other but everything shifted on that fateful day when Dr Richard Carter and his wife Pamela were stabbed fourteen times with a pair of scissors in what has become the most talked about double murder of the modern age.  The girls were aged ten and twelve at the time. One, nicknamed the Angel of Death, spent eight years in a children's secure unit accused of the brutal killings. The other lived in foster care out of the limelight and prying questions. Now, on the anniversary of the trial, a documentary team has tracked down one of the sisters, persuading her to speak about the events of that night for the first time.  Her explosive interview sparks national headlines and Brinley Booth, now a journalist, is tasked with covering the news story which brings to light fresh evidence and triggers a chain of events which will have devastating consequences.  When I was Ten is by Fiona Cummins.

Arriving at her new exclusive school at sixteen, all Alia wants to be is accepted.  Sent to live in India with her grandparents by her nomadic parents, she knows that happiness will come if she can befriend the two most popular girls in her year, Sabah and Noor.  Before she knows it Sabah and Noor’s intoxicating world of excitement and privilege is open to her, and for the first time Alia feels she where she belongs. But with the excitement comes jealousy, and privilege resentment, and Alia finds that it only takes one night for her bright new world to shatter around her.  Now fifteen years later, Alia is a young minister in the Indian Government, trying to broker alliances with her party’s enemies and keeps her secrets in the past.  But that fateful night is always there and now someone is determined to reveal the truth about her role in what happened that night.  All the can see is how far Alia has come and how much she has to lose.  And some secrets are too important to stay.  Can You See Me Now is by Trisha Sakhlecha.

For Ruth, a new mother recovering from postpartum psychosis, every day is difficult and, after months spent hearing voices in the walls and trusting no one, she's no longer confident in her own judgement. Neither, it seems, is anyone else.   So, when she hears a scream from the local petrol station one night, she initially decides it must be her mind playing tricks again. The police, too, are polite but firm: she must stop calling them every time she thinks she hears something. And her husband is frustrated: he'd hoped Ruth was getting better at last.   Ruth can't quite let it go . . . What if there was a scream? What if it was someone in trouble? Someone who needs Ruth's help?  The Hidden Girls is by Rebecca Whitney.

The Last Trial recounts the final case of Kindle County's most revered courtroom advocate, Sandy Stern.  Already eighty-five years old, and in precarious health, Stern has been persuaded to defend an old friend, Pavel Pafko. A former Nobel Prize-winner in Medicine, Pafko, shockingly, has been charged in a federal racketeering indictment with fraud, insider trading and murder.   As the trial progresses, Stern will question everything he thought he knew about his friend. Despite Pafko's many failings, is he innocent of the terrible charges laid against him? How far will Stern go to save his friend, and--no matter the trial's outcome--will he ever know the truth? Stern's duty to defend his client and his belief in the power of the judicial system both face a final, terrible test in the courtroom, where the evidence and reality are sometimes worlds apart.  Full of the deep insights into the spaces where the fragility of human nature and the justice system collide, Scott Turow's The Last Trial is a masterful legal thriller that unfolds in page-turning suspense--and questions how we measure a life.

June 2020

From the brothels and gin-shops of Covent Garden to the elegant townhouses of Mayfair, Laura Shepherd-Robinson's Daughters of Night follows Caroline Corsham, as she seeks justice for a murdered woman whom London society would rather forget . . .  Lucia's fingers found her own. She gazed at Caro as if from a distance. Her lips parted, her words a whisper: 'He knows.'  London, 1782. Desperate for her politician husband to return home from France, Caroline 'Caro' Corsham is already in a state of anxiety when she finds a well-dressed woman mortally wounded in the bowers of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. The Bow Street constables are swift to act, until they discover that the deceased woman was a highly-paid prostitute, at which point they cease to care entirely. But Caro has motives of her own for wanting to see justice done, and so sets out to solve the crime herself. Enlisting the help of thieftaker, Peregrine Child, their inquiry delves into the hidden corners of Georgian society, a world of artifice, deception and secret lives. But with many gentlemen refusing to speak about their dealings with the dead woman, and Caro's own reputation under threat, finding the killer will be harder, and more treacherous than she can know . . .

CWA Announce Longlists for Prestigious Crime Writing Daggers

The Crime Writers’ Association announced the much anticipated longlists for the annual CWA Dagger awards for the best of the year’s crime writing at a reception during international convention CrimeFest in Bristol on the evening of Friday 10 May. 

