In The St Hilda's Spotlight - Robert Goddard

 Name:- Robert Goddard

Job:- Author

Twitter :- @RobertGoddardUK

Introduction

Goddard's first novel, Past Caring, was published in 1986. Into the Blue, (1990) the first of the Harry Barnett novels won the first WH Smith Thumping Good Read Award, Long Time Coming which was published in the UK in 2009 won the 2011 Edgar Award for Best Original Paperback and was nominated for the 2011 Anthony award in the same category In 2019, Goddard was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger by the Crime Writers' Association. He has also received acclaim for his historical Wide World trilogy, set in Europe and Japan during 1919, and featuring the intrepid ex-flying ace James ‘Max’ Maxted.He has since written more than twenty novels; the majority have been Sunday Times Top Ten best-sellers in the UK.

Current book? (This can either be the current book that you are reading or writing or both) 

I’m currently immersed in a lot of background reading for a new novel in which we will return to some of the characters who featured in This is the Night They Come for You.

Favourite book: 

It’s a close call between The Calculus Affair and The Castafiore Emerald - Hergé’s greatest achievements in his Tintin series that so captivated me as a child. 

Which two characters would you invite to dinner and why? 

Bearing in mind my previous answer, I think it should probably be Captain Haddock and Bianca Castafiore. Sparks are likely to fly, but Haddock’s fondness for whisky has blinded many to his appreciation of fine wine - plus he can entertain us with anecdotes culled from his nautical career and, late in the evening, perhaps a sea shanty or two, accompanied by the Milanese Nightingale herself. 

How do you relax? 

Walking, watching cricket and loitering in pubs. 

Which book do you wish you had written and why? 

I’m not really sure how to answer this question, as we all write in our own way and if I wrote somebody else’s book I’d end up re-writing it in my particular style. 

What would you say to your younger self if you were just starting out as a writer. 

You really are going to be able to sustain a career as a writer! 

How would you describe your latest published book? 

The St Hilda’s event is set to coincide with publication of my latest novel, The Fine Art of Uncanny Prediction, which features a second appearance by Japanese detective Umiko Wada and sees her drawn into a nest of mysteries concerning her former boss Kazuto Kodaka and the troubled past of Japan itself. 

With Celebrations: innocent parties, guilty pleasures being the theme at St Hilda's this year, which are you three favourite psychological books and why? 

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, The Magus by John Fowles and The Secret History by Donna Tartt - classics of psychologically intriguing storytelling all three. 

If you were to rewatch a psychological film which film would it be and why? 

Picnic at Hanging Rock - there’s a chance that one day I’ll be able to work out what actually happened at Hanging Rock that summer’s day in 1900, even though I realize the scriptwriter didn’t know himself.

What are you looking forward to at St Hilda’s? 

The unexpected! 

The Fine Art of Uncanny Prediction by Robert Goddard (Transworld Publshers Ltd) Out 17 August 2023

Umiko Wada never set out to be a private detective, let alone become the one-woman operation behind the Kodaka Detective Agency. But so it has turned out, thanks to the death of her former boss, Kazuto Kodaka, in mysterious circumstances. Keen to avoid a similar fate, Wada chooses the cases she takes very carefully. A businessman who wants her to track down his estranged son offers what appears to be a straightforward assignment. Soon she finds herself pulled into a labyrinthine conspiracy with links to a twenty-seven-year-old investigation by her late employer and to the chaos and trauma of the dying days of the Second World War. As Wada uncovers a dizzying web of connections between then and now, it becomes clear that someone has gone to extraordinary lengths to keep the past buried. Soon those she loves most will be sucked into the orbit of one of the most powerful men in Tokyo. And he will do whatever it takes to hold on to his power...

Information about 2023 St Hilda's College Crime Fiction Weekend and how to book tickets can be found here.

CrimeFest Donates Books to Libraries Across Bristol

 

The Big Library Crime Book Giveaway, organised by the UK’s biggest crime fiction convention CrimeFest, takes place at the end of April.

Roughly 650 crime books will be given to all 27 libraries across the city from 29 April – 1 May.

The initiative is being supported by bestselling author, Ann Cleeves, who is a vocal advocate of reading and libraries as a ‘lifeline’.

Ann, who is behind the phenomenal Vera and Shetland series, both adapted to prime-time TV, is a featured guest at the 2022 CrimeFest convention, which is hosted at the Mercure Bristol Grande Hotel from 12 to 15 May.

