Ian Fleming announcement: Charlie Higson Returns with King Zero

 

Ian Fleming are excited to announce King Zero, a blockbuster new adult James Bond novel from multi-million copy bestselling Young Bond creator, Charlie Higson. It will be published in the UK on 24th September 2026 by Penguin Michael Joseph.

Beginning with the murder of an agent in Saudi Arabia by a weapon never before seen by the Secret Service and spanning the globe in an epic race against time to avert global catastrophe, the novel brings the literary Bond squarely into the twenty-first century, where the old world that made him is crumbling and a terrifying new order emerges while a dangerous villain – the most distinctive since Goldfinger – moves in the shadows. Higson explores themes of power, technology, and international tensions over resources in an extraordinarily timely story.

“Having warmed up with my Young Bond series, and the short story, On His Majesty’s Secret Service, I’m beyond excited to be writing my first full blown adult Bond adventure. 20 years after first writing “The name’s Bond, James Bond,” it still sends shivers down my spine every time I type it. I’m having a blast with this new novel, which is absolutely set in the modern world, and I hope will sit comfortably on the airport bookshelves alongside other contemporary thrillers. It embraces the worlds of both the literary Bond and the cinematic Bond, and my bad guy has all the elements we expect from a classic Bond villain, with a twist that’s not been done before.” – Charlie Higson

“We are delighted to be working with Penguin Michael Joseph on the publication of King Zero. Charlie Higson’s return to James Bond follows his outstanding success with On His Majesty’s Secret Service, commissioned for the King’s Coronation, and we are delighted to be working with Charlie again, bringing the next chapter of Bond to fans.” – Amanda Douglas, Managing Director of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd.

“There’s no character in all of fiction quite like James Bond, and since Ian Fleming’s passing no-one has captured him quite so distinctively as Charlie Higson. We were swept away by Charlie’s vision for Bond which will delight old fans and new, and we can’t wait to make this the coolest, classiest publication of the year.” – Joel Richardson, Publisher at Michael Joseph

“Following Fleming: the first Q mystery, Quantum of Menace - by Vaseem Khan

 

It’s not often you have a book endorsed by Mick Herron, Ann Cleeves, Lee Child, Mark Billingham, Janice Hallett and Charlie Higson (among others) before it has even been published, but that is the (very fortunate) situation with my latest novel, Quantum of Menace, out on Oct 23rd.

 The book is the first in a mystery series featuring Q from the Bond franchise. In Quantum of Menace, Q – aka Major Boothroyd – finds himself unceremoniously booted out of MI6. A man at sea, he decides to return to his small hometown – the fictional Wickstone-on-Water – to reinvestigate the mysterious death of his childhood friend, a quantum computer scientist.

Quantum of Menace is not a spy novel, though Q’s past is a lurking presence that he cannot completely divorce himself from. This is a book about a man who has lost his bearings, a man contemplating a lonely future where he has become superfluous to requirements. It’s also a book about what modern Britain stands for and what fighting the good fight now means. Q has fought that fight for more years than he cares to remember. Now he must call upon his intellect to solve a more local crime.

During the course of his return home, we see Q coming to terms with his own broken past. We also, at long last, get to discover the man behind the Q myth.

In the build up to the book’s release, I recently spoke at the Henley Literary Festival, where I was interviewed by James Scudamore, a member of the Ian Fleming family, and one of the individuals behind the decision to ask me, in the summer of 2023 (via Ian Fleming Publishing Limited (IFPL), the publishing arm of the Ian Fleming estate), whether I might be interested in writing a mystery series featuring Q? Fair to say that I was stunned. It’s not every day you find yourself invited to take on one of the most iconic characters in fiction.

The requirement was not for another Bond-style spy thriller, but a traditional mystery. I was asked to put on my thinking cap.

But how does one approach the business of bringing to life someone else’s characters? I’ve been relatively fortunate in that from the beginning it was clear that I wasn’t imitating Fleming. The book was to be entirely my own creation, albeit using characters and a background that millions will be familiar with.

I presented several plots, and my own sense of how I wished the series to play out. In particular, given that Q appears only briefly in the novels, I was given carte blanche to bring Q to life as a ‘whole’ character – I chose not to paint him as a caricature but as a serious scientist, a man who has given his all to his country for three decades only to find himself cast aside. Is he bitter? Of course he is!

His return to his hometown is fraught with tension. Wickstone-on-Water is the sort of once sleepy place that often appears in cosy crime, but with a distinctly edgy vibe: a few thousand people whose halcyon view of the world is being tested by recent migration and the activities of county lines drugs traffickers.

