Agatha Award Nominations

 

Malice Domestic have announced the nominations for the 2025 Agatha Awards.

Best Contemporary Novel

A Collection Of Lies by Connie Berry

A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian

A Very Woodsy Murder by Ellen Byron

Fondue Or Die by Korina Moss

The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves

​Best Historical Novel

Hall Of Mirrors by John Copenhaver

The Last Hope by Susan Elia Macneal

The Paris Mistress by Mally Becker

The Wharton Plot by Mariah Fredericks

To Slip The Bonds Of Earth by Amanda Flower

Best First Novel

A Deadly Endeavor by Jenny Adams

Ghosts Of Waikīkī by Jennifer K. Morita

Hounds Of The Hollywood Baskervilles by Elizabeth Crowens

Threads Of Deception by Elle Jauffret

You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen

Best Short Story

"A Matter Of Trust" By Barb Goffman, Three Strikes--You're Dead

"Reynisfjara" By Kristopher Zgorski, Mystery Most International

"Satan's Spit" By Gabriel Valjan, Tales Of Music, Murder And Mayhem: Bouchercon 2024

"Sins Of The Father" By Kerry Hammond, Mystery Most International

"The Postman Always Flirts Twice" By Barb Goffman, Agatha And Derringer Get Cozy

Best Non-Fiction

Abingdon's Boardinghouse Murder by Greg Lilly

Agatha Christie, Marple: Expert On Wickedness by Mark Aldridge

Some Of My Best Friends Are Murderers: Critiquing The Columbo Killers by Chris Chan

The Bookshop: A History Of The American Bookstore by Evan Friss

Writing The Cozy Mystery: Authors' Perspectives On Their Craft Edited by Phyllis M. Betz

Best Children’s/YA Mystery

First Week Free At The Roomy Toilet: A June Knight Mystery by Josh Pachter

Sasquatch of Harriman Lake by K.B. Jackson

Sid Johnson & The Well-Intended Conspiracy by Frances Schoonmaker

The Big Grey Man of Ben Nacdhui by K.B. Jackson

The Sherlock Society by James Ponti

Congratulations to all the nominated authors.

Capital Crime Announces Full Line up!

    

London’s Capital Crime Festival Announces Full Lineup With 50% Of Tickets Already Gone

London’s highly anticipated Capital Crime Festival is back this May 30th to June 1st, with an impressive 50% of weekend tickets already sold before the full schedule was announced this week. Industry giants are set to reveal all at this year's festival, giving guests the unprecedented opportunity to delve into the secrets behind their favourite mysteries, and even meet their crime fiction heroes face to face in this three day crime spectacular.

Included in the mega line up this year is Hugh Howey, the brilliant mind behind Apple TV’s Silo, Elly Griffiths, the creative force driving the Dr. Ruth Galloway series, Val McDermid, whose literary works served as the inspiration for Wire In The Blood, and Ann Cleeves, the genius behind beloved characters Vera and Jimmy Perez from Shetland. And that’s not all, fan favourite band, Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, will be playing their first show in London for several years.

Festival Director Lizzie Curle commented: “The uptake in tickets this year has been phenomenal. 50% of weekend tickets were sold out before the complete schedule was unveiled, underscoring the escalating demand for crime fiction. It's evident that people are seeking escapism in the current climate, and this heightened interest is substantiated by the data on Google Trends - searches for terms like 'murder mystery books' have surged by an impressive 350% in the last year!

Featuring over 100 renowned writers of crime and thriller, the festival will host over 30 different events, from exclusive launch parties, thought-provoking talks and panels, interactive quiz shows and book signings throughout three jam-packed days. Huge notable names confirmed include:

• Ian Rankin, creator of Inspector Rebus

• Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh

• Ann Cleeves, author of the Vera and Shetland series

• Rising star of US crime fiction Kellye Garrett

• Author and barrister Rob Rinder

• Alex Michaelides, author of the global bestseller The Silent Patient

• And bestselling author and screenwriter Anthony Horowitz

Also returning are the festival’s Fingerprint Awards, which this year saw authors including Erin Kelly and Adele Parks celebrated; and the social outreach initiative, which aims to demystify the industry for young Londoners considering a career in publishing.

Standard weekend and day tickets are on sale now whilst stocks last, along with individual event tickets at a limited capacity. Due to the increased demand for tickets this year those interested in attending are encouraged to book early to avoid disappointment.