Ann Cleeves said: “It’s fantastic that CrimeFest is giving away hundreds of books to libraries in Bristol. All genres owe a lot to the work of libraries, but crime fiction is the most borrowed genre. Accessible and popular, crime fiction offers a gateway into reading, and the many benefits that brings. I’ve long been a vocal champion of libraries and their importance for our communities, so I’m delighted to throw my support behind this initiative.”

CrimeFest has run the Big Library Crime Book Giveaway since 2016. In addition, it provides discounted tickets to its convention to librarians. The UK’s biggest crime fiction convention also donated £5k worth of books to inner city school libraries across Bristol, with support from the independent bookshop Max Minerva, and the convention’s title sponsor, Specsavers.

Books in the giveaway include titles by many authors who will be appearing in Bristol at the event this year, including Steve Mosby, Robert Goddard, Kia Abdullah and Sam Carrington.

Kate Murray, Head of Bristol’s Library Service, said: “We’re really pleased to be taking part in the Big Library Crime Book Giveaway again this year across all of our 27 libraries in Bristol. It is fantastic to get books into the hands of readers and get people into libraries where they can talk to staff and find out more about what’s on in their local library and the wide range of services we offer. Reading for pleasure can have such a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing so we’re really pleased to take part in this giveaway and share the joy of reading across the city.”

Crime novels dominate library lending, with Jack Reacher’s Lee Child regularly being the most borrowed author year-on-year. Lee’s brother Andrew Child will make his first UK appearance at CrimeFest since taking over the helm of the Jack Reacher series. An author in his own right as Andrew Grant, the younger brother of Lee Child has been hugely successful as the continuation author, dominating the bestseller lists. The books have also been dramatised for Amazon Prime.

Hosted in Bristol, CRIMEFEST is one of the biggest crime fiction events in Europe, and one of the most popular dates in the international crime fiction calendar, with circa 60 panel events and 150 authors over four days.

Adrian Muller, Co-host of CRIMEFEST, said: “Crime fiction is a popular gateway into reading. In a cost-of-living crisis, we want to encourage people to take advantage of the fact they can access a wealth of free books at their local library. School and community libraries and librarians play a role in transforming lives by fostering a love for reading. Reading can be transformative not only emotionally, but on an educational, economic and social level.”

Research by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has shown that reading for pleasure is a higher indication of academic success than parental status or income.

CrimeFest is at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel from 12-15 May, 2022 

www.crimefest.com

CrimeFest Announce 2022 Line-Up

 

Ann Cleeves, Andrew Child, Martin Edwards and Robert Goddard feature at one of Europe’s biggest crime fiction conventions this spring.

CrimeFest, sponsored by Specsavers, is hosted from 12 to 15 May at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel. It returns after a two-year hiatus from Covid.

 Up to 150 authors will descend on Bristol appearing in over 50 panels.

 The convention, which began in 2008, is based on the American convention model and is considered the most democratic and accessible crime fiction event in the UK.

 As well as drawing readers and fans, it attracts editors, publishers and reviewers, thanks to its reputation as a hotbed for crime writing talent.

2022 Featured Guests include Ann Cleeves, the author behind Vera and Shetland, both adapted to TV with fans worldwide. ITV also recently dramatised The Long Call - the first in her Two Rivers series, featuring Detective Inspector Matthew Venn, filmed in part on location in Bristol.

Andrew Child makes his first UK appearance at CrimeFest since taking over the helm of the Jack Reacher series. An author in his own right as Andrew Grant, the younger brother of Lee Child has been hugely successful as the continuation author, dominating the bestseller lists. The books have also been dramatised for Amazon Prime series; Reacher was recently commissioned for a second series.

Also featuring are the past two winners of the Crime Writers’ Association’s highest accolade - the CWA Diamond Dagger. Robert Goddard was awarded the Dagger in 2019 and Martin Edwards in 2020.

Goddard's books captivate readers worldwide - translated into over thirty languages - with their edge-of-the-seat pace and their labyrinthine plotting. As well as a prolific award-winning novelist, Martin Edwards is a renowned editor, reviewer, columnist and versatile writer of non-fiction, and a leading authority on crime fiction.

Director and co-founder of CrimeFest, Adrian Muller, said: “We pride ourselves on being open to all authors, which makes it a diverse and democratic celebration of the genre. Behind the scenes there is a team of passionate readers and volunteers, so there’s a friendly and inclusive energy at CrimeFest. Bristol is known for its vibrant, creative and independent spirit, and CrimeFest offers an exciting opportunity for writers and readers alike to meet and mingle.”