In the book, Q investigates the mysterious death of his childhood friend, Peter Napier, a quantum computer scientist who had been on the verge of a major - and possibly very dangerous - breakthrough. With this particular plot, I hoped to tap into some of the fears about unchecked technological advancement that are impacting both individuals and state actors.

Yet, the plot is intensely local, and it is the personal relationships that Q is forced to resume that add the real tension to his return. We get to meet Q’s estranged father – Mortimer Boothroyd – a surly, retired ancient Roman historian, and his even more estranged childhood fiancé, now the detective in charge of the original investigation into Napier’s death.

I confess I’ve always had a soft spot for Q. He never appeared much in the books – essentially, almost everything we know about him comes from the films. But I always believed him to be a serious man, a weapons scientist who takes himself – and his mission – helping safeguard the civilised world – as a sacred trust. That’s the Q I have brought to life.

Quantum of Menace is undoubtedly a child of its time, another entry in the ‘clever cosy crime’ subgenre that has taken the publishing world by storm in recent years. For me the dilemma was simple: how do I combine what we love about the Bond canon – for instance, the prickly relationship between Bond and Q – whilst bringing in everything a sophisticated cosy audience has come to expect? i.e. dry wit, quirky personas and an emphasis on the puzzle rather than, say, rocket launchers fired from the tops of speeding trains?

The answer, I hope, is now enshrined within the pages of this book and its sequel, The Man with the Golden Compass, the opening chapters of which are included at the back of Quantum of Menace.

The tone of the novel lies somewhere between Mick Herron’s Slow Horses and Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club. There's dry humour, cryptic clues, an insight into Q's life at - and post - MI6, and, yes, Commander Bond puts in an appearance. How could he not!

Quantum of Menace by Vaseem Khan. (Bonnier Books Ltd) Out 23rd October 2025

Q is out of MI6 and into a new world of deceit and death. After Q (aka Major Boothroyd) is unexpectedly ousted from his role with British Intelligence developing technologies for MI6's OO agents, he finds himself back in his sleepy hometown of Wickstone-on-Water. His childhood friend, renowned quantum computer scientist Peter Napier, has died in mysterious circumstances, leaving behind a cryptic note. The police seem uninterested, but Q feels compelled to investigate and soon discovers that Napier's ground-breaking work may have attracted sinister forces . . . Can Q decode the truth behind Napier's death, even as danger closes in?

The book is out on October 23rd. You can find buy options here.

Publishing in hardback (including special editions by Waterstones, Goldsboro Books and independent bookshops), audio and e-book.

More information about Vaseem Khan can be found on his website. You can also find him on X @VaseemKhanUK and on Facebook @VaseemKhanOfficial

Agent Alert: New Hardback Covers

Memorandum sent 12/08/2024
 
Classification: Gold level (For Your Eyes Only)
 
To our agents in the field,

Today, August the twelfth, marks precisely 60 years since the death of Ian Lancaster Fleming – journalist, father, ‘the world’s worst stockbroker’, and of course author of the beloved stories detailing the exploits of our very own James Bond.

To mark this date, and celebrate Fleming’s legacy, Ian Fleming Publications are pleased to reveal the covers for their new hardback editions of all fourteen of Fleming’s original Bond adventures, created by legendary designer Michael Gillette.

10 new additions to the Penguin Green Crime Classics.

Penguin have announced 10 new additions to their Penguin Green Classics. The books are due to be published on 6 June 2024. Two specific new additions in particular have been out of print in the UK for quite some time. These are - 

The Chinese Gold Murders by Robert Van Gulik

An intricate, puzzle-like murder mystery set in Imperial China, featuring the indefatigable Judge Dee. A fantastically enjoyable tale by the master of the Tang dynasty mystery! Judge Dee is about to step into the shoes of a dead man…Most people would refuse the job of Magistrate at the lonely port town of Peng-lai – especially as the last occupant of the post has been found poisoned in his library, his papers missing. But Judge Dee is not most men. He arrives ready to get to the truth, only to find his life complicated even further by a missing bride, a vanished artisan, a man-eating tiger and an evil conspiracy. 

Robert Van Gulik was a Dutch orientalist, diplomat, musician, and writer, best known for the Judge Dee historical mysteries, the protagonist of which he borrowed from the 18th-century Chinese detective novel Dee Goong An.