2022 Ned Kelly Awards shortlist

 

The Australian Crime Writers Association (ACWA) have announced the shortlist for the 2022 Ned Kelly Awards.

The shortlisted titles in each category are:

Best Debut Crime Fiction

Sweet Jimmy by Bryan Brown, (Allen & Unwin)

Shadow Over Edmund Street by Suzanne Frankham, (Journey to Words Publishing)

Cutters End by Margaret Hickey, (Penguin)

Banjawarn by Josh Kemp, (UWA Publishing)

Best True Crime

The Mother Wound by Amani Haydar, (Macmillan)

Larrimah by Caroline Graham & Kylie Stevenson, (Allen & Unwin)

Banquet: The Untold Story of Adelaide’s Family Murders by Debi Marshall, (Vintage)

A Witness of Fact by Drew Rooke, (Scribe)

Best International Crime Fiction

Case Study by Graeme Macrae Burnet (Text)

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

The Maid by Nita Prose, (HarperCollins)

Cry Wolf by Hans Rosenfeldt, (HarperCollins)

Best Crime Fiction

The Enemy Within by Tim Ayliffe, (Simon & Schuster)

The Others by Mark Brandi, (Hachette)

You Had it Coming by B M Carroll, (Profile Books)

The Chase by Candice Fox, (Bantam)

Kill Your Brother by Jack Heath, (Allen & Unwin)

The Family Doctor by Debra Oswald, (Allen & Unwin)

The Deep by Kyle Perry, (Michael Joseph).

Established in 1995, the Ned Kelly Awards are Australia’s oldest, most prestigious awards honouring crime fiction and true crime writing. ACWA reported that in 2022 ‘it was particularly pleasing to see authors breaking away from some of the more common crime tropes, with a large variety of characters, settings and social diversity in this year’s entries’.

The association expects to announce the winners in approximately one month.

Bloody Scotland Reveals 10th Anniversary Programme

 

Stirling 15-18 September 2022

We are very exciting to announce our 10^th anniversary programme! Ten years on from the first Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival the run has extended to four days, the number of events has doubled and the authors are more diverse than ever.

2022 sees the return of several Bloody Scotland favourites that we haven’t seen since the pre-pandemic days of 2019. Our dramatic torchlit procession through Stirling historic old town led by the pipes and drums of the Royal Burgh of Stirling Pipe Band and Stirling and District Schools Pipe Band encourages locals who don’t normally attend literary events to get involved. Scotland tackle England in our crime writers’ football match at the new venue of King’s Park, a free fun event which is also aimed at breaking down barriers.

There will be a return of the ever-popular Crime at the Coo cabaret featuring an array of crime writers showing off their musical talents and the much-loved Quiz this year takes the form of Vaseem Khan and Abir Mukherjee’s ‘Red Hot Night of a Million Games’ in which they steal the best bits from the game shows of yesteryear and mash them up into something truly remarkable.

Val McDermid has described Bloody Scotland as a ‘dizzying weekend of pleasure’, Jake Kerridge talking on BBC Radio 4 praised Bloody Scotland for ‘thinking outside the box’ creating ‘a sort of fringe’ and William McIlvanney spoke fondly of it being ‘so friendly, so welcoming’. It is with great delight that we look forward to putting on that sort of inclusive, imaginative festival again to celebrate our 10^th Anniversary.

In addition to the headliners we are welcoming to Stirling such as Sir Ian Rankin, Anthony Horowitz, Lisa Unger, Jeffrey Archer, Ann Cleeves and Frankie Boyle, debuts are at the heart of what Bloody Scotland is all about. The very first festival featured a ‘Fresh Blood Panel’ and this year in addition to the ‘Bloody Scotland Debut Prize Panel’ we have ‘Alex Gray’s New Crimes Panel’ plus debut authors appearing in various events throughout the programme and twenty new authors appearing ‘In the Spotlight’ on stage ahead of the established names.

We continue our commitment to bring the festival to the wider world and those who can’t make it to Stirling can buy digital passes for individual events or the whole weekend. Val McDermid, David Baldacci, Sara Paretsky, Donna Leon and Irvine Welsh will all join us live for digital sessions. More information about which events will be available to watch on-line can be found at bloodyscotland.com/digital-pass.

