Category: Events

Book Launch of The Twelfth Department by William Ryan

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The Twelfth Department

The Twelfth Department

I was thrilled to be invited to the launch of author William Ryan’s new novel The Twelfth Department. The event was held on Tuesday at the gorgeous bookstore Goldsboro Books by invitation of Pan Macmillan and Goldsboro Books. It was a fabulous evening.

The Twelfth Department is the third novel in William Ryan’s Captain Korolev series set in 1930s Russia.

I’ll be posting a full review shortly, but to whet your appetite here’s the blurb: When an eminent scientist is shot dead within sight of the Kremlin, police investigator Captain Korolev is ordered to find the killer. But when another scientist is murdered, and evidence of the professors’ dark experiments is hastily removed, Korolev realises that he’s caught in a dangerous battle  between two warring factions of the NKVD. Then his young son Yuri goes missing … 

The Twelfth Department is published by MANTLE today, 23rd May 2013.

Watch this space for my review …

Events Alert: Nordic Noir announce first ‘Nordicana’ expo

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Nordicana logo

Nordicana logo

If you’re a fan Scandinavian crime thriller fiction and film this could be an event for you.

Run in association with Arrow Films and the literary network English Pen, the first Nordicana expo is scheduled for 15 – 16 June 2013 and will be held at The Farmiloe Building – 34-35 St. John Street, London, EC1.

The event will bring fans of Nordic noir together for a two-day celebration of fiction and film, featuring author panel discussions, signings, exclusive screenings, talks and much more.

To find out all the details and how to book, check out the Nordic Noir website at http://nordicnoir.tv/nordicana/

Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award – longlist announced

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Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year logo

Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year logo

The Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award celebrates the very best in crime writing. Run in partnership between Harrogate International Festivals and WHSmith, the award is open to British and Irish authors. The 2013 award is open to novels which have been published in paperback between 1 May 2012 – 30 April 2013.

And the 2013 long-list is …

  • The Guilty One – Lisa Ballantyne (Piatkus)
  • Finders Keepers – Belinda Bauer (Transworld)
  • Rush Of Blood – Mark Billingham (Little Brown)
  • Dead Scared – S J Bolton (Corgi, Transworld)
  • The Affair – Lee Child (Transworld)
  • A Foreign Country – Charles Cumming (Harpercollins)
  • Safe House –  Chris Ewan (Faber and Faber)
  • Not Dead Yet – Peter James (Macmillan)
  • Siege – Simon Kernick (Bantam Press)
  • Prague Fatale – Philip Kerr (Quercus)
  • The Rage – Gene Kerrigan (Vintage)
  • Birthdays for the Dead – Stuart MacBride (Harper)
  • The Dark Winter – David Mark (Quercus)
  • The Lewis Man – Peter May (Quercus)
  • Gods And Beasts – Denise Mina (Orion)
  • Stolen Souls – Stuart Neville (Vintage)
  • Sacrilege – S. J. Parris (Harper)
  • A Dark Redemption – Stav Sherez (Faber and Faber)

For the next stage, a shortlist of six will be announced on 1st July 2013.

Then, to decide the winner, a public online vote will open on 4th July 2013 at www.theakstons.co.uk along with the deliberation of an expert judging panel.

The winner will be announced at the 2013 award ceremony on 18th July at the opening night of the fabulous Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Harrogate, England.

Many congratulations to all of the long listed authors, and best of luck for the next round.

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CrimeFest announce their 2013 Awards Shortlists

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CRIMEFEST logo

CRIMEFEST logo

There’s not long to go before the annual CrimeFest crime writing convention running from 30th May – 2nd June in Bristol, England.

A highlight of the event is the CrimeFest Awards, and this week the shortlists for 2013 have been announced.

First up, is The Audible Sounds of Crime Award. This award celebrates the best crime audiobook published in both print and audio in 2012. Shortlists and winning titles are selected by Audible.co.uk, the UK’s leading producer of downloadable audiobooks.