I Married a Dead Man by Cornell Woolrich

 A wild and wildly compelling noir novel about a train crash and a case of a mistaken identity. What if you woke up to discover everyone thought you were somebody else? Pregnant and abandoned, all Helen Georgesson has is five dollars and a one-way ticket to San Francisco. Then she is involved in a train crash, and regains consciousness only to discover that she has given birth – and, in a bizarre twist of fate, has been mistaken for somebody else. Helen decides to claim this opportunity to make a new life for herself and her son. But eventually her past will catch up with her, in terrible ways…

Cornell Woolrich (1903-68) was one of the most admired and influential of all 20th century American crime writers. His work inspired many films, including most famously The Leopard Man, Phantom Lady, Rear Window, The Bride Wore Black, Mississippi Mermaid and Union City. He led a strange and often very unhappy life, latterly as a recluse in a Manhattan hotel.

The list of ten new titles is as follows for the new Penguin Green Crime Classics 

The Deadly Percheron by John Franklin Bardin

From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming

I Married a Dead Man By Cornell Woolrich

The Labyrinth Makers by Anthony Price

The Gold Mask by Edogawa Rampo

The Underground Man by Ross Macdonald

We Have Always Lived in a Castle by Shirley Jackson

The Night Manager by John Le Carre

Night at the Crossroads by Georges Simenon

The Chinese Gold Murders by Robert Van Gulik

My Favourite Non Fiction Reads 2023

This year I haven't read as many non-fiction books as I would have liked. However, the following are the non-fction books that I did read and enjoyed. They are in alphabetical order :-

Great and Horrible News: Murder and Mayhem in Early Modern Britain by Blessin Adams (Harper Collins)

Nine historic crimes. One familiar obsession. In early modern England, murder truly was most foul. Trials were gossipy events packed to the rafters with noisome spectators. Executions were public proceedings which promised not only gore, but desperate confessions and the grandest, most righteous human drama. Bookshops saw grisly stories of crime and death sell like hot cakes. This history unfolds the true stories of murder, criminal investigation, early forensic techniques, high court trials and so much more. In thrilling narrative, we follow a fugitive killer through the streets of London, citizen detectives clamouring to help officials close the net. We untangle the mystery of a suspected staged suicide through the newly emerging science of forensic pathology. We see a mother trying to clear her dead daughter's name while other women faced the accusations - sometimes true and sometimes not - of murdering their own children. These stories are pieced together from original research using coroner's inquests, court records, parish archives, letters, diaries and the cheap street pamphlets that proliferated to satisfy a voracious public. These intensely personal stories portray the lives of real people as they confronted the extraordinary crises of murder, infanticide, miscarriage and suicide. Many historical laws and attitudes concerning death and murder may strike us as exceptionally cruel, and yet many still remind us that some things never change: we are still fascinated by narratives of murder and true crime, murder trials today continue to be grand public spectacles, female killers are frequently cast as aberrant objects of public hatred and sexual desire, and suicide remains a sin within many religious organisations and was a crime in England until the 1960s. Great and Horrible News! explores the strange history of death and murder in early modern England, yet the stories within may appear shockingly familiar.

Love Me Fierce in Danger: The Life of James Ellroy by Steven Powell (Bloomsbury Publishing Plc)

Love Me Fierce In Danger is the story of James Ellroy, one of the most provocative and singular figures in American literature. The so-called "Demon Dog of Crime Fiction," Ellroy enjoys a celebrity status and notoriety that few authors can match. However, traumas from the past have shadowed his literary success. When Ellroy was ten years old, his mother was brutally murdered. The crime went unsolved, and her death marked the start of a long and turbulent road for Ellroy that has included struggles with alcoholism, drug addiction, homelessness, and jail time. In tracing his life and career, Steven Powell reveals how Ellroy's upbringing in LA, always on the periphery of Hollywood, had a profound and dark influence on his work as a novelist. Using new sources, Powell also uncovers Ellroy's family secrets, including the mysterious first marriage of his mother Jean Ellroy, eighteen years before her murder. At its heart, Love Me Fierce in Danger is the story of how Ellroy overcame his demons to become the bestselling and celebrated author of such classics as The Black Dahlia and LA Confidential. Informed by interviews with friends, family, peers, and literary and Hollywood collaborators, as well as extensive conversations with Ellroy himself, Love Me Fierce In Danger pulls back the curtain on an enigmatic figure who has courted acclaim and controversy with equal zealotry.

