Theakston's Special Guest Authors Revealed

GLOBAL BESTSELLERS AND FAN FAVOURITES CELEBRATED AS THE THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME WRITING FESTIVAL REVEALS SPECIAL GUEST AUTHORS FOR 2024

www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

Theakston Crime Harrogate International Festivals has announced the Special Guests for the 2024 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, the world’s largest and most prestigious celebration of crime fiction.

Curated by bestselling crime writer and 2024 Festival Programming Chair Ruth Ware, with the programming committee, the Special Guests on this year’s programme include global bestsellers and fan favourites Chris Carter, Jane Casey, Elly Griffiths, Erin Kelly, Vaseem Khan, Dorothy Koomson, Shari Lapena, Abir Mukherjee, Liz Nugent and Richard Osman.

Returning to Harrogate for its 21st year, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival (18–21 July 2024) is a highlight of the crime fiction year, offering fans from around the world a unique opportunity to hear from the biggest stars of the genre, discover exciting new talent and enjoy a packed programme of panels, talks and inspiring creative workshops.

This year’s Special Guests include home-grown talent from around the UK, alongside exciting writers from Canada, Brazil and Ireland, in a thrilling celebration of the genre that highlights its strength, diversity and global appeal. Ruth Ware, bestselling author and 2024 Festival Programming Chair said: "I'm so proud of the incredible roster of special guests appearing at this year's Festival - together they showcase the strength, breadth and sheer excellence of the crime-writing landscape. Harrogate has always been a Festival with readers at its very heart, and there really is something for everyone in this glorious celebration of our brilliant and bloody genre."

Vaseem Khan, award-winning author of the Baby Ganesh Agency series and the Malabar House novels and last year’s Festival Programming Chair, will open the Festival in conversation with Abir Mukherjee, author of the globally bestselling Wyndham & Banerjee series. 2024 Festival Programming Chair Ruth Ware will interview author, producer and television presenter Richard Osman about his multi-million copy bestselling Thursday Murder Club series.

International bestseller Shari Lapena visits from Canada to talk about her latest thriller What Have You Done with Liz Nugent, winner of four Irish Book Awards and fellow Irish crime writer Jane Casey will be in conversation with Erin Kelly, whose highly anticipated new novel The Skeleton Key is published in April.

Big name thriller writers Chris Carter, the bestselling author of the Robert Hunter series, and Dorothy Koomson – the ‘Queen of the Big Reveal’ – unveil their latest novels and Festival favourite Elly Griffiths will discuss her new standalone mystery The Last Word.

Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston Ltd, said: “It continues to be a privilege to support the world’s best crime writing Festival as we have over the last 21 years. In that time, we have had the great honour of hosting crime writing legends from across the globe as well as introducing brilliant new voices, and I am looking forward to celebrating what promises to be yet another wonderful Festival with my festival friends over a pint of Theakston Old Peculier!”

Sharon Canavar, Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said: “The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival turns 21 this year, and we look forward to bringing another brilliant Festival to Harrogate in celebration. Ruth has curated a thrilling programme with every crime fiction reader at its heart. We look forward to sharing the full programme in the coming months and cannot wait to welcome everyone to the Festival in the summer – whether it’s your first time or your twenty-first!”

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is delivered by the north of England’s leading arts Festival organisation, Harrogate International Festivals and forms part of their diverse year-round portfolio of events, which aims to bring immersive cultural experiences to as many people as possible. Classic Weekend Break Packages, Author Dinners and tickets for Creative Thursday are on sale now. To book tickets, please call +44(0)1423 562 303 or email info@harrogate-festival.org.uk. More information about tickets and packages can be found here. The full programme for this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival will be announced in Spring 2024

Capital Crime Announces Exciting New Central London Venue, After Sell Out Festival in 2022

 

Capital Crime 2023 to be held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in shadow of St Paul’s Cathedral from 31st August - 2nd September 2023 

Dorothy Koomson & Kate Mosse (Capital Crime Festival 2022

Led by Goldsboro Books’ co-founder and managing director, David Headley, celebrated crime and thriller festival, Capital Crime, has announced it will take place this autumn at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in St Paul’s, providing a fitting backdrop for this year’s stellar line-up. 

