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

Hold the date - Hull Noir’s back!

 

FROM THE HULL NOIR WEBSITE

Hull Noir, the city’s celebrated crime festival, is back with a bang for a day-long online event on Saturday 20 March. 

The inaugural 2017 festival was held to huge acclaim from crime fiction lovers, with hundreds flocking to panels, talks, film screenings and discussions over seven action-packed days. They then returned with a one-off panel the following year, bringing Eva Dolan, Ali Harper, Sarah Hilary, and Jo Jakeman together as part of Humber Mouth Literature Festival.

For 2021, Hull Noir marks the 50th anniversary of the British crime classic, Get Carter – adapted from Ted Lewis’s seminal crime novel Jack's Return Home. For Lewis, who studied at Hull Art School in the late 1950s and whose novels reference the city and its hinterland, the towns on the south bank of the Humber, and the bleak Lincolnshire coast, 2021 is also the 50th anniversary of his novel Plender, this year’s festival read. 

Nick Triplow, Hull Noir co-organiser and author of acclaimed Ted Lewis biography, Getting Carter, says: 

“We were disappointed not to be able to host the Festival last year – particularly to mark what would have been Lewis’s 80th birthday and 50 years of Jack’s Return Home – but we’re just glad to be back in business". 

Festival co-organiser, Hull born crime writer, Nick Quantrill says:

“We’ve been working hard to put together a day of fascinating panels exploring crime writing from around the north - and further afield! - so get ready to book your tickets and climb inside the heads of some of the most talented crime writers in the UK.”

Confirmed authors already include Mark Billingham, celebrating 20 years of Tom Thorne, with his novel Cry Baby, Laura Shepherd Robinson, whose debut Blood & Sugar won the Debut Crown at the Historical Writers’ Awards, New York Times Bestselling author of The Whisper Man, Alex North, and Hull-born Ian McGuire, whose novel The North Water was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Also appearing will be Hull’s prolific novelist Louise Beech, Sunday Times bestseller Harrier Tyce, author of Blood Orange, and many more.

As festival co-organiser and publisher, Nikki East says:

“This year will be different, but isn’t everything? We hope people will join us for a day of crime discussion and debate from the comfort of their own homes. They don’t even have to take their slippers off.”

There’ll be no charge for tickets, which will be available from Sunday 21 February along with the full festival lineup. Follow the Hull Noir Facebook and twitter (@hullnoir) for all the most up to date information.

CrimeFest Awards Shortlists

CrimeFest co-director Adrian Muller said: “CrimeFest announces the shortlist for the tenth CrimeFest Awards. Over the past decade the awards have highlighted breakthrough debut novelists as well as a number of established crime fiction authors delving into children’s fiction and nonfiction. We are also pleased to continue showcasing audiobooks which have undergone a meteoric rise since we began presenting our awards. We are all extremely proud and excited to present the 10th annual CrimeFest awards, and find out who wins on 19th May.”

The 10th anniversary of CrimeFest this year will host crime fiction royalty Martina Cole, Lee Child and Peter James as some of the top names set to speak at this year’s convention. Close to 500 attendees, including more than 150 authors, agents, publishers and crime fans from across the globe, will descend on the city for a jam-packed four days of over 60 speaking events and panel discussions.

Best Unabridged Crime Audiobook:
The Child by Fiona Barton (Audible Studios), read by Clare Corbett, Adjoa Andoh, Finty Williams, Fenella Woolgar & Steven Pacey.

The Midnight Line by Lee Child (Transworld), read by Jeff Harding
The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney (Quercus), read by Emilia Fox, Finty Williams & Lise Aagaard Knudsen
Silent Child by Sarah A. Denzil (Audible Studios), read by Joanne Froggatt
Something I Lie  by Alice Feeney (HQ – Harper Collins), read by Stephanie Racine
The Girlfriend  by Michelle Frances (Pan Macmillan Audio), read by Antonia Beamish
The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz (Penguin Random House Audio), read by Rory Kinnear
The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye by David Lagercrantz (Quercus), read by Sail Reichlin

eDUNNIT AWARD
Want You Gone by Chris Brookmyre (Little, Brown Book Group)
The Ghost of Galway by Ken Bruen (Head of Zeus)
The Late Show by Michael Connelly (Orion)
IQ by Joe Ide (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane (Little, Brown Book Group)
You Can Run  by Steve Mosby (Orion)
Wolves in the Dark by Gunnar Staalesen (Orenda Books)
Exquisite by Sarah Stovell (Orenda Books)