 Panels delve into diverse topics from division in society today to historical crime, and locked room mysteries to police procedurals.

 A ‘from page to screen’ panel includes the number one bestselling Icelandic writer, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and the ‘queen of twists’, Sarah Pinborough - author behind the Netflix hit, Behind Her Eyes.

 A wealth of crime authors in attendance have had books recently snapped up for TV or film, including Cathy Ace, whose Cait Morgan Mysteries have been optioned by Free@Last TV, behind the hit Agatha Raisin series.

 Other acclaimed authors attending include Holly Watt, Matt Wesolowski, Lynne Truss, Barry Forshaw, Simon Brett, Vaseem Khan, Helen FitzGerald, Ruth Dudley Edwards and Michael Ridpath.

 This year’s Ghost of Honour, commemorates Dick Francis, and highlights include the Gala Dinner with Toastrix Zoë Sharp, creator of the Charlie Fox series of crime thrillers, and the annual CrimeFest Awards, featuring the Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award.

 Real life contends with fiction too, with authors such as Vicki Bradley - a detective constable in the Met police, former lawyer Steve Cavanagh and thriller writer, Simon Conway - a former British Army officer and international aid worker, who has cleared landmines in wars across the world.

CrimeFest is at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel from 12-15 May, 2022. For the full list of authors and to book, go to: https://www.crimefest.com/

Robert Goddard discusses The Fine Art of Invisible Detection

 

In 2019, one year BC [Before Covid], Robert Goddard was awarded the Crime Writers Association’s highest accolade, The Diamond Dagger in London. His acceptance speech was most amusing and video footage can be accessed HERE

Many of us applauded when Robert’s literary output veered toward [what we term] thriller fiction, but retained the trademarks of his devious plotting, evocative characters and memorable backdrops that framed his narratives.

His latest, is no exception -

When reading The Fine Art of Invisible Detection under lock-down in your house, you will not require either anti-viral hand-gel, an N-95 face-mask or a book-mark - as Goddard’s latest is a one-sitting read, filled with vicarious thrills and a killer dénouement.

There is one unanswered question, to the master of the stand-alone mystery-thriller, and it relates to Umika Wada, the invisible detective. You’ll understand the question if you crack the spine of this book.

Read the review from Shots HERE

So, after an early read of his latest thriller, Shots Magazine tracked down Robert Goddard, to discuss his work -

Ali Karim:   So Robert, before we get into The Fine Art of Invisible Detection, how have you been keeping in these weird days of Plague and Economic Anxiety?

Robert Goddard: On a day-to-day basis, I suppose writers’ lives have changed less than most people since this all started. And at least now we who imagine many kinds of disaster can’t be accused of exaggerating the things that can go wrong in the world. Research trips have gone the way of plotting sessions in the pub, though, which undeniably sucks a lot of fun out of life. But I’m surviving!

Ali: What mental strategies have you found help cope with the ubiquity of Covid?

Robert: The best distraction I can suggest from the all-enveloping topic of the virus is fiction - the writing as well as the reading of it. Never was escapism more sorely needed. A daily walk - even in the rain - also helps.

Ali: So, tell us why this widowed middle-aged Japanese female detective? Where did she spring from?

Robert:  Where do characters come from? I really don’t know. But apparently, somewhere deep within my soul, there is a widowed middle-aged Japanese woman who asks nothing more of life than to be left alone by it but who, inevitably, isn’t going to be. I find her view of the world bracingly pragmatic and her stubbornness - which is fundamentally what drives her pursuit of the truth - very endearing.

Ali: And would I be correct thinking there’s a pinch of Dame Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple somewhere in this fiendish thriller?

Robert:  I don’t think of Wada in Marple-ish terms. I don’t even think of her as a detective. Nor does she think of herself as one, though that’s what she ends up becoming. She somehow just is - and was so from the moment she entered my imagination.

Ali: Am I right in thinking you seem to be enjoying yourself with this change in pace in terms of writing style?

Robert: Is it a change of pace? Or is it an evolution? I feel as if I’m just coming into my prime as a writer. I don’t envy mathematicians or tennis players whose best years are over by the time they hit their mid-thirties. Writing over the long term turns out to be rather exhilarating. I’m certainly enjoying it.