The Mysterious Romance of Murder: Crime Detection, and the Spirit of Noir by David Lehman (Cornell University Press)

From Sherlock Holmes to Sam Spade; Nick and Nora Charles to Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin; Harry Lime to Gilda, Madeleine Elster, and other femmes fatales—crime and crime solving in fiction and film captivate us. Why do we keep returning to Agatha Christie's ingenious puzzles and Raymond Chandler's hard-boiled murder mysteries? What do spy thrillers teach us, and what accounts for the renewed popularity of morally ambiguous noirs? In The Mysterious Romance of Murder, the poet and critic David Lehman explores a wide variety of outstanding books and movies—some famous (The Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity), some known mainly to aficionados—with style, wit, and passion. Lehman revisits the smoke-filled jazz clubs from the classic noir films of the 1940s, the iconic set pieces that defined Hitchcock's America, the interwar intrigue of Eric Ambler's best fictions, and the intensity of attraction between Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer, Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. He also considers the evocative elements of noir—cigarettes, cocktails, wisecracks, and jazz standards—and offers five original noir poems (including a pantoum inspired by the 1944 film Laura) and ironic astrological profiles of Barbara Stanwyck, Marlene Dietrich, and Graham Greene. The Mysterious Romance of Murder is written by a connoisseur with an uncanny feel for the language and mood of mystery, espionage, and noir.

Ian Fleming: The Complete Man by Nicholas Shakespeare (Vintage Publishing)

A fresh portrait of the man behind James Bond, and his enduring impact, by an award-winning biographer with unprecedented access to the Fleming family papers. Ian Fleming's greatest creation, James Bond, has had an enormous and ongoing impact on our culture. What Bond represents about ideas of masculinity, the British national psyche and global politics has shifted over time, as has the interpretation of the life of his author. But Fleming himself was more mysterious and subtle than anything he wrote. Ian's childhood with his gifted brother Peter and his extraordinary mother set the pattern for his ambition to be 'the complete man', and he would strive for the means to achieve this 'completeness' all his life. Only a thriller writer for his last twelve years, his dramatic personal life and impressive career in Naval Intelligence put him at the heart of critical moments in world history, while also providing rich inspiration for his fiction.

Casino Royale – 70 Years of 007

It is 2023 and 70 years ago today the first James Bond book Casino Royale by Ian Fleming was published. It was of course the start of what has subsequently become a symbolic series of books. It was the same year that Queen Elizabeth II was crowned, 14 books later and if you mention 007 everyone will know who you are talking about. 

For readers Ian Fleming's James Bond introduced us to an iconic character who is a coldblooded assassin and a hard drinker as well. You don't be come a double O without being willing to kill in cold blood. In my view it is clear that the groundwork for the James Bond character is laid out pretty much in its entirety in Casino Royale. His character has of course spawned a number of imitators. Think Sol Weinstein's Israeli Bond, Kim Newman's Anno Dracula novel  Dracula Cha-Cha-Cha whose vampire character is called Hamish Bond (this is by far my favourite), the 1981 novel Night Probel by Clive Cussler where his eponymous hero Dirk Pitt finds himself working with a retired Secret Service agent. Don Pendleton's Marc Bolan series and of course the James Coburn “Flint” films to name a few. 

Casino Royale is in my view a masterpiece. From the interesting and very clever intelligence reports that form parts of the opening chapters to the tales of an aged Cold War spy.

All the Bond books are atmospheric and obviously deserve to be recognised as the classics and best of the spy genre. Everyone has their favourite Bond book and I am no exception. My favourite Bond book unsurprisingly is Casino Royale. It is not solely because it is the first in the series, though that is part of the reason but also because for me (and possibly for others as well) it was the introduction to stubtle and not so stubtle product placement in books. It was also my introduction to spy thrillers as well. But then again, Ian Fleming mentions these things because they were things that he liked and enjoyed. Why mention food that you don't like to eat or cigarettes that you don't like to smoke. I loved the fact that he is very particuar about food and drink. Whilst Gin is my drink of choice, I will never turn down a good Martini. 

Furthermore, the thing about Ian Fleming's writing is that not only is it so quoteable but also it is the “hooks" at the end of chapters that heighten tension and pull the reader rapidly into the next chapter which one certainly wants to read. To this day reading the bit where Bond's genitals are being beaten with a carpet beater by Le Chiffre still makes me cringe. He has in my opinion and as Umberto Eco stated in his 1979 essay about the Bond books a rhythm, a polish, a certain sensuous feeling for words. For many also it is a book for boys.

All the key players of the series including MI6, Moneypenny, and M are introduced in Casino Royale, but we are also introduced to two other key characters that we will come into contact with in future books and that is Felix Leiter of the CIA who is a character in six 007 novels and René Mathis of the  French Deuxième Bureau who is also in From Russia With Love and is mentioned in Thunderball.

For me Casino Royale is the sort of thriller that for many it may not considered to be literature. However, it does in its own way read just as good as any literature book and in any event nowadays there are quite a few thrillers that should be considered not only as thrillers but also literature as well. 