LAST LAUGH AWARD
Blotto, Twinks and the Stars of the Silver Screen by Simon Brett (Little, Brown Book Group)
Bryant & May - Wild Chamber by Christopher Fowler (Doubleday)
Spook Street by Mick Herron (John Murray)

The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star by Vaseem Khan (Mullholland Books)
East of Hounslow  by Khurrum Rahman (HQ – HarperCollns)
Sweetpea by C.J. Skuse (HQ – HarperCollins)
The Man Who Died  by Antti Tuomainen (Orenda Books)
Herring in the Smoke  by L.C. Tyler (Allison & Busby Ltd)

H.R.F. KEATING AWARD 

The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books by Martin Edwards (British Library),

America Noir by Barry Forshaw (No Exit Press)
Sherlock Holmes in Context by Sam Naidu (Palgrave Macmillan)
Sherlock Holmes from Screen to Stage by Benjamin Poore (Palgrave Macmillan)
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang  by Mike Ripley (HarperCollins)
The Man Who Would Be Sherlock by Christopher Sandford (The History Press)
Arthur & Sherlock by Michael Sims (Bloomsbury)
Getting Carter  by Nick Triplow (No Exit Press)

BEST CRIME NOVEL FOR CHILDREN (08 – 12)
Chase by Linwood Barclay (Orion Children's Books)
The Misfits Club by Kieran Crowley (Macmillan Children's Books)
A Place Called Perfect by Helena Duggan (Usborne Publishing)
The Royal Rabbits of London: Escape from the Tower by Santa & Simon Sebag Montefiore (Simon & Schuster)
Toto the Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape by Dermot O'Leary (Hodder Children's Books)
Mr Penguin and the Lost Treasure by Alex T. Smith(Hodder Children's Books)
Violet and the Mummy Mystery by Harriet Whitehorn (Simon & Schuster)

BEST CRIME NOVEL FOR YOUNG ADULTS (12 – 16)
Girlhood by Cat Clarke (Quercus Children's Books)
The Ones That Disappeared by Zana Fraillon (Orion Children's Books)
After the Fire by Will Hill (Usborne Publishing)
Indigo Donut by Patrice Lawrence (Hodder Children's Books)
Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart (Hot Key Books)
SweetFreak by Sophie McKenzie (Simon & Schuster)
Dark Matter: Contagion by Teri Terry (Orchard Books)
Beware That Girl by Teresa Toten (Hot Key Books)

Noireland!

FESTIVAL PROGRAMME 

Europa Hotel, Belfast

FRIDAY 27 OCTOBER

9:30-11:00 Crime writing workshop 1

Crime screenwriting workshop 2

11:30:1:00 Crime writing workshop 1 Crime screenwriting workshop 2

2:00-3:30 Crime writing workshop 1 Crime screenwriting workshop 2

4:00-5:30 Crime writing workshop 1 Crime screenwriting workshop 2

6.30pm-7:15pm OPENING NIGHT PARTY

Join us for a celebration of crime fiction. You will be in the company of some of the legends of crime writing, along with hottest new talent around.

7:30pm-8:30pm LINE OF DUTY

In the spotlight The BBC’s award-winning crime drama Line of Duty has been voted one of the best cop shows of all time. Its creator Jed Mercurio, Adrian Dunbar who plays Superintendent Ted Hastings and the show’s producer Stephen Wright talk about working on one of the greatest crime series on the small screen.

9-10pm BENJAMIN BLACK in conversation with David Torrans John Banville, one of Ireland’s greatest novelists talks about his other life as crime novelist Benjamin Black. From his misanthropic pathologist Quirke, who first appeared in Christine Falls, to his latest historical crime novel Prague Nights, fans will get an insight into what it takes to juggle two separate identities and genres.

SATURDAY 28 OCTOBER

10am-11am A SAFE FEAR

What makes you really scared? Caz Frear, Jo Spain, Ali Land and Steve Mosby discuss why we use crime fiction to explore our deepest fears.

11.30am-12.30pm IDENTITIES

Adrian McKinty, Abir Mukherjee, Stella Duffy and Louise Welsh reflect on questions around identity and how crime fiction explores sexuality, gender, race, culture and religion.