Ali: I was reminded of the novel YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, while engrossed in The Fine Art of Invisible Detection. Fleming once defined a Thriller novel as a narrative structured that “…one must simply keep turning the pages…” Do you consider your work to have evolved from historical, complex crime novels to more of what Fleming alluded to?

Robert: I don’t really distinguish in my mind between crime, history, mystery or thriller. The story is the story. How to tell it - how to structure it - is what takes us into particular genre areas. And this also creates momentum. My belief is that if I want to keep turning the pages, so will the reader.

Ali: Your work [and The Fine Art of Invisible Detection being no exception] seems to feature the fascination of history, or rather what was hidden? Would you care to comment?

Robert: There’s no doubt that secrets from the past play an important role in many of my novels. That’s partly a reflection of the way my imagination works. But it also reflects a fundamental truth: that what we do and why we do it is embedded in our pasts. And in many cases, there are secrets hiding there.

Ali: The character Umika Wada is fascinating, but I’d also like to state, your ability to craft secondary, tertiary and quaternary characters that stand-up on the page, with just a few flourishes of the pen, adroit. So, how do you manage a large cast of characters during the writing process?

Robert:  I love my subsidiary characters. I give them all the rights enjoyed by the major characters, which I don’t always feel is the case in some novels I read. They’re not there just to move the story along. They must be true to themselves. Take George Guptill in The Fine Art of Invisible Detection. The man presented himself in the story fully-formed and halfway through an intrusive question. He’s everything in a fellow passenger on a long flight Wada would want to avoid. But there’s no avoiding George! And in the end you can’t help liking him.

Ali: The ending of The Fine Art of Invisible Detection [as well as execution] made me believe we may see more from Wada’s world, and Japan?

Robert: It’s possible we’ll hear more of Wada. We’ll have to wait and see what comes up. I would undoubtedly enjoy posing another set of fiendishly complex problems for her attention, though to stay on the right side of her I’d apologise in advance. She appreciates courtesy.

Ali: Like many International Thriller Novels / Films, there is often a conspiracy at the core. What do you make of the appeal of conspiracy theories and those who become attracted to them?

Robert:  Well, there are conspiracies and then there are conspiracy theories and those who admit the possibility of the former can’t in all logic dismiss the latter without examining them. Covid has already spawned many conspiracy theories. I think we all crave certainty about events that sometimes arise from entirely chaotic circumstances. Then again, those of us old enough to remember where we were when Kennedy was shot know that nothing has ever been quite the same since. If the official version of events makes no logical sense, it’s inevitable that some will speculate about where the truth might lie.

Ali: And the appeal of Cults, especially those that involve death?

Robert: Now, I’m as happy as the next man to indulge in elaborate theorising about unexplained events (see above), but cults? There I have to hold up my hand and admit that I cannot comprehend the ability of the human mind to convince itself that obedience to irrational commands is the key that will unlock the doors of happiness and spiritual fulfilment. But many do just that. And then, beyond that, the engagement in murderous activity, as with the Aum Shinrikyo cult? Reality leaves us novelists behind at times. All we can do is try our very best to keep up.

Ali: Just before the world went all weird and Covid; you were awarded the 2019 CWA Diamond Dagger, so do you feel any acceptance as being labelled a ‘crime writer’ OR are genre boundaries irrelevant to a writer?

Robert:  I really never set out to write crime novels or thrillers or historical fiction. I just wanted to write the kinds of stories that excited my imagination, which generally involved quite a few crimes, psychological tension and historical themes. I’m not sure exactly what you’d call them, but I was delighted the CWA wanted to recognise my work in the way they did.

Ali: And what about your reading?

Robert:   My reading’s almost all research-driven, although that can be quite far-ranging. Impulse buys haven’t happened as much as they used to when I could browse in bookshops - a really good cover tends to lure me in. As a result, I’m missing bookshops almost as much as I’m missing pubs.

Ali: And what’s next for you professionally?

Robert: Another book is happening and it seems to be going well. But I can’t say much about it at the moment.

Ali: Thank you for your time.

Robert: Thank you for the questions.

We would suggest you mark your diaries accordingly as is released on March 18^th 2021, including on eBook and Audible platforms.

More information about the work of Robert Goddard – CLICK HERE and not HERE, unless you wish to augment your wardrobe.