The plot itself is quite simplistic and concise and whilst I certainly favour the 2006 version of Casino Royale as one of my favourite Bond films. It is the simplicity of the book which makes it standout. The final twist in the story and Bond’s bitter response to it, sets his character up for the rest of the series of books. The Bond in the books is of course mostly the same “Bond” all through the series. He does however change in that the further away from the war in the books the calmer he comes across.

Spy thrillers to this day still follow the trend set out in Casino Royale in that they continue to reflect the real world and of course good against evil.  In fact, to this day the plots and themes of Casino Royale are surprisingly current.

Casino Royale has always been for me a first-rate thriller. Whilst it’s not a very long read, I personally love this book in that it captures the reader and holds on until the end. With a breathtaking plot where by Fleming manages to keep us (or I should say) as far as I am concerned, enthralled and looking forward to more books in the series. For Casino Royale to be celebrating 70 years and for the Bond canon to still be seen as one who aet the original standard which has since been copied by others. It is not surprising that if readers are asked to name their favourite spies, Bond will always been on the list. Bond is of course one of the ultimate heroes in fiction.  Casino Royale is the best Ian Fleming novel in my opinion and if you are only going to read only one, this is it.

Crimewave Heads to Bristol

 

A crimewave is headed to Bristol as CrimeFest sees more than 150 authors take part in the crime fiction convention this May.

CrimeFest, which is sponsored by Specsavers, has revealed its full line up for the four-day celebration of the UK’s most popular genre, hosted at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel from Thursday 11 to Sunday 14 May, 2023.

Alongside 2023 featured guests - stalwarts of the genre, Mark Billingham and Elly Griffiths – around 50 panels will explore everything from crime fiction set during World War Two, to the crime genre in the digital age.

Panellists include Andrew Child, co-author of the Jack Reacher novels, adapted as Reacher by Amazon Prime, author of the award-winning crime series set in India, Vaseem Khan, and Robert Thorogood, the creator behind the smash-hit BBC One series, Death in Paradise.

As Nielson book data report that sales of crime fiction in 2022 are up 19% pre-pandemic levels, one panel explores today’s ‘New Golden Age’ with the leading authority of the original Golden Age of crime fiction, Martin Edwards, alongside Janice Hallett, best known for her phenomenally successful debut, The Appeal. The panel is chaired by Agatha Christie’s publisher, David Brawn.

Nielson book data also reported an “increased appetite” in ‘cosy crime’ in 2022 book sales. The panel, ‘Keeping it Cosy’ features the former journalist turned mystery writer, Fiona Veitch Smith, and author of the Lady Hardcastle mysteries, T E Kinsey.

Marking the 70th anniversary of the publication of Casino Royale, the first James Bond novel, this year’s Ghost of Honour commemorates Ian Fleming. The panel includes the first female 007 author, Kim Sherwood. She will be joined by Corinne Turner, managing director of Ian Fleming Publications, with panel moderator, Simon Brett.

Also attending from Colorado is the winner of last year’s CrimeFest Specsavers Debut Crime Novel award with Winter Counts, David Heska Wanbli Weiden. The Professor of Native American Studies and Political Science at Metropolitan State University of Denver is an enrolled citizen of the Sicangu Lakota nation. He was named by the New York Times as one of “the most critically acclaimed young novelists working now.”

He will feature on a panel with the Icelandic novelist, playwright, and former wife of the Prime Minister of Iceland, Jónína Leósdóttir.

The former police detective turned author, Graham Bartlett appears on the panel, ‘Society: What Crime Fiction Says About Us’. Bartlett has advised some of the biggest names in crime fiction to inject reality into procedurals, and has now turned to crime fiction, with his debut, Bad for Good.

Panellists also include the son of Dick Francis, the crime writer Felix Francis, creator of the Cait Morgan Mysteries Cathy Ace, the international number one bestselling author, Liz Nugent, and Antony Johnston, the New York Times-bestselling creator of Atomic Blonde, the hit movie based on his graphic novel.

Bristol author The Sunday Times bestselling author, C. L. Taylor, who has sold nearly two million copies of her books in the UK alone, also features. As does the multi-million bestselling author Adele Parks, who will be discussing plot twists in ‘A Twist in the Tale’ with her fellow blockbusting author, Lisa Jewell, who has topped the New York Times and Sunday Times charts.

Author, playwright and TV and radio producer Simon Brett features on a panel ‘Partners in Crime’, chaired by Kate Ellis, best known for her series of detective novels which blend history and mystery.

Kia Abdullah, whose novel Take it Back was a Guardian and Telegraph thriller of the year will be on the panel, ‘Protagonists Under Pressure’ with the Scottish author, Caro Ramsay.