2pm-3pm BORDERLANDS

Borders have shaped the people who live near them for centuries – the culture, politics and the crime that arise because of them. Brian McGilloway, David Young, Arne Dahl and Claire McGowan discuss with Craig Robertson how borders across Britain, Ireland and Europe have inspired their crime writing. They also take a look into the future at what opportunities Brexit might pose for a crime writer.

3.30pm-4:30pm THE DARK SIDE OF COUNTRY LIFE

Beneath the chocolate-box façade, for many crime writers the countryside is a deadly place. From murder mysteries to claustrophobic thrillers, rural life can be a dark and threatening existence. Graeme Macrae Burnet, Anthony J. Quinn, Andrea Carter and Ruth Ware discuss their latest dark tales from the countryside.

5pm-6pm AMERICANA

Stuart Neville (who also writes as Haylen Beck), Helen Callaghan, Ray Celestin discuss why the USA attracts so many crime writers as a setting for their novels – whether they’re American or not. Is America just the perfect location for a crime and, if so, why?

8pm-9pm ROBERT CRAIS in conversation

International bestseller Robert Crais is one of crime fiction’s most influential writers. His career started in television where he was one of Hollywood’s hottest screenwriters, working on legendary shows including Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey and Miami Vice. He then became a full-time novelist, creating one of crime fiction’s most loved partnerships Elvis Cole & Joe Pike.

10pm-late HALLOWEEN PARTY

A criminally good Halloween party! Live music and an award for the best crime-themed costume.

SUNDAY 29 OCTOBER

10.30am-11.30am

TELLING A CRIME STORY 

Steve Cavanagh, Craig Robertson and Eoin McNamee talk to Diana Bretherick about our fascination with real crime and why some people find criminals so fascinating. They discuss the constraints and morality of constructing a narrative around a real crime, either through fiction, or through journalism.

12pm-1pm VIKING v CELT

It’s been over a millennium since the first Viking invasion of Ireland and crime fiction fans are enjoying the current invasion a lot more! But are the Celts and the Vikings so very different? We explore the similarities between Scandinavian and Irish crime fiction with two of the greatest proponents from each side: bestselling novelists Arne Dahl and Liz Nugent.

2:30pm-3:30pm CHRISTIE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

The whodunit has been hugely popular for well over a century. Three contemporary crime novelists Ruth Ware, Martin Edwards and Andrew Wilson, discuss how the murder mystery is being re-invented for modern audiences.

4pm-5pm SOPHIE HANNAH

The multi-talented, bestselling novelist Sophie Hannah talks to journalist Jake Kerridge about her writing career. From her gripping psychological thrillers to the internationally bestselling Hercule Poirot follow on novels, Sophie is one of Britain’s best-loved crime novelists.

Books to Look Forward to from Orion Publishing

January 2017

Under the Harrow is by Flynn Berry.  When Nora takes the train from London to visit her sister in the countryside, she expects to find her waiting at the station, or at home cooking dinner. But when she walks into Rachel's familiar house, what she finds is entirely different: her sister has been the victim of a brutal murder. Stunned and adrift, Nora finds she can't return to her former life. An unsolved assault in the past has shaken her faith in the police, and she can't trust them to find her sister's killer. Haunted by the murder and the secrets that surround it, Nora is under the harrow: distressed and in danger. As Nora's fear turns to obsession, she becomes as unrecognizable as the sister her investigation uncovers.

On its surface, life in Houston is as you would expect: drive-in restaurants, souped-up cars, jukeboxes, teenagers discovering their sexuality. But beneath the glitz and superficial normalcy, a class war has begun, and it is nothing like the conventional portrayal of the decade. Against this backdrop Aaron Holland Broussard discovers the poignancy of first love and a world of violence he did not know existed. When Aaron spots the beautiful and gifted Valerie Epstein fighting with her boyfriend, Grady Harrelson, at a Galveston drive-in, he inadvertently challenges the power of the Mob and one of the richest families in Texas. He also discovers he must find the courage his father had found as an American soldier in the Great War. Written in evocative prose, The Jealous Kind may prove to be James Lee Burke's most encompassing work yet. As Aaron undergoes his harrowing evolution from boy to man, we can't help but recall the inspirational and curative power of first love and how far we would go to protect it.  The Jealous Kind is by James Lee Burke.