Authors confirmed so far include Kate Atkinson, Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright, Richard Osman, Dorothy Koomson, Chris Carter, Peter James, Liz Nugent, Imran Mahmood, Kat Diamond, Joanne Harris, Nicola Williams, Richard Armitage, Yomi Adegoke, Adele Parks and Lisa Jewell, with the full line-up of over 140 authors and field specialists to be announced later in the year. Standard Weekend and Day Tickets for Capital Crime 2023 are on sale now at www.capitalcrime.org. 

Richard Osman Capital Crime Festival 2022

Headley and his team at Goldsboro Books have helped launch the careers of so many authors since it opened almost 25 years ago, by uniting incredible writing with their loyal, ever-growing community of passionate readers. Committed to connecting readers to the books they’ll love, the capital’s first crime writing festival is a brilliant extension of this vision with an outstanding programme of over 40 entertaining, accessible events that explore all corners of the genre, and the opportunity to meet your literary heroes. The previous festivals have seen a wide range of authors, from household names to exciting debuts paired with actors, broadcasters and experts across the field. The 2022 line-up included Rev. Richard Coles, Kate Mosse, Robert Harris, S.A. Cosby, Bella Mackie, Abir Mukherjee and Paula Hawkins. 

Alongside the festival, Capital Crime will continue to create a year-round home for crime and thriller readers and authors with their book club and awards, and nurture under-represented authors with their social outreach initiative which was established in 2019. In June 2023, the festival will take its first trip out of the city with “Capital Crime goes on Holiday”, which will bring together crime-writing legends including Peter James, Dorothy Koomson, and John Sutherland for a very special series of events at Brighton Friends Meeting House, with book signings run by Goldsboro’s recently opened, Brighton store. 

Capital Crime co-founder and Goldsboro Books managing director David Headley said: 

“I’m incredibly proud of everything we are achieving at Capital Crime, we’re unlike any other festival. We’re a year round home for crime and thriller readers and fans. Alongside our weekend festival we run our Fingerprint Awards, where winners are voted for by readers, our Social Outreach initiative, which encourages literacy and aims to demystify the publishing industry, and we’ll also be running an exciting satellite event in Brighton with Goldsboro Books. We were so honoured to be joined by so many wonderful authors at last year’s festival and I can’t wait to reveal everything we have in store for this year!” 

Capital Crime Festival Director, Lizzie Curle, said: 

“I am absolutely delighted that we’ll be welcoming authors and field specialists from across the globe to the UK’s capital city once again this year. Our new indoor venue in the shadow of St Paul’s cathedral, complete with rooftop bar and club, will be the perfect place to celebrate the best genre in the world with the authors, readers and fans who make Capital Crime possible.” 

Standard Weekend and Day Tickets for Capital Crime 2023 are on sale now at www.capitalcrime.org 

Bella Mackie, Ragnar Jonasson & Amanda Redman at Fingerprint Awards, Leonardo Hotel

The British Book Awards shortlists 2023

 

The British Book Awards shortlists have been announced!

The complete shortlists can be found here. 

Crime and Thriller shortlist 

Bamburg by L J Ross

Murder Before Evensong by Reverend Richard Coles

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett

Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

30th St Hilda's Crime Fiction Weekend

 

Booking for the 30^th St Hilda's Crime Fiction Weekend is now open! Join us on 11-13 August 2023 for this extra-special anniversary event, where we can guarantee a weekend of fun and fascination for crime fiction fans around the world.

To mark the 30th anniversary, this year's theme is Celebrations: innocent parties, guilty pleasures.

From the ‘Wedding Killer’ in Val McDermid’s Insidious Intent to Agatha Christie’s Sparkling Cyanide where death stalks the guests at a fancy dinner in the West End, celebrated crime writers have made innocent parties the focus of dark deeds.

Come and spend the weekend with our award-winning group of crime writers from Robert Goddard to Richard Osman, Val McDermid to Nadifa Mohamed. They will explore the works and psychological insights of their favourite writers to find out just why it can all go so wrong, when we are bent on enjoying ourselves. We promise there won't be any nasty surprises at our own celebration! Or will there...?

Our Guest of Honour is the fantastic Robert Goddard, winner of the coveted CWA Diamond Dagger award (2018) and one of Britain’s most highly-respected crafters of intelligent, elegant crime novels.

He will be joined by a truly spectacular line-up of speakers, including: Chris Brookmyre, Jane Casey, Fiona Cummins, A A Dhand, Philip Gooden, Vaseem Khan, Winnie M Li, Val McDermid, Nadifa Mohamed, Richard Osman, Imogen Robertson, and Alex Wheatle. Not to be missed!

