Capital Crime 2024 headliners announced: Ian Rankin, Irvine Welsh, Ann Cleeves, Anthony Horowitz and Kellye Garrett

 IAN RANKIN, IRVINE WELSH, ANN CLEEVES, 

ANTHONY HOROWITZ AND KELLYE GARRETT TO HEADLINE CAPITAL CRIME 2024

Capital Crime 2024 to be held in Spring at the Leonardo Royal Hotel 

for second year, from 30th May to 1st June.

Capital Crime, the celebrated crime and thriller festival led by Goldsboro Books’ co-founder and managing director David Headley, has announced that it will be returning in 2024 to its new home of the Leonardo Royal Hotel, from 30th May until 1st June 2024.

Authors and speakers confirmed so far are:

Ian Rankin, creator of Inspector Rebus

Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh

Ann Cleeves, author of the Vera and Shetland series

Author and screenwriter Anthony Horowitz

Rising star of US crime fiction Kellye Garrett

Author and barrister Rob Rinder

Elly Griffiths, creator of the Ruth Galloway series

Silo creator Hugh Howey

Alex Michaelides, author of the global bestseller The Silent Patient

An unforgettable new voice in cosy crime Paula Sutton, otherwise known as the queen of cottage-core and the face behind Hill House Vintage.

The full line-up will be announced early next year.

Also returning are the festival’s Fingerprint Awards, which this year saw authors including Erin Kelly and Adele Parks celebrated for the first time ever; and the social outreach initiative, which aims to demystify the industry for young state-school Londoners considering a career in publishing. Early bird weekend tickets for next year are on sale now at www.capitalcrime.org.

In August 2023, Capital Crime returned triumphantly to London, in its brand-new home of the Leonardo Royal Hotel St Paul’s, with a star-studded three days of panels, events and launches with over 100 leading voices from crime fiction, including a sold-out event with Richard Osman and Miles Jupp.

Capital Crime co-founder David Headley said:

‘Next year’s line-up is already shaping up beautifully, with some of the most talented writers from all around the country signed up – and from the US, we’re delighted to welcome the enormously exciting Kellye Garrett and Silo creator Hugh Howey. I'm so delighted that Capital Crime champions authors not only on stage, but with our Fingerprint Awards where the readers vote for their winners in each category – every year our line-up reflects what fans are reading and this year's line-up is very exciting.’

Capital Crime Festival Director Lizzie Curle said:

‘We loved our brilliant new venue in St Paul’s, and from the feedback we’ve received from authors and attendees, so did everyone else! I’m honoured that we’ll be welcoming some of the best crime writers from around the world to join us in London, to celebrate crime and thriller writing with the authors, readers and fans who make Capital Crime possible. Our 2024 festival promises to be bigger and better than ever before.’

On Trial with Rob Rinder

 My debut novel, The Trial, is a legal thriller set in the Chambers of London’s Temple District.

The inspiration behind the book was twofold. First and foremost, I wanted to write something that would entertain and provide escapism for readers. And perhaps even more importantly, having practiced law for over twenty years, I wanted to relive my own experiences of the Bar and give readers a real insight into the somewhat closed-off and mysterious world of Chambers – to highlight the murkier aspects of the British legal system, and to explore a question I have never been able to answer fully: ‘What is justice?’.

As the book opens, we become witness to the poisoning of hero policeman, Grant Cliveden, and his shocking death inside the Old Bailey. We then meet Adam Green, a trainee barrister who works on the defence case. All the evidence points to Jimmy Knight, who has been convicted of multiple offences before. But as Adam digs deeper, he realises the case is not as clear-cut as had first been assumed.

The book is, at its heart, a page-turning whodunnit aimed at keeping readers on their toes. And as the narrative unfolds, we are also exposed to the inner workings of the British justice system too. This is done through the eyes of Adam Green, a slightly socially awkward young man from a working-class background. Sitting outside of the usual barrister stereotype, Green must learn to fit in with the glamour of chambers and deal with colleagues whose priorities are not always focussed (to his surprise!) on upholding the highest standards of the law. His pupil master, Jonathan Taylor-Cameron, for example, is often more concerned with pursuing his multiple mistresses than acquitting his clients.

Adam is an echo of my younger self, insofar as he is from a non-traditional legal background and must work tirelessly to prove himself as a worthy member of this new world. He is also discernibly Jewish, and the book is punctuated with telephone calls to his mum who is constantly trying to invade his house and work out why he has not yet married a nice Jewish girl. Through these interactions, we learn about the small cases Adam takes on (including his representation of an 82-year-old sex worker named Gloria), as well as the high-profile trials that come to define his career.

The world I have created is inspired by what I experienced at the Bar – and is intended to be a mirror of what it was like when I first arrived on the law scene, though it has become slightly more serious and professional since I joined.

Revisiting old tales from my time as a junior barrister made writing The Trial a total delight and took me on a wonderful trip down memory lane. I hope I have been able to create an authentic account of what living, and working, within this world looks like.

The Trial was also inspired by one of my favourite writers, John Mortimer, whose brilliant Rumpole series has a special place in my heart. Not only do these books approach the legal system with a sense of warmth and wit, but they are the very thing that encouraged me to train as a lawyer all those years ago. When I began writing The Trial, I knew I wanted to embody Rumpole’s rich tapestry of humour but make it relevant and exciting to a contemporary audience. And, who knows, perhaps it will inspire a budding young student to embark on their own legal career too!

