Iain Maitland's Five Detective Duos

I began reading detective novels when I was 10 or 11 years old back in the early 1970s. I started, as many do, with Agatha Christie and loved the Poirot and Hastings stories. I then went on to Conan Doyle’s Holmes and Watson stories. Here are my favourite five.

5. Morse and Lewis – Colin Dexter

I read the first three books, Last Bus To Woodstock, Last Seen Wearing and The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn soon after they came out in the mid- to late- 1970s; hand-me-downs from my Grandpa who loved crime novels. For me, Morse is a great character – on the page, he’s world-weary and battered and makes mistakes following false trails. Lewis – Welsh in the early books – is a good foil.

The TV series takes Morse and Lewis in a different direction and is equally wonderful – so much so that Dexter started writing with the TV characters in his head rather than his original creations. My favourite is The Secret Of Annexe 3 with an old-school Morse and a twisty, turny plot plus some stoutly un-PC characters that might explain why it was never adapted for TV. 

4. Dalgliesh & Others

P.D. James’ detective Adam Dalgliesh ran through 13 novels with a range of partners; Martin, Masterson, Massingham and Kate Miskin. The first, Cover Her Face, in 1962. The last, The Lighthouse, in 2005. An astonishing span of time. I was introduced to these by my mum who had read them all and said that they got better and better.  My favourite two - and you’ve really got to begin at the beginning – are Cover Her Face (1962) and The Private Patient (2008). Dalgleish investigates the violent death of a maid at a manor house – shades of Christie – in Cover Your Face and, as Commander Dalgleish, returns to country house territory on the death of a patient at a cosmetic surgery clinic there. ‘Better and better’, as my mum said.

3. Harcus and Laird – Claire MacLeary

I love MacLeary’s books and have read three so far -Cross Purpose, Burnout and Runaway. These are gritty thrillers set in Aberdeen and feature the mismatched duo of Maggie Laird & Wilma Harcus. The characters are as much of a strength as the plots with Maggie and Wilma being a chalk and cheese odd couple. Lots of humour here – Big Wilma’s my favourite. Start with Cross Purpose.

2. Matthew Ryan and Eloise O’Neill - Mari Hannah

I came to The Silent Room and The Death Messenger after reading Hannah's DCI Kate Daniels series. One of the great strengths of Hannah’s work is that it is underpinned by know-how and understanding of how things work – if memory serves, she worked in the probation service and her partner was in the police force. That shows. I’ve just finished reading The Death Messenger and it’s even better than The Silent Room IMHO. I adore the premise – DVDs of crime scenes with chilling narrations of the murders there - are sent to the police. The killer is taunting the police – come and catch me. Ryan and O’Neill are on their way.

1 Hakim and Arnold – Barbara Nadel

An Act Of Kindness is the first book in this series, featuring Lee Arnold and Mumtaz Hakim who run a detective agency in London's East End. I’ve been reading these since the first one came out in 2013 through to Displaced in 2018. I’ve just pre-ordered the next one, A Time To Die, which is available this summer.

Barbara has a strong background in mental health. She was a mental health advocate for the mentally ill in a psychiatric hospital. That knowledge shines through in her work. I’ve just discovered another Nadel series, Inspector Ikmen, set in Turkey, and there are 20 of these. I’m halfway through Belshazzar's Daughter, the first, and it’s fab.

"He's back, Carrie. The Scribbler is back." DI Gayther and his rookie colleague DC Carrie have been assigned a new caseload. Or rather, an old one ... cold cases of LGBTQ+ murders dating back to the 1980s and beyond. Georgia Carrie wasn't even born when the notorious serial killer began his reign of terror across the East of England. Roger Gayther was on the force that failed to catch him and remembers every chilling detail. Now, after all these years, there's a sudden death featuring The Scribbler's tell-tale modus operandi. Can Gayther and Carrie track the murderer down and bring him to justice before the slaughter starts agaiThe Scribbler by Iain Maitland (Published by Saraband)

"He's back, Carrie. The Scribbler is back." DI Gayther and his rookie colleague DC Carrie have been assigned a new caseload. Or rather, an old one ... cold cases of LGBTQ+ murders dating back to the 1980s and beyond. Georgia Carrie wasn't even born when the notorious serial killer began his reign of terror across the East of England. Roger Gayther was on the force that failed to catch him and remembers every chilling detail. Now, after all these years, there's a sudden death featuring The Scribbler's tell-tale modus operandi. Can Gayther and Carrie track the murderer down and bring him to justice before the slaughter starts again?