Several prominent crime writers appear on the lists, including Belinda Bauer, John Harvey, Donna Leon, Derek B Miller, Abir Mukherjee, Ray Celestin,  Andrew Taylor  and Martin Edwards (the former CWA Chair and President of the Detection Club twice; with Gallows Court for the Sapere Historical Dagger, as always a very strong long list, and for a Short Story). Newcomers such as M W Craven, Laura Shepherd-Robinson and Claire Askew – up for both the Gold and the John Creasey with All The Hidden Truths– promise much.

The Ian Fleming Steel Dagger features a host of star names: Elly Griffiths, Luke Jennings and Steve Cavanagh for starters, while for the International Dagger, stalwarts Andrea Camilleri and Cay Rademacher sit among other authors from all over the world.

C J Sansom features on both the Sapere Historical Dagger long list and that for the CWA Dagger in the Library, nominated by librarians. That long list also features names such as Kate Ellis, Cath Staincliffe, John Connolly, Chris Brookmyre, Denise Mina, Sophie Hannah and M C Beaton, all very strong contenders.

The CWA Daggers, which are the probably the awards crime authors and publishers alike most wish to win, are awarded every year in 10 categories. The Diamond Dagger, for a career’s outstanding contribution to crime fiction as nominated by CWA members, was announced earlier in the year and has been awarded to the popular and best-selling British author Robert Goddard. 

Here are the CWA Dagger long lists for 2019.

CWA Gold Dagger Longlist

All the Hidden Truths by Claire Askew (Hodder & Stoughton)

Snap by Belinda Bauer (Transworld – Bantam Press)

The Mobster's Lament  by Ray Celestin (Pan Macmillan – Mantle)

The Puppet Show  by M W Craven (Little, Brown – Constable)

Body and Soul by John Harvey (Cornerstone – William Heinemann)

What We Did  by Christobel Kent (Little, Brown – Sphere)

Unto Us a Son Is Given by Donna Leon (William Heinemann)

Fade to Grey by John Lincoln (No Exit Press)

Cold Bones by David Mark (Hodder & Stoughton – Mulholland Books)

American By Day by Derek B. Miller (Transworld – Doubleday)

Smoke and Ashes by Abir Mukherjee  (Harvill Secker)

Salt Lane  by William Shaw (Riverrun)

Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson (Faber & Faber)

The Fire Court by Andrew Taylor (Harper Collins – Harper Fiction)

A Station on the Path to Somewhere Better by Benjamin Wood (Simon & Schuster UK – Scribner)

CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Long list 

Give Me Your Hand  by Megan Abbott (Pan Macmillan – Picador)

Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh (Orion – Orion Fiction)

Safe Houses by Dan Fesperman (Head of Zeus)

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths (Quercus Fiction)

No Tomorrow by Luke Jennings (John Murray)

Lives Laid Away by Stephen Mack Jones (Soho Press – Soho Crime)

The Wolf and the Watchman by Niklas Natt och Dag (John Murray)

Homegrown Hero by Khurrum Rahman (Harper Collins – HQ)

To The Lions by Holly Watt (Bloomsbury – Raven Books)

Memo From Turner by Tim Willocks (Jonathan Cape)

CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger Longlist

Motherland by G D Abson (Mirror Books)

All the Hidden Truths by Claire Askew (Hodder & Stoughton)

The Boy at the Door  by Alex Dahl (Head of Zeus)

When Darkness Calls  by Mark Griffin (Little, Brown – Piatkus)

Scrublands by Chris Hammer (Headline – Wildfire)

Turn A Blind Eye  by Vicky Newham (HQ)

Blood And Sugar  by Laura Shepherd-Robinson (Pan Macmillan – Mantle)

Something In The Water  by Catherine Steadman (Simon & Schuster)

The Chestnut Man  by Søren Sveistrup (Penguin Random House – Michael Joseph)

Overkill by Vanda Symon (Orenda)

CWA ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-fiction Longlist

All That Remains  by Sue Black (Transworld Doubleday)

An Unexplained Death  by Mikita Brottman (Canongate)

Trace by Rachael Brown (Scribe UK)

Murder by the Book by Claire Harman (Viking)

The Feather Thief by Kirk Johnson (Hutchinson)

Eve Was Shamed by Helena Kennedy (Chatto & Windus)

In Your Defence by Sarah Longford (Transworld - Doubleday)

The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre (Viking)

The Five by Hallie Rubenhold (Transworld – Doubleday)

My Life with Murderers by David Wilson (Little, Brown – Sphere)