February 2017

You Can Run is by Steve Mosby.  When a car crashes into a garage on an ordinary street, the attending officer is shocked to look inside the damaged building and discover a woman imprisoned within. As the remains of several other victims are found in the attached house, police believe they have finally identified the Red River killer – a man who has been abducting women for nearly twenty years and taunting the police with letters about his crimes. but now the main suspect, John blythe, is on the run. As the manhunt for blythe intensifies, DI Will Turner finds himself fighting to stay involved in the investigation. The Red River killings hold a personal significance to him, and he must be the one to find the killer . . .

Homicide inspector Gavin Cain is standing by a grave when he gets the call. Cain knows there's something terrible in the coffin they're about to exhume. He and his team have received a dying man's confession and it has led them here. Cain is summoned by Mayor Castelli, who has been sent sinister photographs of a woman that he claims he doesn't know and a note threatening that worse are on their way. As Cain tries to identify the woman in the pictures, and looks into the mayor's past, he finds himself being drawn towards a situation as horrifying and as full of secrets as the grave itself.  The Dark Room is by Jonathan Moore.

Ragdoll is by Daniel Cole.  A body is discovered with the dismembered parts of six victims stitched together, nicknamed by the press as the 'Ragdoll'. Assigned to the shocking case are Detective William 'Wolf' Fawkes, recently reinstated to the London Met, and his former partner Detective Emily Baxter. The 'Ragdoll Killer' taunts the police by releasing a list of names to the media, and the dates on which he intends to murder them. With six people to save, can Fawkes and Baxter catch a killer when the world is watching their every move?

March 2017

Kings of America is by R J Ellroy.  Fleeing to America following a terrible crime, Irish-born fighter, Danny McCabe, throws in his lot with Nicolas and Lucia Mariani, siblings who have emigrated from Corsica in search of their fortunes. Adrift in the tough and unforgiving world of 1930s New York, they rely on Danny's bareknuckle fighting skills to survive. While Nicolas is tempted ever deeper into the underworld, Lucia can think of little but her obsessive drive to succeed in Hollywood. When Danny McCabe's dreams of boxing stardom become a terrifying nightmare, fate compels them to escape westwards to Los Angeles. On the run, the trio are bound together by blood, by shared secrets, and finally by love, as Danny and Lucia embark upon an affair that is as profound as it is dangerous. Nicolas, driven by greed, soon finds a welcome home in the dark world of corruption and vice that lies behind the glitzy facade of America's city of dreams. Danny McCabe is desperate to bury the dark secret of his past, while Lucia is caught in the crossfire between her brother and the man she loves.

The Bitter Season is by Tami Hoag.  A middle-aged couple - hacked to death in their own home - with a samurai sword. Normal people. Who were they? And why were they targeted? Twenty years ago a policeman was murdered in his own back garden and the killer was never caught. One woman might link these mysteries. But she is being watched. Can Detectives Nikki Liska and Sam Kovac find her before it is too late?

Tattletale is by Sarah J Naughton.  One day changes Jody's life forever. She has shut herself

down, haunted by her memories and unable to trust anyone. But then she meets Abe, the perfect stranger next door and suddenly life seems full of possibility and hope. One day changes Mags's life forever. After years of estrangement from her family, Mags receives a shocking phone call. Her brother Abe is in hospital and no-one knows what happened to him. She meets his fiance Jody, and gradually pieces together the ruins of the life she left behind. But the pieces don't quite seem to fit.

April 2017

Don’t Let Go is by Michel Bussi.  In an idyllic resort on the island of La Reunion, Liane Bellion and her husband Martial are enjoying the perfect moment with their 6-year-old daughter. Turquoise skies, blue sea, palm trees, a warm breeze. Then Liane disappears. She went up to her hotel room between 3 and 4pm and never came back. Her husband, worried, had gone to the room along with the concierge - the room was empty but there was blood everywhere. Despite his protestations of innocence, the police view Martial as their prime suspect. He was the only other person who went to the hotel room between 3 and 4pm according to the staff of the hotel. Then he disappears along with his daughter. With Martial as prime suspect, helicopters scan the island, racial tensions surface, and more corpses are found. Is he really his wife's killer? And if he isn't, why does he appear to be so guilty?