And the shortlist is:

– Michael Connelly for The Black Box read by Michael McConnohie (Orion Audio)

– John Grisham for The Racketeer read by J.D. Jackson (Hodder & Stoughton)

– Peter May for The Lewis Man read by Peter Forbes (Quercus)

– Jo Nesbø for Phantom read by Sean Barrett (Random House with Isis Publishing)

– Ian Rankin for Standing In Another Man’s Grave read by James MacPherson (Orion Audio)

Next up is The Goldsboro Last Laugh Award. This award is for the best humorous crime novel of 2012. The shortlist and winning title are selected by a team of British crime fiction reviewers.

The shortlist is:

– Colin Bateman for The Prisoner of Brenda (Headline)

– Simon Brett for The Corpse on the Court (Severn House)

– Declan Burke for Slaughter’s Hound (Liberties Press)

– Ruth Dudley Edwards for Killing The Emperors (Allison & Busby)

– Christopher Fowler for Bryant & May and the Invisible Code (Doubleday, Transworld)

– Hesh Kestin for The Iron Will of Shoeshine Cats (Mulholland Books, Hodder & Stoughton)

The next up is the eDunnit Award. This award recognises the best crime fiction ebook published in 2012 in both hardcopy and in electronic format. The shortlist and winning title are selected by a team of British crime fiction reviewers.

The shortlist is:

– Andrea Camilleri for The Age of Doubt (Mantle, Macmillan)

– Ruth Dudley Edwards for Killing The Emperors (Allison & Busby)

– Christopher Fowler for Bryant & May and the Invisible Code (Transworld)

– C.J. Sansom for Dominion (Mantle, Macmillan)

And finally, the H.R.F. Keating Award. This award is for the best biography/critical book related to crime fiction ebook published between 2008 and 2012. Again, the shortlist and winning title has been selected by a team of British crime fiction reviewers.

The shortlist is:

– Declan Burke & John Connolly for Books to Die For (Hodder & Stoughton, 2012)

– John Curran for Agatha Christie’s Secret Notebooks (HarperCollins, 2009)

– Barry Forshaw (editor) for British Crime Writing: an Encyclopaedia (Greenwood World Publishing, 2008)

– Christopher Fowler for Invisible Ink (Strange Attractor, 2012)

– Maxim Jakubowski (editor) for Following the Detectives (New Holland Publishers, 2010)

– P.D. James for Talking about Detective Fiction (The Bodleian Library, 2009)

Now the shortlist has been announced, the nominees have to wait it out until the winners of each award are  announced at CrimeFest’s annual Gala Dinner on Saturday 1st June. With so many great books on the shortlists it’s going to be a tough call.

I’ve got my ticket and I can’t wait to find out who the winners are.

To find out more about CrimeFest hop on over to www.crimefest.com

Fancy doing an MA in Creative Writing – Crime Thriller Novels?

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English: City University The City University d...

English: City University The City University dates back to 1894 when it was founded as the Northampton Institute (being located in Northampton Square). It achieved university status in 1966, as an independent institution outside the University of London federation. It has always had strong links with the City of London and the Lord Mayor is the university’s chancellor. This attractive sign stands outside a rather less attractive concrete building on Spencer Street. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ever thought of doing an MA in Creative Writing? How about one that specializes in crime thriller novels?

Well, if you’ve ever toyed with the idea, this could be the perfect course for you …

City University, London, added a Crime Thriller Novels strand to their already hugely popular MA in Creative Writing in 2012. I’m lucky enough to be one of the first cohort of students, and I’m having a fantastic time. It’s lots of work, lots of reading, and it’s challenging and encouraging all at once. I’d certainly recommend it.

Sound like it’s something you’d be interested in?

If so, you can find out more over at the City University website at: http://www.city.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/creative-writing-novels

Also, there’s an open evening on Wednesday 19th June from 5pm – 7pm, so you can meet the tutors and ask questions about the course.

Today is Get Writing 2013 Day!

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Get Writing 2013 logo

Get Writing 2013 logo

Today I’m at Verulam Writers’ Circle’s Get Writing 2013 Conference at the University of Hertfordshire’s De Havilland Campus.