----

The Scribbler from Contraband Books, the crime imprint of Saraband Books, is the first Gayther and Carrie novel. If they can catch The Scribbler and bring him to justice, Gayther and Carrie will be back again in the second book in the series, The Key Man. 

IainMaitland.net

Twitter.com/iainmaitland     

The Return of Inspector Ghote

“The Inspector Ghote books … are quite exquisite, gentle novels that should find their place on any list of good crime fiction” – Alexander McCall Smith

I was delighted to hear from Publisher Kate-Lyall Grant that the late [Harry] HRF Keating’s acclaimed Inspector Ghote mysteries were returning from Canongate’s Severn House Imprint, which is a sister to the rapidly expanding Black Thorn division.

The last time I chatted with the late Harry Keating was over a decade ago, at a Crime Writers Association function where Andrew Taylor was awarded the Diamond Dagger for his contribution to the Crime Fiction Genre. Of particular delight was capturing [on photograph] fellow Diamond Dagger Authors, many of whom like Harry have sadly now passed away.

My report, and recollections of that time remain archived at Jeff Pierce’s RAP SHEET and can be accessed HERE

This [long overdue] re-issue made me smile, as over a flute of Champagne I told Harry Keating that evening how fond my father had been of his Indian Detective, Inspector Ghote. When he was homesick as a young psychiatrist in early 1960’s London, he would read Keating’s books as they reminded him of India. I never had the temerity to shatter my father’s illusion that at that time, the author had never set foot in India. I recall Harry Keating beaming at my anecdote, and my thanks to the author on behalf of my father, for the pleasure those wonderful books provided him, an escape of sorts from that rain and cold of London.

Today, tales of Indian Detectives, and exotic mysteries set there are celebrated with the work of Vaseem Khan and the MWA Edgar Nominated and CWA Dagger awarded Abir Mukherjee as well as many other writers with roots to that Asian Subcontinent that HRF Keating wrote about, with such affection.

Many paid their respects to Harry Keating when he passed away in 2011, of which fellow scribe Mike Ripley’s farewell [to whom he once referred Inspector Ghote as “the Maigret of Mumbai”] is memorable.

Ripley’s recollections can be read HERE from The Guardian while an excellent eulogy and reflection on his friendship with the creator of Inspector Ghote entitled “When Harry Met Ripley” with photographs can be accessed HERE.

Keating’s Inspector Ghote mysteries were recognised by the Crime Writer’s Association, in 1964 in the novel ‘The Perfect Murder’ [the first appearance of the Indian Detective] and in 1980 with ‘The Murder of the Maharajah’ both awarded Gold Daggers. The film team at Merchant-Ivory Production’s filmed ‘The Perfect Murder’ in 1998 to acclaim. It featured actors Stellan Skarsgård, Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak, Madhur Jaffrey, Amjad Khan, Annu Kapoor, Archana Puran Singh, Dalip Tahil, Dinshaw Daji, Johnny Walker, Mohan Agashe, Salim Ghouse and Directed by Zafar Hai. Produced by Ismail Merchant. With Music by Richard Robbins

It can be viewed online HERE

More information about the adventures [and miss-adventures] of Inspector Ghote can be accessed HERE

And now, thanks to Severn House, a new generation can wade though these vividly realised mysteries, so following my usual digressions; Kate Lyall-Grant gets to the point –

Dogged, determined Inspector Ghote of the Bombay Police Crime Branch has been delighting readers since his first outing in the 1960s, and Severn House is thrilled to announce that – starting February 4 – we’ll be republishing 21 of his adventures in digital, many for the first time.