Shots Magazine would like to thank Patsy Irwin of Penguin Random House for organizing this conversation for our readers

Books to Look Forward to From Transworld Publishers

January 2021

At first glance, Leonard Graves' death was unremarkable. Sleeping pills, a bottle of vodka, a note saying goodbye. But when Detective Henry Hobbes discovers a grave in the basement, he realizes there is something far more sinister at work. Further investigation unearths more disturbing evidence. Scattered around the old house are women's dresses. All made of the same material. All made in the same colours. And all featuring a rip across the stomach, smeared in blood. As the investigation continues and the body count rises, Hobbes must also deal with the disappearance of his son, the break-up of his family and a growing sense that something horrific happened in the Graves' household. And he's running out of time to find out what. House With No Door is by Jeff Noon.

Exit is by Belinda Bauer It was never supposed to be murder. Pensioner Felix Pink is about to find out that it's never too late . . . for life to go horribly wrong. When Felix lets himself in to Number 3 Black Lane, he's there to perform an act of charity: to keep a dying man company as he takes his final breath . . . But just fifteen minutes later Felix is on the run from the police - after making the biggest mistake of his life. Now his world is turned upside down as he must find out if he's really to blame, or if something much more sinister is at play. All while staying one shaky step ahead of the law.

How far would you go to correct your worst mistake? When Chloe goes to university and meets wild, carefree Zadie, she is utterly seduced by her and her lifestyle. It doesn't take long for Chloe to ditch her studies in favour of all-night parties at Zadie's huge house off campus.nnBut when something goes badly wrong one night and Zadie disappears in the aftermath, Chloe knows she should have done more to help her friend. It's something she'll always regret. Fifteen years later, Chloe finally gets the chance to make it right. But in order to do so, she'll have to put everything at stake . . . Two Wrongs is by Rebecca Reid.

 February 2021

The Sanatorium is the debut novel by Sarah Pearse. Everyone's in danger. Anyone could be next.An imposing, isolated hotel, high up in the Swiss Alps, is the last place Elin Warner wants to be. But she's taken time off from her job as a detective, so when she receives an invitation out of the blue to celebrate her estranged brother's recent engagement, she has no choice but to accept. Arriving in the midst of a threatening storm, Elin immediately feels on edge. Though it's beautiful, something about the hotel, recently converted from an abandoned sanatorium, makes her nervous - as does her brother, Isaac. And when they wake the following morning to discover his fiancee Laure has vanished without a trace, Elin's unease grows. With the storm cutting off access to and from the hotel, the longer Laure stays missing, the more the remaining guests start to panic. But no-one has realized yet that another woman has gone missing. And she's the only one who could have warned them just how much danger they're all in . . .

March 2021

The Dare is by Lesley Kara. As a child, it was just a game. As an adult, it was a living nightmare.'This time it's different. She's gone too far now. She really has.' When teenage friends Lizzie and Alice decide to head off for a walk in the countryside, they are blissfully unaware that this will be their final day together - and that only Lizzie will come back alive. Lizzie has no memory of what happened in the moments before Alice died, she only knows that it must have been a tragic accident. But as she tries to cope with her grief, she is shocked to find herself alienated from Alice's friends and relatives. They are convinced she somehow had a part to play in her friend's death. Twelve years later, unpacking boxes in the new home she shares with her fiance, Lizzie is horrified to find long-buried memories suddenly surfacing. Is the trauma of the accident finally catching up with her, or could someone be trying to threaten her new-found happiness?

Tokyo, Japan. Umiko Wada has had enough excitement in life. With an overbearing mother and her husband recently murdered, she just wants to keep her head down. As a secretary to a private detective, her life is pleasantly filled with coffee runs and paperwork. That is, until her boss takes on a new case. A case that is surrounded by shadows. A case that means Wada will have to leave Tokyo and travel to London. London, England. Nick Miller never knew his father, and was always told he wasn't missing much. But when an old friend of his late mother says there are things that Nick needs to know about his parents, he can't ignore it. When a chance encounter brings Wada and Nick together, they couldn't know the series of violent events set off by their investigations. And when they discover Nick's father might have been the only witness to a dark secret forever buried, they realise there are some powerful people who will do whatever it takes to keep it that way... The Fne Art of Invisblle Detection is by Robbert Goddard.