Tickets can be bought here.

The programme can be found here.

Alan Bett, Head of Literature and Publishing at Creative Scotland said:

‘Much has changed in the decade since Bloody Scotland launched their first festival, in terms of Scottish crime writing and literature festivals more generally. This 10^th anniversary programme is not only the biggest, it also embraces a hybrid model that means a wider audience can engage with authors either on stage or on screen. Bloody Scotland continues to promote the highly popular genre of Scottish crime writing to the world, while also connecting Scottish readers to the work of both new and much loved authors.’

James Crawford, Chair of Bloody Scotland said:

‘It’s fantastic to be able to mark the 10th anniversary of the festival with a full, four-day programme of in-person events – along with a brilliant selection of digital offerings – featuring the best that crime writing has to offer. Bloody Scotland was established a decade ago to shine a spotlight on crime writing and to help develop a whole new generation of writers. Debut authors have always been central to this, and to the vibrant community that has grown up around the festival. Along with the excitement of seeing familiar faces comes the thrill of finding your new favourite writer. Bloody Scotland 2022 is a festival full of possibilities and discovery.’

Stirling Councillor Leader, Councillor Chris Kane said:

‘The fact that Bloody Scotland is now enjoying its 10^th Anniversary is a welcome plot development for a festival that has grown into one of Stirling’s most loved events. Bloody Scotland has brought a wide range of visitors into Stirling over the years while making sure Stirling residents are an integral part of the occasion, such as the spectacular torchlit procession that lights up our city centre.’

Bloody Scotland is Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival, providing a showcase for the best crime writing from Scotland and the world, unique in that it was set up by a group of Scottish crime writers in 2012. Full information at bloodyscotland.com

The festival takes place in various venues (including The Albert Halls, The Tollbooth and the social hub of the festival, The Golden Lion Hotel) in the historic town of Stirling from 15-18 September 2022.

The Bloody Scotland Prize for Scottish Crime Writing first awarded in 2012 was renamed The McIlvanney Prize in 2016. The Bloody Scotland Debut Prize was introduced in 2019 and won by Claire Askew who this year made the McIlvanney longlist along with Deborah Masson who won the Debut Prize in 2020.

In 2018 Bloody Scotland began a partnership with Harvill Secker to encourage new crime writers of colour. The winner of the inaugural prize was Ajay Chowdhury and in December 2021 it was won by Dettie Gould with The Light and Shade of Ellen Swithin.

In order to maintain a year-round presence Bloody Scotland set up the Bloody Scotland Book Club in Spring 2021. The panel rotates every month and those on the panel take responsibility for choosing the three books which are discussed.

In 2017 Bloody Scotland partnered with Historic Environment Scotland to produce the Bloody Scotland book of short stories which has been reprinted for the 10^th Anniversary and will be distributed free of charge throughout Stirling and the surrounding areas to encourage more engagement with Scottish crime fiction within the local community.

Bloody Scotland recently resurrected the short story competition which took place in the first year. The latest incarnation, sponsored by The Glencairn Glass with media support from The Scottish Field received over 132 entries from all over the world. Many previously unpublished. The winner was from Australia and was published in the Scottish Field Magazine.

To make the festival more affordable for everyone and mark our 10^th Anniversary we’re offering a limited number of tickets at £5 each for 10 of our events – see bloodyscotland.com/10-at-5

A 10% discount is available for all events in Stirling to people residing in the Stirling Council area – see bloodyscotland.com/localdiscount

In addition, free standby tickets will be offered to the unemployed or those on low income on the day of the event if there is good availability – see bloodyscotland.com/standby 

We are committed to making Bloody Scotland an accessible festival. All of the venues are accessible by wheelchair and BSL interpretation is available at events on request. Email - info@bloodyscotland.com

A free shuttle bus between venues is available for those who need it. Seating is unreserved so please advise at time of booking if you require a wheelchair space or have any specific needs and we will do our best to accommodate them.

And tCT CRIME: LIVERPOOL'S FIRST EVER CRIME FICTION DAY

Perfect Crime is Liverpool's first ever crime fiction festival. Based at the Radisson Blu hotel on the stunning Mersey waterfront, it will host some of the biggest names in the world of crime writing. Ann Cleeves, creator of Vera, Shetland, and now the Two Rivers books & TV series, will be appearing at the all-day event for crime fiction fans in Liverpool on Saturday 13th November. Ann, a one-time Merseyside resident herself, says: ‘I can't wait to catch up with readers and writers is one of my favourite cities.' Ann Cleeves and Elly Griffiths will talk about the marginal communities and settings of their books in conversation with Rhiannon Ward, and Ann will and later compare forensic notes with eminent pathologist Professor James Grieve. 