Don't look for me. It was a simple instruction. And for six years Carter Blake has kept his word. He hasn't looked for the woman he once loved and lost. But now her life is in danger and Blake is forced to break that promise. Trenton Gage is a hitman with a talent for finding people - dead or alive. His latest job is to track down a woman who's on the run, harbouring a secret many would kill for. It turns out Blake and Gage are after the same person - but who will get to her first? Don’t Look For Me is by Mason Cross.

May 2017

A missing child. When wealthy businessman Leonard Howell's daughter is kidnapped, the police jump on it straight away. But Howell knows this won't be straightforward - he needs someone willing to break the rules. A criminal lawyer. Once a con artist, now a hotshot lawyer, Eddie Flynn's learnt that fast talk and sleight of hand are just as important in the courtroom are they are on the street. Knowing what it's like to lose a daughter, he'll stop at nothing to save Howell's. A corrupt case. With a client on trial for his life, and the body count rising, Eddie Flynn is starting to fear that the whole thing was a set-up from the very beginning. The only question is who is deadlier - the man who knows the truth, or the one who believes a lie? A missing girl, a desperate father and a case that threatens to destroy everyone involved - Eddie Flynn's got his work cut out.  The Liar is by Steve Cavanagh.

June 2017

A Twist of the Knife is by Becky Masterman.  It takes a strong woman to be able to watch someone die. Brigid Quinn is tough, determined, steely and sharper than sharp. As an ex-agent of the FBI she has seen it all, and survived. But nothing can cut her closer to the bone than family...When Brigid gets a call from her mother saying her father is in hospital with pneumonia, she decides to check on her former colleague Laura Coleman who is living nearby. Having saved Brigid's life, Laura is now working on an 'innocence project', investigating cold cases. And one in particular seems to have caught her attention. Fifteen years before, Marcus Creighton was accused of killing his wife and three children. Now the state governor has signed the warrant for his execution. Worried that her friend is getting in too deep, Brigid promises to help. But what if her instincts are betraying her? If she can't even trust her memories of her own childhood, how can she make a call on some stranger's story that took place over fifteen years before?

DC Fiona Griffiths is bored. It's been months since she had a good corpse, let alone a decent murder to deal with, and it's frankly driving her nuts. And then comes the news, and she has to literally stop herself from jumping with joy: not just a murder, but a decapitation, with an antique sword no less, and a murder scene that has been laid out like a particularly gruesome crossword clue. Gaynor Charteris was an archaeologist leading a team excavating a nearby iron-age site. Genial, respected, well-liked, it was hard to see why anyone would want to kill her in such a brutal way. But as Fiona starts to dig beneath the surface, she finds evidence of a crime that leads back to King Arthur and his final battle - a crime so bizarre that getting her superiors to take it seriously is going to be her toughest job. Especially since the crime hasn't yet been committed.  The Deepest Grave is by Harry Bingham.

The Boy is by Tami Hoag and she returns with a gripping suspense thriller starring detectives Broussard and Fourcade. Mother In the sleepy Lousiana town of Bayou Breaux, a mother runs to her neighbour - bloody and hysterical. The police arrive to find Genevieve Gauthier cradling her seven-year-old son in her arms as he bleeds to death. Liar Detective Nick Fourcade finds no evidence of a break-in. His partner Detective Annie Broussard is troubled by parts of Genevieve's story that don't make sense. Twenty four hours later teenager Nora Florette is reported missing. Local parents fear a maniac is preying on their children, and demand answers from the police. Murderer? Fourcade and Broussard discover something shocking about Genevieve's past. She is both victim and the accused; a grieving mother and a woman with a deadly secret. Could she have something to do with the disappearance of teenager Nora Florette? A unbearable loss or an unthinkable crime? 

July 2017

Denise Ang, a thirty year-old researcher at a Newcastle hospital, sees a story in the paper about a young woman’s death. Stories emerge to say she was an escort favoured by top political figures, but as Denise finds herself getting more involved in the investigations, she realises that she’s in deeper than she first thought.  You Don’t Know Me is by Brooke Magnanti

2016 THEAKSTONS OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR LONGLIST REVEALED

Giants of the genre are pitted against a clutch of new voices in one of the most prestigious crime writing prizes in the country.

Renee Knight’s debut, Disclaimer, has been pitched as the new Gone Girl. The former TV documentary maker spent a decade writing film scripts, with her first novel turned down by every publisher, but persisted to write Disclaimer, whose overseas rights have been sold in 25 countries and to a Hollywood studio.