As someone who loves to read, I have been delighted with early reactions to The Trial. What I love the most is that readers feel as though they have been invited into an otherwise alien world that is slightly outside the reach of most people’s understanding. But beyond shining a light on the inner workings of the legal system, readers have responded to themes surrounding class, the “importance” of fitting in and, at the very core of it, the idea of what justice itself really means.

The Trial by Rob Rinder is published by Century on 22 June. £20 Hardback, £9.99 Ebook and £13 Audiobook. 

One murder, one impossible case, who is guilty? When hero policeman Grant Cliveden dies from a poisoning in the Old Bailey, it threatens to shake the country to its core. The evidence points to one man. Jimmy Knight has been convicted of multiple offences before and defending him will be no easy task. Not least because this is trainee barrister Adam Green's first case. But it will quickly become clear that Jimmy Knight is not the only person in Cliveden's past with an axe to grind. The only thing that's certain is that this is a trial which will push Adam - and the justice system itself - to the limit . . .

Hear Rob in conversation about The Trial at one of his events: https://linktr.ee/thetrial 

You can also find him on Twitter @RobbieRinder and on Instagram @robrinder

Forthcoming Crime Books from Century (Incl Cornerstone)

January 2023

The Other Guest is by Heidi Perks. She thinks she knows the truth. But what if she's wrong? Laila and her husband arrive for a week's holiday in Greece in desperate need of a reset. As Laila sits by the pool she finds herself inexplicably drawn to the other family staying in their resort. Em has no idea who Laila is, or that she has been watching her and her teenage sons and husband so intently. Five days later their worlds will be blown apart by a horrifying event. Laila thinks she knows the truth of what happened. But in telling Em what she's seen, she stands to lose everything she holds dear. And what if she's got it wrong?

February 2023

One house. Nine guests. Endless motives for murder... In the seaside town of Hamlet Wick, nine guests assemble for a New Year's Eve party to remember. The owner of Hamlet Hall has organised a murder mystery evening with a 1920s twist, and everyone has their own part to play. But the game has barely begun when one guest is found dead - killed by a fatal injury to the head. With no phone signal and no way out of the house, the others are trapped with a killer in their midst. Someone is playing by their own rules. And in a close-knit community, old rivalries run deep... The Murder Game is by Tom Hindle.

Unnatural History is by Jonathan Kellerman. When a photographer is found inside an LA warehouse slumped in bed, shot to death, it sets in motion a complex and dangerous case for Lieutenant Milo Sturgis and Psychologist Alex Delaware. The victim had just received rave media attention for his latest project - images of homeless people living out their 'dreams'. But there were many who saw the work as crass exploitation. Did anger turn to homicidal rage? Or do the roots of violence reach down to the victim's own family? As new murders arise, Alex and Milo must peel back the layers of the case - and will find themselves coming up against in one of the deadliest threats they've ever faced...

The Chase is by Ava Glass.Move fast. Stay Dark. These are the instructions sent to new operative Emma Makepeace. She's been assigned to track down a man wanted by the Russians and bring him into MI5. It should be easy. But the Russians have eyes everywhere. Emma knows that if spotted she and her target will be killed. What follows is a perilous chase through London's night-time streets. But in a city full of cameras, where can you hide?

March 2023

David and Cheryl Burroughs are living the dream - married, a beautiful house in the suburbs, a three year old son named Matthew - when tragedy strikes one night in the worst possible way.David awakes to find himself covered in blood, but not his own - his son's. And while he knows he did not murder his son, the overwhelming evidence against him puts him behind bars indefinitely. Five years into his imprisonment, Cheryl's sister arrives - and drops a bombshell. She's come with a photograph that a friend took on vacation at a theme park. The boy in the background seems familiar - and even though David realizes it can't be, he knows it is. It's Matthew, and he's still alive. David plans a harrowing escape from prison, determined to do what seems impossible - save his son, clear his own name, and discover the real story of what happened that devastating night. I Will Find You is by Harlan Coben.

May 2023

The Fall is by Gilly Macmilan. Be careful what you wish for... Nicole and Tom's lives are changed overnight by a ten-million-pound lottery win. Before they know it they've moved into a state-of-the-art Glass Barn conversion in the stunning grounds of Lancaut Manor in Gloucestershire. But their dream quickly turns into a nightmare when Tom is found dead in the swimming pool, with a nasty wound on the back of his head. Someone close to home must be responsible. But other than the young couple who live in the Manor, and their housekeeper in the Coach House next door, there's no one around for miles. Who among them is capable of murder?

June 2023

The Trial is by Rob Rinder. Meet Adam Green. Misfit. Purveyor of justice. Barrister-in-training. When hero policeman Grant Cliveden dies from a poisioning in the Old Bailey, it threatens to shake the country to its core. Who is responsibl? And can they be found before theystrike again? The evidence points to one man. Jimmy Knight has been convicted of multiple offences before and defending him will be no easy task. Not least because this is trainee barrister Adam Green's first case. But it will quickly become clear that Jimmy Knight is not the only person in Civeden's past with an axe to grind. Follow Adam on his first gripping case that will take him from the murky world of Chambers to the splendour of the Old Bailey.