The star-studded line-up also features Sophie Hannah, Mel Sherratt and M W Craven. Author panels will discuss all things crime, from Agatha Christie through gritty psychological thrillers, to murder on the Mersey, and for budding writers, David Jackson will run a workshop on writing the killer pitch.

The day will open, appropriately, with Liverpool. A city steeped in culture and history but often marred by stark contrasts, over the years it has provided a rich seam of stories for writers from literary giants to saga writers. In ‘Murder on the Mersey’, four Merseyside authors will discuss the impact of their beautiful and often troubled hometown on their writing. For ‘Gritty and Gripping’, a panel which includes both serving and former probation officers will discuss just how they put the grit and grip into their thrillers. 

Why are we so obsessed with damaged psychologies and the criminal mind – and what is it like to get into the mind of a killer? Crime fiction and film expert Barry Forshaw will quiz three skilled, award-winning writers of psychological crime on these questions and much more in ‘Mind Games’. And if you like your murder framed in a more elegant era, Martin Edwards, winner of the Edgar, Agatha, and Macavity for his non-fiction book The Golden Age of Murder, will focus on this rich and ever-popular subgenre with Sophie Hannah, who broke the Christie family’s forty-year ban on ‘continuation’ novels, and has now penned four new Poirots, with the Christies’ full blessing.

There will plenty of opportunities for readers to question their favourite authors, who will be available to sign copies of their latest releases and the book room will be open all day for purchases and signings.

Perfect Crime is organised by local publisher Ian Skillicorn and Liverpool crime writers Margaret Murphy and Caz Finlay, who are also appearing at the festival. For Margaret, Perfect Crime fulfils a long-held ambition. She says: ‘In 2008, when Liverpool hosted the British Science Association festival, a discussion panel pitching crime writers against scientists sold out so fast that a second session had to be organised. It occurred to me then that Liverpool is a superb setting for a crime festival. It’s taken almost thirteen years, and is long overdue, but having put together a varied and exciting line-up of authors and experts we’re confident that crime fans will find it worth the wait. We look forward to welcoming writers and - most importantly - readers from far and near to a rewarding day of discussion and entertaining chat with some of the top names in British crime fiction and non-fiction.’

Full author guest list:

Ann Cleeves, Elly Griffiths, Sophie Hannah, Mel Sherratt, Martin Edwards, Susanna Beard, Amanda Brooke, Heather Burnside, MW Craven, Caz Finlay, Barry Forshaw, Prof James Grieve (Senior Forensic Pathologist), Noelle Holten, David Jackson, Margaret Murphy, Rhiannon Ward 

Find the full programme and ticket links at www.perfectcrime.uk

Criminal Splatterings

Fans of The Saint will be interested to know that according to Deadline.com Bridgerton start Regé-Jean Page is due to star at the helm of the re-imaging of The Saint. More information can be found here. It is due to be based in part on Leslie Charteris’ 1920s book series and subsequent 1960s UK TV series starring Roger Moore. 

Over on Crimereads.com bestselling author Darynda Jones lists her 13 must read laugh out loud mysteries. A fantastic list which can be read here. Great to see such luminaries as Janet Evanovich, Carl Hiaasen and Donald E Westlake on the list. Who would I add? Sparkle Hayter of course!

Also on Crimereads.com one of my favourite historical crime writers Lindsey Davis considers the enduring appeal of the Roman Empire as a good setting for historical mysteries. The full article can be read here. The latest book by Lindsey Davis is The Comedy of Terrors and is the ninth book in the series to feature Flavia Albia. who longstanding readers will know is the daughter of her famous character Marcus Didius Falco. 

Fans of S A Cosby will enjoy the interview with him in the Guardian. But hey, the Guardian is clearly playing catch up to those of us who having been raving about him since last year when Blacktop Wasteland was published by Headline. The Shots review of Blacktop Wasteland can be read here.

Recently the crime fiction world have been shocked by the death of Mo Hayder from Motor Neurone Disease. The Shots team play tribute to her on the blog.