The event will take place both in person and online, so you can join us from anywhere in the world. Our early bird discount runs until the end of March, so don't delay! Book your conference ticket here.

Follow @HildasCrime for all the latest news.

In The St Hilda's Spotlight - Imran Mahmood

Name:- Imran Mahmood

Job:- Criminal and Civil Barrister and author

Twitter:- @imranmahmood777

Introduction:-

Barrister and author Imran Mahmood's first novel You Don't Know Me was published in 2017. It was also selected for the BBC Radio 2 Book Club Choice and was shortlisted for the Glass Bell Award in 2018. It was also longlisted in 2018 for the CWA Gold Dagger and the Theakstons Old PeculierCrime Novel of the year Award. It was also made into a BBC drama (to great aclaim) in 2021. His second book I Know What I Saw was published in 2021 and was one of The Times best thrillers of 2021. His most recent book is All I said Was True was published iin July 2022.

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

I have just delivered 3rd draft of book 4. It is about grief and regret as well (obviously) as murder! I loved writing this book and it’s the one I'm proudest of. I can't wait to see it out next year.

Favourite book?

This is a always To Kill a Mocking Bird. It deals with everything – race, class, poverty, wealth, slavery, human rights, power, justice, morality, truth, integrity, coming of age – the lot. A few other books try to do all of this but the genius of Harper Lee was that she told stories of horror through the lens of an innocent - child. The effect is devastating. 

Which two characters would you invite to dinner and why?

Staying with To Kill a Mockingbird I would like to have Atticus Finch and Scout round for a home-made curry!

How do you relax?

I write of course! And cook. Or if I have time I paint (badly) or do a little woodwork. I make things for the kids that they don’t have any appreciation for. 

Which book do you wish you had written and why?

I'm going to sidestep Harper Lee this time (because there is no way I could have written that). I’m going to say The First Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman for its modest sales!

Also, it displays a great understanding of the market. There’s a whole section of society (that read) but who find themselves totally invisible in culture. Osman realised that and boy did he make the most of it! Also it’s such a perfectly delivered mystery. Can't fault it.

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

Writing is very difficult. Reading is much easier. Just read.

What made you decide to write standalone novels as opposed to a series and would you write a series?

I had only intended to write the one book! I had no idea that when you write one – publishers and agents just expect you to carry on. There was no way to turn book 1 into a series so book 2 was a standalone. And by then I liked the idea of meeting new characters that I knew nothing about. I have since thought about a returnable series. I think it’s a lot of work despite the impression you get and it takes a long time (4 plus books I think) to establish a series. I don’t think I have the patience to do that

With Town and Country: Green Lanes to Mean Streets being the theme at St Hilda's this year, Where is your favourite town and where is your favourite country? Why have you chosen these?

London (which is about 100 towns really rather than one place). It’s my adoptive home (from Liverpool) and I love 2 things about it. That you can become anonymous in London very easily. And that the tolerance levels are so high (as a rule) that you can be any version of yourself that you want to be without (usually) ever attracting a second-look. I love that I sat on the Tube last week and someone wandered on wearing a tutu, a blonde Elsa wig to their waist, drinking beer from a Pringle can. She was probably in her sixties. Nobody batted an eye. I love that. The price of being left alone when you want to be left alone is often being left alone when you don’t. So it’s not a perfect city – but where is?

Favourite country – UK. Not a natural patriot. But the UK (despite everything) feels free and safe and there aren’t many places I could spend the rest of my life in. There’s always something to spoil a great country. Geographically/geologically/structurally? the USA has everything. Mountains, lakes, deserts, snow, beaches, big modern cities, slow lazy cities, canyons, waterfalls, huge national parks. But then – you know it has people like Trump in it. And a lot of guns! 

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

Meeting so many new people after so much hiding away for the last 2 years!

All I Said Was True by Imran Mahmood (Bloomsbury Publishing PLC)

I didn't kill her. Trust me...When Amy Blahn died on a London rooftop, Layla Mahoney was there. Layla was holding her. But all she can say when she's arrested is that 'It was Michael. Find Michael and you'll find out everything you need to know.' The problem is, the police can't find him - they aren't even sure he exists. Layla knows she only has forty-eight hours to convince the police that bringing in the man she knows only as 'Michael' will clear her name and reveal a dangerous game affecting not just Amy and Layla, but her husband Russell and countless others. But as the detectives begin to uncover the whole truth about what happened to Amy, Layla will soon have to decide: how much of that truth can she really risk being exposed?