CWA International Dagger Longlist

A Long Night in Paris, by Dov Alfon, translator Daniella Zamir – Maclehose Press

Weeping Waters by Karin Brynard, translators Maya Fowler & Isobel Dixon – Europa – World Noir

The Cold Summer by Gianrico Carofiglio,  translator Howard Curtis – Bitter Lemon Press

Newcomer by Keigo Higashino, translator Giles Murray – Little, Brown

The Root of Evil, by Håkan Nesser: translator Sarah Death – Pan Macmillan – Mantle

The Forger by Cay Rademacher, translator Peter Millar – Arcadia Books

The Overnight Kidnapper by Andrea Camilleri, translator Stephen Sartarelli – Pan Macmillan – Mantle

The Courier by Kjell Ola Dahl, translator Don Bartlett – Orenda Books

Slugger by Martin Holmén, translator A A Prime – Pushkin Vertigo

The Katherina Code by Jørn Lier Horst, translator Anne Bruce – Penguin – Michael Joseph

CWA Sapere Historical Dagger Longlist

Blood & Sugar by Laura Shepherd-Robinson (Pan Macmillan – Mantle)

Destroying Angel by S G Maclean (Quercus Fiction)

Gallows Court by Martin Edwards (Head of Zeus)                               

Smoke and Ashes by Abir Mukherjee (Harvill Secker)             

Tombland  by C J Sansom (Pan Macmillan – Mantle)

The Angel’s Mark by S W Perry (Corvus)

The House on Half Moon Street by Alex Reeve (Raven Books)

The Mathematical Bridge by Jim Kelly     (Allison & Busby)

The Mobster’s Lament by Ray Celestin (Mantle)Pan Macmillan 

The Quaker by Liam McIlvanney (Harper Fiction)

CWA Short Story Dagger

Room Number Two by Andrea Camilleri in ‘Death at Sea’ by Andrea Camilleri, published by Mantle

Strangers in a Pub by Martin Edwards in ‘Ten Year Stretch’, edited by Martin Edwards and Adrian Muller, published by No Exit Press

How Many Cats Have You Killed? by Mick Herron in ‘Ten Year Stretch’, edited by Martin Edwards and Adrian Muller, published by No Exit Press

Death Becomes Her by Syd Moore in ‘The Strange Casebook’ by Syd Moore, published by Point Blank Books

The Dummies’ Guide to Serial Killing by Danuta Reah in ‘The Dummies’ Guide to Serial Killing and other Fantastic Female Fables’, published by Fantastic Books

I Detest Mozart by Teresa Solana in ‘The First Historic Serial Killers’ by Teresa Solana, published by Bitter Lemon Press

Paradise Gained by Teresa Solana in ‘The First Historic Serial Killers’ by Teresa Solana, published by Bitter Lemon Press

Bag Man by Lavie Tidhar in ‘The Outcast Hours’, edited by Mahvesh Murad and Jared Shurin, published by Solaris

CWA Dagger in the Library Longlist

Selected by nominated librarians

 M C Beaton

Simon Beckett

Mark Billingham

Christopher Brookmyre

John Connolly

Kate Ellis

Sophie Hannah

Graham Masterton

Denise Mina

C J Sansom

Cath Staincliffe

Jacqueline Winspear

CWA Debut Dagger Longlist

For the opening of a crime novel from a writer without a traditional publishing contract.

Wake by Shelley Burr                                             

Self-Help for Serial Killers: Let Your Creativity Bloom by Mairi Campbell-Jack 

The Mourning Light by Jerry Crause                                           

The Fruits of Rashness by Michael Fleming                                                        

Down the Well by Carol Glaser                                                                

Hardways by Catherine Hendricks                                  

The Right Man by Anna Maloney                                     

The Firefly by David Smith                                                                                    

A Thin Sharp Blade by Fran Smith                                                                        

A Wolf’s Clothing by Matthew Smith   

Shortlists for the Daggers will be announced in the summer and the winners will be announced at the Dagger Awards dinner in London on 24 October, for which tickets will shortly be available. Visit www.thecwa.co.ukfor more information or email admin@thecwa.co.uk.

Margery Allingham Short Story Competition

The Margery Allingham short story competition is open to published and unpublished writers alike and has become one to look out for, highlighting excellent writers. The story itself must be unpublished.  

The winner was announced and the £500 prize awarded by one of the judges, Janet Laurence. The winner was Ray Bazowski with his story ‘A Perfect Murderer’ and the runner-up was Rosie de Vekey with ‘Decluttering’. The competition is a joint initiative between the Margery Allingham Society and the CWA.