April 2021

Tall Bones is by Anna Bailey. When seventeen-year-old Emma leaves her best friend Abi at a party in the woods, she believes, like most girls her age, that their lives are just beginning. Many things will happen that night, but Emma will never see her friend again. Abi's disappearance cracks open the facade of the small town of Whistling Ridge, its intimate history of long-held grudges and resentment. Even within Abi's family, there are questions to be asked - of Noah, the older brother whom Abi betrayed, of Jude, the shining younger sibling who hides his battle scars, of Dolly, her mother and Samuel, her father - both in thrall to the fire and brimstone preacher who holds the entire town in his grasp. Then there is Rat, the outsider, whose presence in the town both unsettles and excites those around him. Anything could happen in Whistling Ridge, this tinder box of small-town rage, and all it will take is just one spark - the truth of what really happened that night out at the Tall Bones...

May 2021

Sometimes the only way to catch a killer is to become their prey. In Bristol, a young woman jumps into an icy reservoir. In Leeds, a girl cuts ties with her family and disappears. The only thing that links them is a shared obsession with a mysterious woman called Paula. For Dr Bloom, the stories told by their families are disturbingly familiar. She has seen this all before. She is sure that this charismatic, charming woman is the leader of a cult. She begins investigating the Artemis community but is met with walls of secrecy. Which leaves only one option. The Hunt is by Leona Deakin

Outbreak is by Frank Gardner. Deep within the Arctic Circle, three environmental scientists from the UK's Arctic Research Station trudge through a blizzard landscape in search of shelter. There's a cabin ahead. It appears abandoned. No lights or tell-tale smoke. No snowmobile parked outside.The first thing the team's medic, Dr Sheila Mackenzie, notices when she enters is the smell. It's rank, rotting, foetid. Then suddenly there's movement. A figure, barely recognisable as human, lies slumped on a sofa, his face staring back at her in the torchlight. It's hideously disfigured by livid pustules, rivulets of blood run from his nostrils, his chest covered in black bile. Momentarily Dr Mackenzie can't comprehend what she's seeing. Then the alarm bells begin to ring. These are the signs of chronic, deadly infection . . .But the man is trying to say something. She edges closer to him, and it's then that the convulsions begin. His body erupts into a violent fit of coughing, spewing out a toxic cocktail of blood, bile and mucus . . .Dr Mackenzie already knows it's too late. She is contaminated . . . Setting in train a terrifying chain of events that threatens millions with a deadly, man-made contagion.

Luke Truman is a junior officer on board the USS Leviathan, the most advanced and powerful warship ever built. It is an eight-hundred-foot-long submarine which, among its vast array of weaponry and secret systems, boasts a top secret “cloaking technology.” Bending light around objects to render them invisible, it is the hottest military research innovation not just in the US, but throughout the world. Now the time has come for the first large-scale trial of its effectiveness. But neither Luke nor the United States government realize the astonishing forces this experiment will unleash. What Luke discovers on board the Leviathan is that the future of our world is at a deadly tipping point and that only he will be able to stop the cascade of events which are leading them all inexorably towards doom. The Year of the Locust is by Terry Hayes.

Triple Cross is by Tom Bradby. Attempting to rebuild her shattered life in the South of France, former MI6 operative Kate Henderson receives an unexpected and most unwelcome visit from an old adversary: the UK Prime Minister. He has an extraordinary story to tell - and he needs her help. A Russian agent has come forward with news that the PM has been the victim of the greatest misinformation play in the history of MI6. It's run out of a special KGB unit that exists for one purpose alone: to process the intelligence from 'Agent Dante', a mole right at the heart of MI6 in London. Against her better judgement, Kate is forced back into the fray in a top-secret, deeply flawed and dangerous investigation. But now she's damaged goods. Her one-time allies no longer trust her. And neither do her enemies. With the stakes this high, can the truth ever come out? Or is the cost of uncovering it a price that no one, least of all Kate, can afford to pay?

June 2021

What happens to those girls who go missing? What happens to the Zoe Nolans of the world?' In the early hours of Saturday, December 17th, 2011, Zoe Nolan, a 19-year-old Manchester University student, walked out of a party taking place in the shared accommodation where she had been living for three months. She was never seen again. True Crime Story is by Joseph Knox.

Lynda La Plante, Laura Lippman and Robert Goddard to headline 2020 CrimeFest.

Headline authors for CrimeFest - one of Europe’s biggest crime fiction conventions - have been announced. 

The 2020 convention sponsored by Specsavers is hosted from 4 to 7 June at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel and will feature icon of the genre, Lynda La Plante, the award-winning author of more than 30 internationally bestselling novels. 

La Plante was a pioneer with her 1980’s series, Widows. The show received the Hollywood treatment with a movie adaptation by director Steve McQueen in 2018.