If you are like me a fan of podcasts – then you will be interested to note that James Ellroy is going to host about Los Angeles crime. Of course Crimereads has the scoop.

Fans of the Grantchester which is based on the novels of James Runcie will be happy to hear that filming on season 7 has begun. More information can be found here.

There are various crime and police procedurals to look out for in the autumn due to be shown on ITV. 

The Long Call which is based on the Anne Cleeves novel of the same name and will feature Juliet Stevenson, Ben Aldridge and Martin Shaw.

Martin Clunes will reprise his role as as the former London Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Colin Sutton in a new season of Manhunt.

Angela Black an Hitchcockian thriller that follows one woman as she risks everything she holds dear to fight back against the man who has suppressed and tormented her for most of her adult life is due to be shown in the autumn as well.

The exact dates of transmission have yet to be announced for any of these programme.

If you missed the Four Critics, Four Continents live event then you can watch it again here. We discuss our favourite books of the first half of 2021 and cover such countries as Nigeria, The Deep South of America, Japan, Sweden and New Zealand. 

Fans of Matthew Quirk's political thrillers will be pleased to here that according to Deadline.com, Netflix are due to film a conspiracy thriller series that is based on The Night Agent that was published in 2019. More information can be found here.

If you missed Crime Time's books of the decade event then don't worry. You can rewatch it below. Also you can find the list of all the books discussed on the Crime Time site.

2019 Agatha Award Winners

Malice Domestic have announced the 2019 Agatha Award winners. 

The full list of nominated authors can be found here.

They are as follows -

Best Contemporary Novel

The Long Call by Ann Cleeves (Minotaur)

Best First Mystery Novel

One Night Gone by Tara Laskowski (Graydon House, a division of Harlequin)

Best Historical Mystery

Charity’s Burden by Edith Maxwell (Midnight Ink)

Best Nonfiction

The Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L. Sayers and her Oxford Circle Remade the World for Women by Mo Moulton (Basic Books)

Best Children/Young Adult

The Last Crystal by Frances Schoonmaker (Auctus Press)

Best Short Story

"The Last Word" by Shawn Reilly Simmons, Malice Domestic 14: Mystery Most Edible (Wildside Press)

The Zoom Award ceremony can be watched here.

Congratulations to all the winners and nominated authors.

Killer Women Festival of Crime Writing & Drama

Now in its fourth year, Killer Women Festival of Crime Writing & Drama (15th March 2020) is the perfect way to stay up-to-date with all the latest crime fiction, TV dramas and cultural debates around justice, prisons, gangs, toxic masculinity, true crime and more.

        

London’s only friendliest and only author-led crime leads the way with festival firsts:

THE NUTSHELL CHALLENGE

An exclusive competition in honour of CSI pioneer and mother of forensic science Frances Glessner Lee, who created the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death: 20 miniature crime scenes made for the purpose of training homicide detectives, many still in use today.

PUPPY CONTROL: LIVE SEARCH DOG TRAINING

Learn what makes a good police dog, and why TV dramas always get canine policing wrong with Sniffer pup Bob, Riley, explosive detection, and master drug dog Stan.

CRITICAL INCIDENT TRAINING

Explore what the brain does when disaster strikes, and how we can best survive it, with former police and military psychologist Emma Kavanagh.

Plus:

JUSTICE ON TRIAL

Britain's only black chief constable and Chief Inspector of the CPS Michael Fuller (Kill the Black One First); Alison Levitt QC, chief counsel to the CPS during the Savile Enquiry, and barrister Sarah Langford (In Your Defence) discuss whether the criminal justice system is fit for purpose.

ANN CLEEVES IN CONVERSATION WITH DAISY BUCHANAN FOR YOU’RE BOOKED LIVE. Ann Cleeves, acclaimed writer of Shetland and Vera, in conversation with Daisy Buchanan for a live YOU’RE BOOKED, the podcast for literary nosy parkers who would like the chance to snoop around their favourite authors’ bookshelves.

PSYCHOPATHS: MAD OR BAD?

Discussion of the psychopathic mind with TV criminologist Professor David Wilson (My Life with Murderers), Dr Shubulade Smith, Head of Acute Forensic Psychiatry at the Maudsley, and Kerry Daynes, forensic psychologist (The Dark Side of the Mind.).