Leading minds from the genre include the Financial Times crime fiction reviewer and genre expert, Barry Forshaw, the chair of the Crime Writers’ Association and all-round publishing polymath, Maxim Jakubowski, alongside the President of the Detection Club - the novelist and leading authority on crime fiction, Martin Edwards.

Highlights include the annual Pub Quiz with the journalist and author Peter Guttridge as the Inquisitor; Peter is also the Toastmaster at the annual CrimeFest Awards.

Bristol-born Dame Mary Lesley Perkins DBE co-founded the optician chain and is an avid reader. Dame Mary will attend the CrimeFest gala dinner and awards presentation, which features the CrimeFest Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award. The annual CrimeFest awards are now in their 16th year and honour the best crime books released in 2022 in the UK.

Director and co-founder of CrimeFest, Adrian Muller, said: “The fact that sales of the genre continue to rise, and it now dominates our TV screens shows the remarkable appeal of crime fiction. The line-up this year illustrates the wealth and breadth of topics behind a genre that not only offers escapism and entertainment, but can also give insights and comment on pressing issues in society.”

Donna Moore, co-founder of CrimeFest, added: “CrimeFest is a chance for readers and authors to mingle in a friendly, accessible, and fun setting. We hope people will come along, and be inspired.”

Panel topics explore humour in crime fiction, serial killers, psychological thrillers, and the importance of settings. A Fresh Blood panel will also showcase debut authors.

For those who think it’s a crime to miss Eurovision, CrimeFest will also be screening the Eurovision Final Song Contest on Saturday 13 May in the convention hotel.

CrimeFest runs at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel from 11-14 May, 2023. For details and to book, go to: https://www.crimefest.com/

2022 CWA Dagger Awards Announced

 

Ray Celestin, Janice Hallett and Mark Billingham awarded 2022 CWA Daggers.

The winners of the 2022 CWA Daggers, which honour the very best in the crime writing genre, have been announced.

Ray Celestin takes home two Daggers for his novel Sunset Swing. Celestin was awarded the CWA Gold Dagger for the crime novel of the year as well as the Historical Dagger.

Sunset Swing is the closing act of Celestin’s City Blues Quartet set in Los Angeles at the end of 1967. Judges praised the novel for its cast of original characters that mingle with historical figures on a big and ‘evocative canvas’.

Maxim Jakubowski, Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, said: “This is a book bursting with heart, soul and spirit, at once all-encompassing and intimate, superbly paced and immaculately constructed. It’s a testimony to this book that Ray has scooped not just one, but two CWA Daggers.”

Past winners of the CWA Gold Dagger include John le Carré, Reginald Hill and Ruth Rendell.

The prestigious Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Daggers are the oldest awards in the genre and have been synonymous with quality crime writing for over half a century.

The winner of the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger is MW Craven for Dead Ground. Awarded for best thriller, the Dagger is sponsored by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, the Fleming family-owned company that looks after the James Bond literary brand.

MW Craven credited the CWA Debut Dagger competition in 2013 for opening the door to his career as an author. He went on to win the CWA Gold Dagger in 2019 for The Puppet Show.

Dead Ground was praised by the judges for its complex characters and deftly constructed plot: “Once again Craven proves himself the master in the art of writing suspense and action.”

The anticipated John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger highlights the best debut novels.

This year the accolade goes to Janice Hallet for The Appeal, which was a Sunday Times Crime Book of the Year, praised as a “dazzlingly clever cosy crime novel”.

The ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction goes to Julia Laite for The Disappearance of Lydia Harvey: A True Story of Sex, Crime and the Meaning of Justice, a poignant account of the short life of a New Zealand woman trafficked as part of the burgeoning sex trade at the start of the twentieth century.

This is the first year the Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger has been sponsored by the CWA Chair, Maxim Jakubowski, in honour of his wife Dolores Jakubowski, now suffering from Alzheimer’s, who was a translator and university lecturer, and a great friend to the crime-writing community. Maxim will sponsor the Dagger in her honour in perpetuity.

This year the Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger 2022, sponsored in honour of Dolores Jakubowski, goes to Simone Buchholz for Hotel Cartagena, a tense hostage drama set in a hotel in Hamburg.

The CWA Daggers are one of the few high-profile awards that honour the short story. Paul Magrs scoops the award for ‘Flesh of a Fancy Woman’, praised as “a wonderfully evocative mix of the Dickensian and the Ealing black and white films.”

The Dagger in the Library is voted on exclusively by librarians, chosen for the author’s body of work and support of libraries. This year it goes to Mark Billingham. After a career as an actor and stand-up comedian, Billingham published his first crime novel in 2001. He’s best known for his London-based detective Tom Thorne, which series was adapted by Sky TV starring David Morrissey. His latest book is Rabbit Hole.