Capital Crime launches 2022 Festival Programme and announces new venue

 

Capital Crime launched their 2022 programme with a bang last night at leading independent bookshop, Goldsboro Books, at a party to announce their stellar line up and spectacular new location. 

Taking place in the shadow of the iconic Battersea Power Station from 29th September – 1st October 2022, Capital Crime will bring together readers, authors, industry figures and the local community for the first major literary festival held on the site for a weekend of fun, innovation and celebration of crime fiction. 

Consisting of over 40 events and over 150 panelists, the line-up will include appearances from Peter James, Kate Mosse, Mark Billingham, Richard Osman, Robert Harris, SA Cosby, Dorothy Koomson, Jeffrey Archer, Anthony Horowitz, Charlie Higson, Jeffery Deaver, Lucy Foley, Bella Mackie, Ragnar Jónasson, Paula Hawkins, Reverend Richard Coles, Mark Edwards, Claire McGowan, Ben Aaronovitch and Former President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, Lady Hale, in conversation with Harriet Tyce. 

Their full schedule of innovative panel talks will be announced later in the summer. 

As part of the live festival this year, Capital Crime’s Social Outreach Initiative will be returning for a third year with the aim to create an inclusive, safe space where state school students with an interest in books can engage with authors, agents, editors and publishers to help demystify the publishing industry. 

The festival will also be launching the coveted Fingerprint Awards, which celebrate the best in genre, as chosen by readers. In 2022 the Fingerprints will present eight awards as well as a prestigious lifetime achievement award. 

Co-founded by David Headley, the owner of one of London’s destination bookshops, which attracts visitors from all over the world, Capital Crime 2022 will serve as a major London attraction, following the regeneration of the local Battersea area and improved transport links. 

Festival Founder, David Headley, said: “I am so delighted that Goldsboro Books and Capital Crime, along with our valued festival sponsors, will be working in partnership this year to bring a bigger and better live celebration of crime fiction back to London. We were so proud of what we achieved at our inaugural festival, and look forward to welcoming authors and readers to our new, exciting venue.” 

Festival Director, Lizzie Curle, said: “After what’s been an emotional few years, we are so grateful to our readers, authors and sponsors for their support, and are thrilled to be reuniting household name authors, new voices in fiction and their fans at our new home in Battersea Park. Though this Capital Crime event may look a little different from the outside; diversity, inclusivity and accessibility remain at the heart of our festival. We can’t wait to celebrate the best genre in the world, and hope everyone will agree it’s been worth the wait.” 

With diversity, accessibility, inclusivity and readers at the heart of the festival, Capital Crime this year will take place in a series of large stretch-tented venues for multiple panel events, signing area, a stunning bar area central to the festival, a pop up Goldsboro Books bookshop in the iconic Pump House Gallery, and an array of London’s tastiest street food traders. 

Weekend and Day Passes are available from the Capital Crime website: 

www.capitalcrime.org/product/capital-crime-festival-2022

Writing my debut novel "Trust" during a year of lockdown by Mark Eccleston

I’d been thinking about writing a novel for a good 30 years, but never got round to it. There was always something more important to do. Then the Covid pandemic turned up. Out of nowhere. And it was mind-frazzling and grim. But for most of us it was a chance to reassess our lives. A long time-out. If I was going to write that novel, I wouldn’t get a better chance than this. But what would it be about? 

One thing I knew, it wasn’t going to be a dark. Living in a horror story every day – watching the virus run out of control, a government staggering after it – I wanted some escapism. A beautiful setting. Eccentric side characters. A few laughs, with a bit of luck. A houseboat – the boat figured early in the planning. I live in Ealing, which is not quite central London. Not quite leafy suburbia. A long way from the countryside I dreamt about moving to with my family during the pandemic. Where we might cash-in, buy a houseboat on a backwater. 