The full programme can be found here.

NEW ANN CLEEVES NOVEL SNAPPED UP FOR TELEVISION SERIES

Silverprint Pictures has announced that it has optioned the screen rights to The Long Call the Outstanding first novel in the new Two Rivers crime fiction series from bestselling author Ann Cleeves

The deal was arranged by Rebecca Watson at Valerie Hoskins Associates on behalf of literary agent Sara Menguc.

The Long Call is the third collaboration between Cleeves and Silverprint Pictures¨ a partnership that has produced Shetland © BBC® and Vera © ITV®¨ two of television’s most popular dramas.  Both the television series and the books they are based on have become international sensations¨ capturing the hearts of millions worldwide.

The Long Call¨ published by Pan Macmillan on 5 September¨ is set in North Devon¨ where the author spent her teenage years Ann introduces us to the reserved and complex Detective Inspector Matthew Venn and to a wonderfully rich ensemble of characters¨ in a compelling¨ skilfully plotted mystery¨ which vividly evokes the stark beauty of the North Devon coastline¨ and a community where murder and intrigue bubble just beneath the surface

Author Ann Cleeves says

“I’m delighted that the team at Silverprint has optioned The Long Call.  The adaptations of Vera and Shetland have captured the essence of my books¨ while making TV dramas that are hugely successful in their own right”

Kate Bartlett¨ Executive Producer¨ Silverprint says

“After almost a decade working together¨ we are thrilled to be continuing our creative partnership with Ann The Long Call is a rich and deeply engrossing mystery with a whole host of new Cleeves’ characters led by the inimitable Matthew Venn. Just as the novel feels like a progression of Ann’s writing¨ this feels like the opportunity to create a wholly unique and ambitious event crime drama with another iconic detective at its heart We can’t wait to get started”

Vicki Mellor¨ Publishing Director Fiction at Pan Macmillan says

“We are thrilled that Ann’s superlative new novel The Long call has been optioned for television Ann’s unique ability to evoke landscape and create† compelling new characters is never more evident than with this novel¨ as we see a new setting in North Devon and a new lead in the wonderful Matthew Venn The happy news that Ann’s hugely successful partnership with Silverprint is continuing couldn’t be more welcome or come at a better time. We can’t wait to see how the series evolves onto the screen’

The Long Call by Anne Cleeves (Published by Pan Macmillan)

In North Devon, where the rivers Taw and Torridge converge and run into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his father's funeral takes place. The day Matthew turned his back on the strict evangelical community in which he grew up, he lost his family too.  Now he's back, not just to mourn his father at a distance, but to take charge of his first major case in the Two Rivers region; a complex place not quite as idyllic as tourists suppose.  A body has been found on the beach near to Matthew's new home: a man with the tattoo of an albatross on his neck, stabbed to death.  Finding the killer is Venn's only focus, and his team's investigation will take him straight back into the community he left behind, and the deadly secrets that lurk there.

2019 THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR LONGLIST REVEALED

A novel longlisted for the Man Booker is up against debut authors in the most hotly contended crime writing prize in the country.

 

2019 marks the 15th year of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award. The prize was created to celebrate the very best in crime fiction and is open to UK and Irish crime authors whose novels were published in paperback from 1 May 2018 to 30 April 2019.

Belinda Bauer, a previous winner of the Crime Novel of the Year Award for her novel Rubbernecker in 2014, enters the longlist with her 2018 Man Booker longlisted, Snap. Bauer however battles an awards-heavy longlist. 

Multiple-award winner Val McDermid, the No.1 bestseller and ‘queen of crime’, received the Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction at the Festival in 2016 and won the Crime Novel of the Year in 2006. Her latest, Broken Ground, makes the 2019 longlist.

Chris Brookmyre won the Novel of the Year award in 2017 for Black Widow. He returns in the guise of Ambrose Perry, the pseudonym for his collaboration with his wife, consultant anaesthetist Dr Marisa Haetzman, for their gripping historical crime novel, The Way of All Flesh.

Liam McIllvanney also makes the longlist with The Quaker, awarded the 2018 McIlvanney  Prize which was set up in memory of his father, William. Stuart Turton weighs in with. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, a debut which won the Costa First Novel Award 2018.

Mick Herron’s widely-acclaimed Jackson Lamb novels have been shortlisted three times for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, the fifth in the series, London Rules puts him back in the running.