This year the chair of the Dagger in the Library judges, Sue Wilkinson MBE, sadly died. At the event the CWA paid tribute to Sue for her passion for reading and her hard work, and thanked Ian Anstice for assuming the role of Acting Chair.

One of the anticipated highlights of the annual Daggers is the Debut Dagger competition, open only to uncontracted writers. The competition can lead to securing representation and a publishing contract – corporate and associate members of the CWA can access the shortlisted entries and often go on to make offers to the writers.

This year, the winner of the Debut Dagger 2022 sponsored by ProWritingAid is Anna Maloney, who has written for TV and works as a script consultant. Her novel, The 10:12, is about a train hijacking and the woman who leads a counter attack, and the aftermath.

The Dagger for the Best Crime and Mystery Publisher, which celebrates publishers and imprints demonstrating excellence and diversity in crime writing, goes to Faber & Faber. The shortlist is selected by a representative group of leading book reviewers, booksellers, agents and journalists.

The CWA’s Red Herring, for services to crime writing and the CWA, was awarded posthumously in memory of Thalia Proctor, who died this year aged 51, and was highly regarded in publishing circles. Maxim said: “Thalia endeared herself to everyone and will be sadly missed.” Her family were present to collect the award.

The CWA Diamond Dagger, awarded to an author whose crime-writing career has been marked by sustained excellence, is announced in early spring each year and in 2022 it was awarded to CJ Sansom, author of the acclaimed Matthew Shardlake series set in Tudor times, as well as standalones such as alternative history Dominion.

On the night, the previous two winners of the Diamond Dagger, Martina Cole in 2021 and Martin Edwards in 2020, were also celebrated after the hiatus of the pandemic.

The winners were announced at a Gala Dinner at the Leonardo City Hotel on Cooper’s Row in London on Wednesday 29 June. The ceremony was compered by genre expert and author, Barry Forshaw, and bestselling author Victoria Selman. CWA Booksellers Champion and bestselling author Elly Griffiths was the after-dinner speaker.

Maxim said: “It’s always an honour to be part of the annual Dagger awards. This year feels extra special as it’s the first time we’ve gathered to celebrate the best in crime writing since 2019. I’d like to congratulate not only all the winners, but also all those shortlisted. It’s a terrific achievement.”

One of the UK’s most prominent societies, the CWA was founded in 1953 by John Creasey; the awards started in 1955 with its first award going to Winston Graham, best known for Poldark.

Dagger Winners 2022

CWA GOLD DAGGER

Sunset Swing by Ray Celestin (Macmillan; Mantle)

CWA IAN FLEMING STEEL DAGGER

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

CWA JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER

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

CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER

Sunset Swing, by Ray Celestin (Pan Macmillan; Mantle)

CWA ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION

The Disappearance of Lydia Harvey: A True Story of Sex, Crime and the Meaning of Justice by Julia Laite (Profile Books)

CWA CRIME FICTION IN TRANSLATION DAGGER sponsored in honour of Dolores Jakubowski

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

CWA SHORT STORY DAGGER

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

CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY

Mark Billingham

CWA PUBLISHERS DAGGER

Faber & Faber

CWA DEBUT DAGGER sponsored by ProWritingAid

The 10:12 by Anna Maloney

THE CWA RED HERRING for services to crime writing and the CWA

In memory of Thalia Proctor

New James Bond trilogy featuring the next generation of Double O agents to be published

HarperCollins Publishers acquire licence to thrill with a fully authorised new James Bond trilogy from Kim Sherwood, featuring the next generation of Double O agents

HarperCollins Publishers have acquired the UK & Commonwealth and US & Canadian rights to three contemporary thrillers by Kim Sherwood set in the world of James Bond that feature a new raft of Double O agents for the 21st century. The deal was negotiated by Kathryn Cheshire in the UK and David Highfill at William Morrow in the US, with Jonny Geller and Viola Hayden of Curtis Brown, on behalf of Ian Fleming Publications Limited. Kim Sherwood is represented by Susan Armstrong at C&W Agency. 

James Bond is missing, presumed captured or even killed. All of Bond’s contemporaries are gone and a new generation of Double O agents has been recruited to replace them and battle a global threat. At the same time, M and Moneypenny are searching for a mole in MI6. Will the truth be uncovered in time – or is this the end of the Double O section?