The creation of multi-award-winning author H.R.F. Keating – who in his lifetime held many prestigious roles, including following in the footsteps of Agatha Christie to become President of the Detection Club – Inspector Ghote will delight readers of traditional mysteries that combine both interesting settings and well-drawn characters. Enjoy Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency books, Abir Mukherjee’s Sam Wyndham series set in Raj-era India and Vaseem Khan’s Baby Ganesh Detective Agency novels? We think you’ll love the sometimes shy and uncertain, sometimes bumbling Inspector Ghote too.

We’re launching the series with two contrasting reads: a series prequel, A SMALL CASE FOR INSPECTOR GHOTE? – Keating’s last novel before his death in 2011 – and INSPECTOR GHOTE’S GOOD CRUSADE, an early instalment from the 1960s. Paired together, the books provide fascinating insight into the evolution of Keating’s style over his writing career – as well as both being cracking reads.

In A SMALL CASE FOR INSPECTOR GHOTE?, H.R.F. Keating returns to the beginning of Ghote’s career, taking readers on a journey back to Ghote’s first official case as an inspector – which starts with the horrible discovery of a head in his office rubbish bin.

H.R.F. Keating’s wife, the actor Sheila Keating, says of the book:

“After seven Harriet Martens books, Harry decided he had no more to say about his ‘Hard Detective’, but was itching to get back to his beloved Inspector Ghote. The trouble was that he had put all his India research into the black bin as an acknowledgement that he was abandoning India. Then it occurred to him that all he needed to do was to re-read his own books to recapture all those facts which had been in the research files. This he did before embarking on a new series which would start with the very beginning of Ghote’s time as an Inspector.”

A SMALL CASE was the second in the new series, but turned out to be Harry writing at his very best. Not only a vivid picture of life working for the prestigious and eclectic Crime Branch, but also Ghote’s home life with Protima, his characterful wife, and very new baby son, Ved, artfully woven into a fast-moving story, as well as a picture of that other India – the slums of Bombay. Sadly, by now in his eighties with heart problems, this was to be the last book he wrote but a truly splendid rounding off of a spectacular career.”

In INSPECTOR GHOTE’S GOOD CRUSADE, the good-hearted inspector investigates the murder of an American millionaire and philanthropist, but finds himself at the mercy of a selection of unsavoury, unreliable – and just plain annoying – witnesses, who all seem determined to lead him astray.

Sheila Keating writes:

“THE PERFECT MURDER, in which Ghote first appeared, was intended to be a one-off – India being just one more of the off-beat settings of his earlier crime novels – but when it won the Crime Writer’s Gold Dagger award and furthermore found an American publisher, which the previous novels had not, it became obvious that there would have to be a follow-up. Harry was delighted because he had begun to fall in love with India. 

Although he had already done an immense amount of research, he realized there was a lot more to do. While he continued amassing Indian facts, he wrote another standalone title, but after that he was ready to plunge back into India with INSPECTOR GHOTE’S GOOD CRUSADE. On this, his second outing, the Inspector is established as the endearing, put-upon character who became a favourite with crime book readers.”

The editorial team at Severn House are excited to share these gems of detective fiction with you, so you can find out for yourself why Booklist thought Keating was “an immensely talented author” and Ghote “wonderfully witty”; why Publishers Weekly described Ghote as “a most appealing sleuth”; and why the late, great P.D. James thought Ghote was “an enchanting and engaging character”.

eBook schedule: Mark your diaries, and mark them well in ink and on screen.

Feb 2020:

A SMALL CASE FOR INSPECTOR GHOTE?