Lisa McInerney The Glorious Heresies, was longlisted for the Bailey’s Women’s Prize for Fiction 2016 and was described as a ‘spectacular’ debut by the Telegraph.

In a Dark Dark Wood was Ruth Ware’s debut thriller about a hen party with a murderous twist. It became an instant bestseller in the States and was snapped up to be a major motion picture under development by Reese Witherspoon.

David Young’s Stasis Child also became a bestseller, aimed at fans of Child 44 and Deutschland 83. Young’s first novel was published by Twenty7 imprint, which was established with a focus on debut authors.

Clare Mackintosh first thriller I Let You Go was one of the fastest selling titles of 2015 and became a Sunday Times bestseller and a Richard & Judy book club winner.

The debut novels will compete with those from stalwarts of the genre, including one of the biggest names in books – JK Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith. Other blockbuster names in the running include Mark Billingham, Ann Cleeves and Val McDermid.

Time of Death is the 13^th in Billingham’s much-loved Tom Thorne series; his detective was played by David Morrissey for Sky One. Time of Death has been commissioned by BBC TV, due for broadcast in autumn, 2016. Ann Cleeves shot to fame with her Vera (ITV) and Shetlands (BBC) series. The Moth Catcher features her iconic detective, Vera Stanhope.

Now in its twelfth year, the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award was created to celebrate the very best in crime writing and is open to crime authors whose novels were published in paperback from 1 May 2015 to 18 April 2016.

The 2016 Award is run in partnership with T&R Theakston Ltd, WHSmith, and The Radio Times.




© Fenris Oswin

The long list, comprising 18 titles, is selected by an academy of crime writing authors, agents, editors, reviewers, members of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Programming Committee and representatives from T&R Theakston Ltd and WHSmith.

The longlist in full:

Time of Death by Mark Billingham, Little Brown

Rain Dogs, Adrian McKinty, Serpent’s Tail

Career of Evil, Robert Galbraith, Sphere

Black Eyed Susans, Julia Heaberlin, Michael Joseph

Disclaimer, Renée Knight, Black Swan

I Let You Go, Clare Mackintosh, Sphere

The Moth Catcher, Ann Cleeves, Pan

Tell No Tales, Eva Dolan, Harvill Secker

The Ghost Fields, Elly Griffiths, Quercus

The Missing and the Dead, Stuart MacBride, Harper Fiction

Every Night I Dream of Hell, Malcolm Mackay, Mantle

Splinter the Silence, Val McDermid, Little, Brown

The Glorious Heresies, Lisa McInerney, John Murray Publishers

The Nightmare Place, Steve Mosby, Orion Fiction

The Final Silence, Stuart Neville, Harvill Secker

In a Dark, Dark Wood, Ruth Ware, Harvill Secker

Death is a Welcome Guest, Louise Welsh, John Murray Publishers

Stasi Child, David Young, Twenty7

From 21 April, longlisted titles will feature in a six-week campaign across all 300 WHSmith stores and 80 library services, representing a total of 1645 library branches.

The shortlist of six titles will be announced on 31 May, followed by a seven-week promotion in libraries and WHSmiths.

The overall winner will be decided by the panel of Judges, alongside a public vote. The public vote opens on 1 July and closes 15 July at www.theakstons.co.uk.

Previous winners of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award include Denise Mina, Val McDermid, and Sarah Hilary.

The winner will be announced at an award ceremony hosted by broadcaster Mark Lawson on 21 July on the opening night of the 14th Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate.

The winner will receive a £3,000 cash prize, as well as a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by Theakstons Old Peculier.

Executive director of T&R Theakston, Simon Theakston, said: “2016’s longlist shows that the crime genre is in incredibly robust health. It’s a showcase of some of the best authors in the world, and shows that the genre is the most influential when it comes to shaping publishing and popular culture. It’s incredibly exciting to see such strong new voices on the list, and it will no doubt be a hotly-contended award.”

Gemma Rowland, Literature Festivals Manager at Harrogate International Festivals, said: “The list demonstrates that even the giants of the genre are constantly kept on their toes, with debut voices as serious contenders. Last year’s winner was a debut from Sarah Hilary. It really shows whoever wins this year will know they’ve been pitted against the biggest talent at work today.”