Kathryn Cheshire says: “James Bond is one of the most recognisable names in the world, and I was so excited when the Double O project came across my desk. Kim is steeped in the world of James Bond, and this trilogy is fresh, contemporary, and thrill-a-minute, with a new generation of spies everyone will love. It’s going to be so much fun to publish, and I cannot wait for readers to be introduced to the new Double O world!”

David Highfill says: “Kim Sherwood has pulled off the seemingly impossible task of writing a new Bond novel that’s both respectful of Fleming’s original genius and yet refreshingly modern. The book is audacious, pacey, sexy and just irresistibly entertaining. People are going to be talking about this one.” 

Kim Sherwood says: “James Bond has been one of the enduring loves of my life since I first watched Pierce Brosnan dive from the dam in GoldenEye. I was soon hooked on Ian Fleming’s novels. As a teenager, I chose Fleming when my English teacher asked us to write about an author we admired – I still have the school report. Since then, I’ve dreamt of writing James Bond. It’s rare that dreams come true, and I am grateful to the Fleming family for this incredible opportunity. I feel honoured to be the first novelist to expand the Bond universe through the Double O sector, bringing new life to old favourites, and fresh characters to the canon. I couldn’t be more excited to introduce the world to my Double O agents.”

Corinne Turner, Managing Director of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, says: “In her first novel, Testament, Kim showed a rare gift for characterisation, time and place. She drew readers into a journey that unfolded in unexpected ways. These talents and her near lifelong passion for Fleming and Bond make her the perfect choice for this exciting new extension of the 007 universe. I can’t wait for readers to see what she’s created.”

Jonny Geller says: “We struck gold with this latest collaboration with Kim Sherwood as not only is she a fine novelist but a Fleming aficionado of the highest order. Her re-imagining of some of our favourite characters and world building will delight any fan of James Bond and Ian Fleming.” 

Dagger Awards update!

Press Release

Dagger Awards to Carry Cash Prizes and 

Open to Authors to Self-Nominate 

The CWA Daggers – synonymous with quality crime writing for over half a century – is set to again award cash prizes beginning in 2023, for titles published and nominated in 2022. Detail of the amounts will be announced next year. The CWA is delighted to reinstate this tradition, thanks to renewed support and sponsorship.

In the same year the CWA will accept Dagger nominations from authors themselves. Traditionally published authors who meet the eligibility criteria will be able to nominate their own titles for a Dagger, as will self-published authors who are members of the CWA.

The new eligibility criteria follow the change of rules earlier this year to allow self-published authors who successfully demonstrate professionalism to become CWA members for the first time in its 68-year history.

The move came after the CWA consulted its members, who voted with an 84% majority in favour to accept self-published authors.

Maxim Jakubowski, Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, said: “The Daggers are assuredly the best and most accurate reflection of what's happening on the crime and mystery writing front. The time is right to reflect that prestige by again awarding a cash prize along with certain Daggers. It’s also true that the publishing landscape has changed in recent years. Self-publishing has become a route for professional writers, and indeed there are many trailblazers in this field. It’s important our awards recognise this, and of course if self-published authors can nominate their titles, then it’s important we extend that right to eligible authors who are traditionally published, too.”

The awards remain open as normal to traditional publishers of the genre who are invited to nominate their authors’ titles. A fifty per cent discount on the nomination fee applies to titles by CWA members, whether submitted by a publisher or author.

Maxim added: “We continue to be committed to quality. Successful self-publishing requires the same professional approach that publishers take. Our aim is to ensure the Daggers stay relevant, accessible and open to all talent.”

A thriving, growing community with a membership encompassing authors of all ages and at all stages of their careers, the CWA is UK-based, yet attracts many members from overseas.

It supports author members, as well as literary agents, publishers, bloggers and editors, through its own activities and through the Crime Readers’ Association (CRA). The CRA distributes a free digital monthly newsletter showcasing CWA authors and related news to around 12,000 subscribers, while the CRA website provides readers with news and features by CWA members, as does the bimonthly ezine, Case Files.

The CWA also supports unpublished writers, many of whom enter the Debut Dagger competition and the Margery Allingham Short Mystery competition.

For authors wishing to enter the Debut Dagger competition, sponsored by ProWritingAid, they mustn’t have had any fiction over 20,000 words of any genre traditionally published, or self-published in the last five years.

The CWA’s Dagger judging panels remain strictly independent and are refreshed every year.

The organisation also supports libraries and booksellers, with two Library Champions and a Booksellers Champion, Elly Griffiths, as well as promoting its annual National Crime Reading Month in June.

Eligibility restrictions apply on particular Dagger categories; entrants can check out the full guidelines on the CWA website.

Ian Fleming Publishing, ALCS and ProWritingAid are regular sponsors of the Daggers; the CWA is very grateful for their support.