INSPECTOR GHOTE’S GOOD CRUSADE

Mar 2020:     

INSPECTOR GHOTE CAUGHT IN MESHES

INSPECTOR GHOTE HUNTS THE PEACOCK

Apr 2020:     

INSPECTOR GHOTE PLAYS A JOKER

INSPECTOR GHOTE GOES BY TRAIN

May 2020:    

BATS FLY UP FOR INSPECTOR GHOTE

FILMI, FILMI, INSPECTOR GHOTE

Jun 2020:     

INSPECTOR GHOTE DRAWS A LINE

GO WEST, INSPECTOR GHOTE

Jul 2020:      

THE SHERIFF OF BOMBAY

THE BODY IN THE BILLIARD ROOM

Aug 2020:    

DEAD ON TIME

INSPECTOR GHOTE, HIS LIFE AND CRIMES

Sept 2020:

THE ICIEST SIN

CHEATING DEATH

Oct 2020:     

DOING WRONG

ASKING QUESTIONS

Nov 2020:    

BRIBERY, CORRUPTION ALSO

BREAKING AND ENTERING

Dec 2020:    

INSPECTOR GHOTE’S FIRST CASE

Paperback schedule:

Severn House is also publishing selected titles in high-quality trade paperback editions. Expected to launch in April 2020, with a publishing schedule of one title per month, the initial four books chosen are A SMALL CASE FOR INSPECTOR GHOTE?; INSPECTOR GHOTE’S GOOD CRUSADE; FILMI, FILMI, INSPECTOR GHOTE; and DOING WRONG.

It is great to see Inspector Ghote back.

I’ll leave the last word to his colleague and friend, writer, bibliophile and literary 

commentator, the Talented Mr Mike Ripley –

It may seem that Harry was defying the old maxim that you should write about what you know and he cheerfully admits that “it was all going quite nicely without having to face the actuality,” but then one morning the actuality came calling. It was at the breakfast table with the morning post (those were the days!) that Harry opened a letter from Air India, which basically said: You’ve been writing about India, now come and see it and offered him a ticket, thankfully [also a] return one, on one of their flights to Bombay, as it was then. It was an offer Harry, in all conscience, could not afford to refuse.

The Ghote books were known and read in India but still, the prospect of confronting the “actuality” of a world he had created in the safety of Notting Hill several thousand miles away, must have been daunting if not nerve-wracking. Harry spent the entire Air India flight there calming his nerves and rehearsing an appropriate speech for that dramatic moment when he landed and stepped for the first time on to Indian soil. It went, as he recalls, “Something along the lines of ‘One small step for Inspector Ghote …’” but in reality the speech was never delivered. As the Air India jet landed and Harry stepped on to the tarmac of Bombay airport, his first historic words were: “My God, it’s hot!”

Photos © Ali Karim, Merchant-Ivory Productions & Severn House Publishing

Text © Ali Karim, Mike Ripley, Sheila Keating & Kate Lyall-Grant

The legacy of Harry Keating also lives on as Sheila announces the annual HRF Keating Award at the Bristol Crimefest Convention, annually.

Theakston's 2017 Crime Novel of the Year

Chris Brookmyre has scooped the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award for Black Widow.

Celebrating its thirteenth year, the Award is considered one of the most coveted crime writing prizes in the country.

Black Widow is a story of cyber-abuse, where ‘even the twists have twists’. It features Brookmyre’s long-time character, reporter Jack Parlabane. Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon tweeted that she had been given the novel as an early Valentine’s Day present by her husband, declaring it ‘brilliant’.

Brookmyre said: “I’m really quite taken aback. I’ve been shortlisted three times before for this award, always the bridesmaid, today I get to walk up the aisle. A book is not just the work of the author behind it. I’d like to thank my editor, Ed Wood, for his calibre and daring that made a good book greater. I’m mainly just very proud.”

Brookmyre was presented the award by title sponsor Simon Theakston and broadcaster Mark Lawson at the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival. The annual Festival, hosted in Harrogate, is the world’s biggest celebration of the genre.