The BAFTA award winning screenwriter and former RADA trained actress went on to create one of television’s greatest characters, DI Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect. Played by Helen Mirren in a career-defining performance, the hugely influential character transformed the TV landscape.

She’ll be discussing her career in her debut appearance at CrimeFest alongside Buried - the first novel in her much-anticipated new series featuring DC Jack Warr.

Laura Lippman is one of America’s most admired crime writers. The New York Times bestselling author of acclaimed standalones and the award-winning Tess Monaghan series, is lauded by readers, critics and writers alike.

A reporter for twenty years, Laura worked with the Baltimore Sun before becoming a novelist, hailed by the Washington Post as, “one of the best novelists around, period.” Along with her fiction, Lippman will be discussing her latest book of essays, My Life As A Villainess.

Robert Goddard will also feature after the author was awarded the Crime Writers’ Association’s highest accolade in 2019, the Diamond Dagger, for a lifetime achievement in crime writing.

Goddard's first novel, Past Caring, was an instant bestseller and his books went on to captivate readers worldwide with their edge-of-the-seat pace and their labyrinthine plotting. His books have been translated into over thirty languages. His 28th novel, One False Move, was published last year.

Specsavers co-founder, Dame Mary Perkins, said: “As a personal fan of the crime genre and with my own personal connection to Bristol, it’s fantastic to be involved in this annual showcase of world-class crime fiction. It’s also great to see CrimeFest developing its community activity to help make reading accessible to everyone.”

CrimeFest, now in its 11th year, is a hotbed for readers who dip into the occasional crime novel alongside die-hard fans, as well as drawing top crime novelists, editors, publishers and reviewers from around the world. It runs a series of educational and community outreach events alongside the convention.

Director and co-founder of CrimeFest, Adrian Muller, said: “CrimeFest is the most democratic of crime conventions as it’s open to all authors to take part. As such, it’s not just established names but offers an exciting and fertile ground for aspiring and new talent. There’s a friendly energy for readers and attendees, fitting the independent, vibrant spirit of our host town, Bristol.”

Up to 150 authors will descend on Bristol appearing in over 50 panels delving into diverse topics from politics to historical crime, the Golden Age of crime fiction to police procedurals, serial killers to cosy crime. There’ll also be a panel on crime fiction reviewers, honouring the late Marcel Berlins, and a ‘Ghost of Honour’ remembering Dick Francis.

Highlights include the coveted ‘Pitch an Agent’ for aspiring writers and the annual CrimeFest Awards featuring the inaugural Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award.

Other big names include award-winning bestselling crime writer and broadcaster Dreda Say Mitchell, and Sarah Pinborough, the New York Times bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes, adapted by Netflix for broadcast this year. 

The no. 1 bestselling Icelandic writer, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir also features with an appearance by the writer, broadcaster, dramatist and journalist Lynne Truss, famed for Eats, Shoots and Leaves alongside her comic crime novel, A Shot in the Dark.

Joining them as the Toastrix at the Gala Dinner is Zoë Sharp, creator of the Charlie Fox series of crime thrillers.

www.crimefest.com

2019 CWA Daggers Announced - Press Notice

2019 CWA Daggers Announced

M.W. Craven has won the CWA Gold Dagger for his novel The Puppet Show. 

The Daggers, which were announced (24 October) at a glittering awards ceremony at the Grange City Hotel, London, are regarded by the publishing world as the foremost British awards for crime-writing.

The first in M.W. Craven’s Detective Washington Poe series, The Puppet Show drew critical acclaim from crime authors Martina Cole, Peter James and Mick Herron – who described it as a “thrilling curtain raiser”.

Past winners of the prestigious Gold Dagger, which is awarded for the crime novel of the year, include Ian Rankin, John le Carré, Reginald Hill and Ruth Rendell.

Craven, who lives in Carlisle, served in the armed forces and became a probation officer before crediting the CWA Debut Dagger competition in 2013 for opening the door for a career as an author.

The world-famous Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Daggers, which honour the very best in crime writing, are the oldest awards in the genre. Created in 1955, the CWA Daggers have been synonymous with quality crime writing for over half a century.

Linda Stratmann, Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, said: “2019’s winners show the incredible range and quality of authors at work in the crime writing genre today. The Daggers recognise both established and emerging names, and we are incredibly proud of the reputation and longevity the Daggers have, nationally and internationally.”