As well as attending many of the wonderful workshops and sessions at the conference, I’ve got the pleasure of chairing the Crime Panel in the Main Hall.

The four fabulous crime writers on the panel are:

ANN CLEEVES

Ann is the author of the books behind ITV’s VERA and BBC One’s SHETLAND. She has written over twenty-five novels, and is the creator of detectives Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez – characters loved both on screen and in print. Her books have sold over 1 million copies worldwide.

LESLEY HORTON

Lesley’s books have been described as interesting, serious and gritty. After a career in teaching, Lesley took early retirement and has written five novels featuring DI (now DCI) John Handford and has completed her sixth. Her next novel will be a psychological suspense stand-alone. She is a founder member of the Airedale Writers’ Circle set up in 1995.

ADRIAN MAGSON

Adrian is the author of 13 crime/thriller novels and hundreds of short stories and magazine articles. His latest novels are ‘ Retribution’, the fourth in his Harry Tate spy series, and ‘Death on the Pont Noir’, third in his Inspector Lucas Rocco French police series. He’s a reviewer for Shots Magazine, he writes the ‘Beginners’ and ‘New Author’ pages for Writing Magazine, and is the author of ‘Write On! – The Writer’s Help Book’ .

CLARIE McGOWAN

Claire is the Director of Crime Writers’ Association and teaches on the new Crime Fiction MA at City University, London. Her first novel, The Fall, was published in 2012. Her second novel, The Lost, featuring forensic psychologist, Paula Maguire, was published earlier this month.

I’m really looking forward to it.

You can follow Get Writing 2013 on Twitter at @GetWriting2013

London Book Fair sees launch of BOOKS ARE MY BAG campaign

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The news coming out of London Book Fair is that there’s a new campaign afoot to promote and strengthen the links between books and bookshops.

 

The BOOKS ARE MY BAG campaign involves all booksellers, chain, independents and publishers speaking with one voice to celebrate the joy and culture importance of the high street bookshop.

 

Launching to the public on Saturday 14th September, the campaign will run until Christmas. Participating retailers will be giving away BOOKS ARE MY BAG canvas bags (designed by M&C Saatchi).

 

Sounds like a great idea.

 

To find out more, hop on over to The Booksellers Association website at http://www.booksellers.org.uk/Campaigns/BOOKS-ARE-MY-BAG

 

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Book Launch: The Lost by Claire McGowan

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display at launch event

display at launch event

Earlier this week I was excited to attend the book launch of Claire McGowan’s new book, The Lost.

Her debut novel, The Fall, was one of my favorite books of 2012, so I’ve been really looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of The Lost.

The launch party was held at the fabulous Goldsboro Books, just off Leicester Square, London. The place was full to bursting and I was thrilled to get a signed copy of the book.

Set in Ireland, The Lost is the first of a new series featuring forensic psychologist, Paula Maguire.

What the blurb says: “When two teenage girls go missing along the Irish border, forensic psychologist Paula Maguire has to return to the home town she left years before. Swirling with rumour and secrets, the town is gripped with fear of a serial killer. But the truth could be even darker. 

Surrounded by people and places she tried to forget, Paula digs into the cases as the truth twists further away. What’s the link with two other disappearances from 1985? And why does everything lead back to the town’s dark past – including the reasons her own mother went missing years before?

As the shocking truth is revealed, Paul learns that sometimes it’s better not to find what you’ve lost.”

Sounds great – I can’t wait to start reading …

 

 

ITW announce the nominees for the 2013 Thriller Awards

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That’s right, International Thriller Writers have announced their 2013 Awards nominees.

 

The award catagories are:

 

  • Best Hardcover Novel
  • Best First Novel
  • Best Paperback Original Novel
  • Best Short Story
  • Best Young Adult Novel
  • Best E-Book Original Novel

 

To find out who the nominees are, head over to the ITW website at: http://thrillerwriters.org/ 

 

The winners of the 2013 Thriller Awards will be announced at ThrillerFest VIII on 13th July 2013, at the Grand Hyatt (New York City).

 

Many congratulations to all the nominees.

 

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