Chris beat off stiff competition from the shortlist of six, whittled down from a longlist of 18 crime novels published by British and Irish authors whose novels were published in paperback from 1 May 2016 to 30 April 2017.

The 2017 Award is run in partnership with T&R Theakston Ltd, WHSmith, and The Mail on Sunday.

Brookmyre collected a £3,000 cash prize, as well as a handmade, engraved oak beer cask made by Theakston Old Peculier.

A special presentation was made to Lee Child - the winner of the eighth Outstanding

Contribution to Crime Fiction Award.

Lee Child joins Val McDermid, Sara Paretsky, Lynda La Plante, Ruth Rendell, PD James, Colin Dexter and Reginald Hill as recipients of the Award.

Lee Child said: “It’s an honour - probably undeserved - to be placed in the same category as the previous recipients of this prize.  In particular I would like to thank Simon Theakston for his generous and visionary support of the genre.”

Child has been dubbed a ‘billion-dollar brand’ for his blockbuster Jack Reacher series, adapted to film by Tom Cruise.

Title sponsor and executive director of T&R Theakston, Simon Theakston, said: “We’re particularly delighted to be honouring Lee Child. He is nothing short of a phenomenon. The Jack Reacher series tops bestseller lists worldwide, with a staggering 100 million books sold.  Lee is very deserving of this accolade, and will have his rightful place in a pantheon of legendary crime authors who have achieved this honour to date.”

Goodbye to Colin Dexter by Mike Ripley

Over on the main website, Mike Ripley has written a wonderful tribute to his old friend, Colin Dexter. Portions of this tribute are reproduced from Mike Ripley’s ‘Appreciation of Colin Dexter’ written for Bouchercon 26; updated on the death of Colin Dexter on 21^st March 2017 and with previously unseen photographs.

Such as ...

"Even at designated literary events, we always seemed to find time for a beer. At a Shots On The Page convention in Nottingham, I arranged for Colin to pull the ceremonial first pint to mark the opening of a newly refurbished Home Brewery pub, and on one infamous occasion we were both guests of honour at a Boardroom luncheon in the King & Barnes brewery in Horsham in Sussex."

So can you really resist reading and seeing what the Ripster has to say?

Pop along to read the full tribute
 
 

Elmore Leonard Remembered

Over at The Rap Sheet, the hardest working editor in Crime Fiction, Jeff Peirce is running a wonderful homage to Elmore Leonard, featuring many names from the genre all paying their respects.

Included in part one of this feature is a contribution by the Shots Editors -

I was fortunate to have met Elmore Leonard a few years ago in London, when the British Crime Writers’ Association presented him with its Diamond Dagger award for lifetime achievement. My friend and Shots editor Mike Stotter was excited that day. He had been heavily influenced by Leonard’s work, and it had even given him the confidence to pen his own Westerns, all the way from London.

Mike went on to write about that event for Shots, recalling:

I managed to grab five minutes with Dutch and I told him that he was my inspiration in writing Westerns, and he was genuinely pleased. I also had with me a hardback copy of The Fatal Frontier, which contained my very first short story (actually an extract from McKinney’s Revenge, my first full-length Western). I asked Dutch to sign it for me. He took a look at the cover, and said, “This is an odd one.” To which I replied, “It’s the first anthology in which I have a story published alongside you.” He laughed and said, “Well, a Brit Western writer. Well done.”

Read part one of The Rap Sheet’s Homage to Elmore Leonard here

Photos © A Karim 10^th May 2006 The London Savoy, Elmore Leonard receiving the CWA Diamond Dagger Award [for lifetime achievment from Monsieur Arnaud Bamberger of Cartier [Top]; Colin Dexter listening to Elmore Leonard's acceptance speech; Mike Stotter and Elmore Leonard and at bottom, London critics Barry Forshaw, Ali Karim and Mike Stotter congratulating Elmore 'Dutch' Leonard for his outstanding contribution to the Crime Fiction Genre

So let us celebrate the legacy Elmore Leonard left us, and as we imagine him riding into the sunset, remember he is leaving behind some wonderful writing and cinematic works for future generations to discover.

Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Day One

This is the first blog post about this year's Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.  I hope to blog continuously throughout the festival.

My trip down to Harrogate started around 11:00am when I met up with Shots editor Mike Stotter and fellow Shots reviewer Kirstie Long.  Mike had suggested that we drive down to Harrogate together.  It was good suggestion and so after a 4 hour trip (with a pit stop for around 40 minutes) we arrived at Harrogate.  The journey down was unmemorable to the extent that we had no trouble with traffic whatsoever.

After arriving at Harrogate and checking into our hotel (Mike at the Holiday Inn) and I at a lovely small Bed and Breakfast across the road  from him we made our way to the Old Swan. One of the first people that Mike and I bumped into as we were checking in was fellow ShotsMag contributor Ali Karim.

It was lovely to be back in Harrogate and amongst the first couple of people that we met were authors  Zoe Sharp and Greg Hurwitz.   As we sat talking to them both various other people stopped to say hello.  These included Steve Mosby (who recently won the CWA Dagger in the Library), Isabelle Grey, Mari Hannah, NJ Cooper, David Marks, Martyn Waites, Publicist Kerry Hood, Chris Simmons and Stuart McBride.  I also bumped into Val Mcdermid, Ann Cleeves.


The main event that took place on Thursday was Creative Thursday.  Creative Thursday is an opportunity for would be authors to pitch their work and receive feedback in front of a group of editors and agents. A daunting task!

The main event of the day was of course the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel & Festival Opening Party. Queuing up to get into the room where the event was being held I managed to catch up with the absolutely delightful Laura Lippman and Chris Mooney whom I was lucky to have met again on Wednesday evening (and have dinner with). The room was packed to the rafters at the opening ceremony which was compered by Mark Lawson.  Festival organiser Sharon Canavar opened the proceedings by welcoming everyone to the festival explaining that the festival first took place in 2003 and it was the following year that Theakston's came on board as a sponsor.  It is a relationship that has stood the test of time. Anne Cleeves was the first writer in residence for the Festival and the current one is Martyn Waites.  There are over 80 authors present at the Festival and people from all over the world.  12,000 are due to attend.

Simon Theakston  (Executive Director T&R Theakston’s) once again extolled the virtues of the event and the reasoning why they have continued to be involved and sponsor the Festival. 

This year is the 8th Crime Novel of the Year of the Award. After an introduction and brief chat with the shortlisted nominees (SJ Bolton, SJ Watson, Steve Mosby, Denise Mina, Christopher Brookmyre and John Connolly) each author was given a commemorative engraved glass tankard. SJ Watson confirmed that filming was due to start next year on Before I go to Sleep and that Nicole Kidman was due to be the lead female character.  

Mark Lawson spoke briefly about the Outstanding Contribution Award that was also being given. The award was being given to Colin Dexter and it was Programme Chair Mark Billingham who gave a lovely speech talking about his background and work and how much Colin Dexter and Inspector Morse has become not only synonymous with Oxford but with the lives of many crime writers and readers from the start with his first book Last Bus to Woodstock.  Colin Dexter accepted the award to a well-deserved ovation and as can be expected from him despite his rather frail appearance gave a very very witty acceptance speech.

©Photo Ali Karim

The winner of the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award went to Denise Mina and her novel The End of The Wasp Season.  It was a win that was clear that everyone was very happy with indeed.

After the "formal" Opening Party attendees moved on to the "informal" party where they were fed and watered with of course Theakston's Old Peculier and some rather gorgeous cakes.

After the Opening Ceremony, the Shots crew disappeared off to catch a quick bite to eat before returning to the Old Swan Hotel to join the throng in the bar and catch up with various people.  It was lovely to be able to snatch quick words with old friends and authors including Peter Robinson, Sam Eades, David Marks, Christopher Fowler, Thalia Procter to name a few.