Senior IT Officer turned novelist, Rahman Khurrum, is also on the list for his first novel, East of Hounslow.  Mixing edgy humour and pulse racing tension, Khurrum was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey Debut Dagger Award 2018.

The winner is announced at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, hosted in Harrogate each July. The festival was co-founded in 2003 by Val McDermid, agent Jane Gregory, and arts charity Harrogate International Festivals.

2019’s longlist also sees the return of previous shortlisted authors, Elly Griffiths for her Dr Ruth Galloway novels, with her latest The Dark Angel, and Ann Cleeves for Wild Fire, the eighth, and final book, in the bestselling Shetland series – a major BBC One drama starring Douglas Henshall as Jimmy Perez.

The Longlist in Full:

Snap by Belinda Bauer - Transworld

Our House by Louise Candlish - Simon & Schuster UK

Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh - Hachette

Wild Fire by Ann Cleeves - Pan Macmillan

This Is How It Ends by Eva Dolan - Bloomsbury Publishing

Take Me In by Sabine Durrant - Hodder & Stoughton

The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths - Quercus

London Rules by Mick Herron - John Murray Press

Broken Ground by Val McDermid - Little, Brown Book Group

The Quaker by Liam McIlvanney - HarperCollins

The Way of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry - Canongate Books

East of Hounslow by Khurrum Rahman - HarperCollins

Hell Bay by Kate Rhodes - Simon & Schuster UK

Salt Lane by William Shaw - Quercus

The Chalk Man by C. J. Tudor - Penguin Random House

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton - Bloomsbury Publishing

Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan - Simon & Schuster UK

Changeling by Matt Wesolowski - Orenda Books

Executive director of T&R Theakston, Simon Theakston, said: “So many authors on our longlist have been nominees for major mainstream awards. The literary world is perhaps catching up to the fact that crime fictionis leading thepublishing world and shaping our cultural landscape. In 2018, sales of crime novels outstripped general fiction for the first time. It’s a genre that dominates the small and big screen, and attracts critical acclaim, as well as being incredibly popular. There is however, only one Crime Novel of the Year, and the reputation of our Award, built over 15 years, makes this accolade hotly contended.”

Established authors on the list include Louise Candlish, the bestselling author of 12 novels; Our House has been optioned for TV by Death in Paradise producers Red Planet Pictures.

Take Me In is the fourth sensational thriller from Sabine Durrant, author of the Richard & Judy bestseller Lie With Me. Kate Rhodes, an acclaimed author 

and award-winning poet, makes the list with Hell Bay.

Courtroom drama, Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh was hailed by Ian Rankin for ‘plotting that takes the breath away.’ CJ Tudor, dubbed Britain’s ‘female Stephen King’ became a Sunday Times bestseller with The Chalk Man.

Praised as a savage indictment of class, privilege and toxic masculinity, Sarah Vaughan’s Anatomy of a Scandal combined Vaughan's experiences as a political correspondent on the Guardian with her time as a student reading English at Oxford, in the Nineties.

Eva Dolan, won the CWA Dagger for unpublished authors as a teen. Her Zigic and Ferreira series - addictive socially aware stories - are a magnet for acclaim. Her first standalone This is How it Ends propels her onto the A-list.

Pop culture journalist William Shaw also joins the list with Salt Lane, alongside Matt Wesolowski, who made a stir with his debut thriller, Six Stories, with film rights sold to a major Hollywood studio. He enters the longlist with the third book in his series. Changeling.

The award is run in partnership with T&R Theakston Ltd, WHSmith, and The Mail on Sunday.

The longlist of 18 titles were selected by an Academy of crime writing authors, agents, editors, reviewers and members of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Programming Committee.

Titles will be promoted in a dedicated online campaign with WHSmith and a nationwide library promotion.

The shortlist of six titles will be announced on 19 May.

The winner will be announced at an award ceremony hosted by broadcaster Mark Lawson on 18 July on the opening night of the 17th Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival at the Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate. They’ll receive a £3,000 cash prize, as well as a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by Theakston Old Peculier.

The night will also feature the Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction Award, with past recipients over the years including PD James, Ruth Rendell, Reginald Hill and Colin Dexter.

For further media information please contact Ann Chadwick at Cause UK 07534892715 ann@causeuk.com