Writer Barry Forshaw, MC for the Dagger Awards evening, added: “The Daggers are the ultimate celebration of the fact that crime fiction remains an evergreen area of modern publishing, with fresh trends continually appearing, and traditional forms undergoing constant reinvigoration.”

2019 CWA Daggers – The Winners

CWA Gold Dagger:  

The Puppet Show by M. W. Craven (Constable / Little Brown)

CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger: 

Scrublands by Chris Hammer (Wildfire)

CWA ALCS Gold Dagger For Non-Fiction:  

The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre: (Viking)

CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger: 

To The Lions by Holly Watt (Raven Books)

CWA International Dagger:  

A Long Night in Paris, by Dov Alfon, tr Daniella Zamir (MacLehose Press)

CWA Sapere Books Historical Dagger: 

Destroying Angel by S.G. MacLean (Quercus Fiction)

CWA Short Story Dagger: 

‘The Dummies’ Guide to Serial Killing’ in The Dummies’ Guide to Serial Killing and other Fantastic Female Fables (Fantastic Books) by Danuta Kot writing as Danuta Reah

Highly commended: ‘I Detest Mozart’ by Teresa Solana in The First Prehistoric Serial Killer and Other Stories by Teresa Solana (Bitter Lemon Press)

CWA Dagger in the Library: 

Kate Ellis

CWA Debut Dagger: 

Wake by Shelley Burr

Best Crime and Mystery Publisher: 

No Exit Press

Chris Hammer’s powerful debut Scrublands claimed the CWA John Creasey New Blood award.  Hammer, a journalist for more than 30 years, set Scrublands in the scorched landscape of Australia, featuring his flawed protagonist, journalist and former foreign correspondent, Martin Scarsden. The Guardian said Hammer’s lyrical writing evoked a “profound sense of place.”

Ben Macintyre’s The Spy and the Traitor, a tale of betrayal, duplicity and raw courage that changed the course of the Cold War, was awarded the CWA ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction.  The No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller reveals the dramatic role played by MI6 in recruiting and cultivating a serving KGB insider and was hailed by John Le Carré as “the best true spy story I have ever read.”

To The Lions by Holly Watt received the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger.

Featuring a female journalist who stumbles upon a dark conspiracy, it was praised as a “first-rate Fleet Street novel” by the Sunday Times. Watt, an investigative journalist, has worked on MP’s Expenses and the Panama Papers and written for major broadsheets in the UK.

Israeli author Dov Alfon received the CWA International Dagger for A Long Night in Paris.   A former intelligence officer of Unit 8200, the most secretive arm of the Israel Defence Forces, Alfon was also editor in chief of Israel’s most influential newspaper, Ha’aretz.   A Long Night in Paris  - his first work of fiction - was praised by the Financial Times for Alfon’s insider knowledge.

The CWA Sapere Books Historical Dagger went to S.G. MacLean for Destroying Angel, the third in her Seeker series. Set in 1655 in Yorkshire, the gripping historical thriller features Captain Damian Seeker from Oliver Cromwell’s handpicked guard. MacLean has an MA and PHD in History from the University of Aberdeen.

Danuta Kot, writing as Danuta Reah, received her second CWA Short Story Dagger for The Dummies’ Guide to Serial Killing. She last received the award in 2005.

The CWA Dagger in The Library went to Kate Ellis, who was previously shortlisted for the award in 2017. Ellis has sold over three-quarters of a million books worldwide, known for her Devon-set historical crime Wesley Peterson series and spooky DI Joe Plantagenet based in North Yorkshire. She beat stalwarts M C Beaton, Mark Billingham, John Connolly, C J Sansom and Cath Staincliffe for the Dagger which is voted on exclusively by librarians, chosen for the author’s body of work and support of libraries.

The Debut Dagger competition for unknown and un-contracted writers saw Australian author Shelley Burr win for her novel, Wake.  

One of the UK’s most prominent societies for the promotion and promulgation of crime writing, 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.

2019 also saw the inaugural Best Crime and Mystery Publisher of the Year go to No Exit Press.  The first new Dagger category in over a decade celebrates publishers and imprints demonstrating excellence and diversity in crime writing. No Exit Press is one of the UK’s leading independent publishers of crime fiction. Over its 30 years of business, it’s published numerous award-winning titles and prides itself on uncovering new talent.

On the night, Robert Goddard was also presented with the 2019 Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement, the highest honour in British crime writing.