Thursday being the first day of the Festival I did not stay up too late but wandered back to where I was staying just after 11:30pm.

Friday will be starting off with a bang as John Connolly will be interviewed.  Should be good fun.

Colin Dexter to receive Outstanding Contribution Award and Theakston's Short List Announced

CHILLS AND THRILLS DOMINATE THEAKSTONS OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD SHORTLIST 2012

COLIN DEXTER TO RECEIVE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO CRIME FICTION AWARD

Chilling suspense thrillers lead the way on this year’s Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award shortlist.  One of the most prestigious crime writing prizes in the country, the 2012 shortlist reflects the ever increasingly popularity of psychological and suspense-driven narratives.

In a move away from the grittier whodunits that have long dominated the crime fiction genre, this year’s shortlist is comprised of four thrillers out of six: SJ Watson’s smash hit debut Before I Go To Sleep; The Burning Soul by veteran author John Connolly; SJ Bolton’s multi-layered, page-turner Now You See Me; and Steve Mosby’s horror-tinged tale Black Flowers.

The two non-thriller titles are Where the Bodies Are Buried and The End of the Wasp Season by Chris Brookmyre and Denise Mina respectively, both of whom have based their plots on the streets of Glasgow and have focused on a police procedural style.  The presence of two Scots on the list also reaffirms the consistent level of success enjoyed by crime writers north of the border.

The shortlist in full:

·       Now You See Me by SJ Bolton (Transworld)

·       Where the Bodies are Buried by Chris Brookmyre (Little, Brown)

·       The Burning Soul by John Connolly (Hodder & Stoughton)

·       The End of the Wasp Season by Denise Mina (Orion)

·       Black Flowers by Steve Mosby (Orion)

·       Before I Go to Sleep by SJ Watson (Transworld)

Now in its eighth year, the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, in partnership with Asda - who will promote the shortlisted titles in stores nationwide from today - and in association with the Daily Mirror, was created to celebrate the very best in crime writing and is open to British and Irish authors whose novels were published in paperback from 1st June 2011 to 31st May 2012.

The overall winner will be decided by a public vote and a panel of experts which this year comprises DI Tom Thorne actor David Morrissey, Festival chair Mark Billingham, Daily Mirror Literary Editor and crime novelist Henry Sutton, Asda Fiction Buyer Ruth Lewis, and Simon Theakston, Executive Director of T&R Theakston Ltd.

The public vote opens today, Thursday 5th July, and closes on Tuesday 17th July at www.theakstons.co.uk

The winner of the prize will be announced by title sponsor Simon Theakston at an award ceremony hosted by radio broadcaster and Festival regular Mark Lawson on Thursday 19th July, the opening night of the 10^th Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival. The winner will receive a £3,000 cash prize as well as a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by Theakstons brewery.

On the same night a special presentation will be made to the winner of the third Theakstons Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction Award, which this year is awarded to Colin Dexter, creator of Inspector Morse.

Born in Lincolnshire in 1930, Dexter won a scholarship to the local grammar school and, after completing his National Service, went on to study at Cambridge. Since 1966 he has lived in Oxford with his wife, with whom he has two children. After retiring from a 13-year teaching career, he began writing mysteries in 1973 while on a family holiday. His debut novel, Last Bus to Woodstock, was published in 1975 and introduced the world to Inspector Morse for the first time. One of the most iconic detectives ever to have been created, Morse’s crime-solving talents found a whole new audience in the successful TV series, bringing further acclaim for Dexter. Inspector Morse has appeared in 13 novels and numerous short stories. Dexter has won many awards for his novels, including the CWA Silver Dagger twice and the CWA Gold Dagger for both The Wench is Dead and The Way Through the Woods. In 1997, he was presented with the CWA Diamond Dagger for outstanding services to crime literature and, in 2000, was awarded the OBE in The Queen's Birthday Honours.

Dexter said: "Never had I thought that the gods would be kindly enough to give me such a huge honour so late in my life. Yet here I am, in my early eighties, feeling a profound and heartfelt gratitude for the great honour bestowed on me.”

Simon Theakston, Executive Director of T&R Theakston, said:

"The variety of narratives within crime fiction means that every year we have a shortlist that reflects the diversity of the genre; this year, the thriller seems to be the popular choice. It’s great to see crime writing in such rude health, although it doesn’t make the job of picking a winner any easier!

“I’m also delighted and privileged to welcome Colin Dexter to Harrogate to collect his much- deserved Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction Award. Few writers are as prolific as Colin has been over his long and varied career and even fewer create a character as iconic and well-loved as Morse. This award acknowledges Colin’s huge contribution to crime fiction and to British culture.”

--Ends--

For further information or to request interviews with any of the authors please contact Liz Hyder on 07939 372 865 /liz@riotcommunications.com or Preena Gadher on 07833 431 119 / preena@riotcommunications.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

KEY DATES

5th July: shortlist titles on promotion in 252 Asda stores nationwide

19th July: 10^th Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival opens in Harrogate

19th July: Winner of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award announced; Colin Dexter collects award

PREVIOUS WINNERS

2011 – 61 Hours by Lee Child

2010 - A Simple Act of Violence by RJ Ellory

2009 – Death Message by Mark Billingham

2008 – The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney

2007 – Two Way Split by Allan Guthrie

2006 – The Torment of Others by Val McDermid

2005 – Lazy Bones by Mark Billingham

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO CRIME FICTION AWARD

2011 – PD James

2010 – Reginald Hill

THE 2012 CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR LONGLIST

·       Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch (Gollancz)

·       Darkside by Belinda Bauer (Corgi)

·       Now You See Me by SJ Bolton (Corgi)

·       Where the Bodies Are Buried by Christopher Brookmyre (Abacus)

·       The Burning Soul by John Connolly (Hodder Paperback)

·       The Calling by Neil Cross (Simon & Schuster)

·       The Hanging Shed by Gordon Ferris (Corvus)

·       Bryant and May and the Memory of Blood by Christopher Fowler (Bantam)

·       Blue Monday by Nicci French (Michael Joseph)

·       The Fear Index by Robert Harris (Arrow)

·       The Retribution by Val McDermid (Sphere)

·       The End of the Wasp Season by Denise Mina (Orion)

·       Black Flowers by Steve Mosby (Orion)

·       Collusion by Stuart Neville (Vintage)

·       The Impossible Dead by Ian Rankin (Orion)

·       Mice by Gordon Reece (Pan Books)

·       Agent 6 by Tom Rob Smith (Simon & Schuster)

·       Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson (Black Swan)

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

The Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is Europe’s largest event dedicated to the celebration of crime fiction. Taking place annually over four days each July, the Festival programmes over 70 best-selling UK and international crime authors and over 20 events.  It is promoted by the north of England’s leading arts festival organisation, Harrogate International Festivals.  Ranked in the top three literary festivals in the UK by the Guardian, it is also featured in the Independent ‘50 Best Festivals’.

ABOUT THEAKSTONS

Title sponsor of the Festival since 2005, Theakstons Old Peculier ale is produced by T & R Theakston Ltd.  It is one of the country’s most famous and highly regarded traditional ale brewers.  Theakstons was established in Masham, North Yorkshire in 1827 by Robert Theakston.  After a brief period in the 1980s when the company was acquired by Scottish & Newcastle plc, the company has been back under family ownership since Autumn 2003.  It now operates as an independent brewer producing five permanent brands in the Theakstons range including the iconic Old Peculier – its best-known beer with a rich, dark flavour, celebrated by ale enthusiasts all over Britain and around the world.  The brewery also produces twelve seasonal cask ales, together with keg and bottled brands.  Now appreciated by real ale lovers on the other side of the Atlantic, thanks to a recent agreement between the brewer and Latis Imports of Connecticut Theakstons Old Peculier is once again available in eighteen States in the USA.