One of my favourite places in the country is the Dorset coast around Poole. There’s a huge harbour – an inland sea almost – that’s surrounded by some stunning landscapes. Sandy beaches. Wild heathland. Deserted islands. A river that winds up to a pretty village called Wareham. Which is where the protagonist Astrid Swift, an art conservator from the British Gallery in London, finds herself after inheriting a creaky houseboat. The town in the book isn’t Wareham. It’s called Hanbury, and is even more picturesque – the quintessential English hamlet that I thought about moving to, but never but never did in the end. If it even exists. It’s a village where the weather is always great. The locals are friendly, and the local pub is, like the genre, cosy.

I like cosy crime – writers like Agatha Christie, and more recently Robert Thorogood and Richard Osman. In their books, the villain never gets away with it. The amateur detectives triumph because, underneath it all, they’re good eggs. They have skills and do the decent thing. There’s a satisfying certainty to it all, and in uncertain times, those are the stories I wanted to read and write. A story that values friendship and community. That was the remarkable thing about the pandemic – how most people stepped up and did their bit. Cared for each other. It was the silver lining. In The Trust, Astrid slowly realises the shallowness of her materialistic life – the trophy husband begins to tarnish, and she’s sacked from her high-flying job. But in picking up the pieces in a small town where she has to rely on the kindness of strangers, she discovers who she truly is.

The lockdowns rolled in over the course of 2020 and, between the home schooling for the kids and the statutory one hour of outdoor exercise a day – remember that? – the story began to take shape. There was a fair amount of research to sort out along the way. None of it in person, but then, given the wonders of the internet, everything I needed to know was out there. So began hundreds of hours watching art conservators at work. A show called Fake or Fortune? presented by Fiona Bruce became essential viewing. As did sailing tutorials on YouTube. Lots of books were delivered: guides to deadly mushrooms and bird-spotting, tide charts and biographies of England’s finest stately homes. Sherbourne Hall, the scene of much of the crime in the book, is a mix of various grand houses around the country. 

By the start of 2021, the book was finished. It went off to my agent, who seemed happy. She’s always happy though. Then it found a quick home, along with two more in the series, at Head of Zeus. It comes out in paperback this spring, now that life is, it seems, getting back to normal. If there hadn’t been those lockdowns, I doubt I’d have written a novel. Life would have carried on as usual – which is always wonderful. I’m lucky, and keenly aware of that. Grateful for getting through the pandemic, and out the other side with a new career and outlook on life. 

The Trust by M H Eccleston (Head of Zeus) Out Now

Ever so wholesome. Ever so deadly... When art restorer Astrid Swift moved from London to the Dorset village of Hanbury, she thought she was heading for a quiet life. Far from it. A local man has just been murdered in the English Trust stately home where Astrid works, and the sleepy community is shaken to its core. Soon Astrid has discovered the shocking truth about her employer: rather than being the genteel organisation it seems on the surface, the Trust is a hotbed of politics and intrigue. As Astrid's new friend Kath from the village says: 'It's like the mafia, but with scones. As the suspicious deaths mount up, Astrid must use every gadget in her restorer's toolkit to solve the mystery, salvage her reputation - and maybe even save her life.

Mark can be found on Twitter @MarkEccleston1 

CRIMEFEST Announce 2022 Award Nominees

 

CRIMEFEST, one of Europe’s leading crime writing conventions, has announced the shortlists for its annual awards.

Now in its 15th year, the awards honour the best crime books released in 2021 in the UK.

The awards include the Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award, the winner of which receives a £1,000 prize.

A further £1,000 prize fund is also awarded to the Audible Sounds of Crime Award, sponsored by Audible.

All category winners will receive a Bristol Blue Glass commemorative award.

Up for the hotly-contended Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award is Saima Mir for The Khan, which was a Times and Sunday Times Crime Novel of the Year in 2021. Featuring lawyer Jia Khan, the novel has been praised as a dark, gripping thriller with an unforgettable heroine, and dubbed a “once-in-a-generation crime thriller”.

Mir faces strong competition from five other shortlisted authors, including Abigail Dean for Girl A, which became a Sunday Times global bestseller. Dean was claimed as “the biggest literary fiction voice of 2021”. The book is soon to be a TV show, directed by Chernobyl’s Johan Renck.

The winner of the Audible Sounds of Crime Award will be voted for by Audible UK listeners. This year, Richard Osman returns to the shortlist with The Man Who Died Twice read by Lesley Manville, after winning in 2021 for his phenomenal debut smash-hit, The Thursday Murder Club. Osman is up against big-hitters including Lee and Andrew Child, Paula Hawkins and Liane Moriarty.

Abigail Dean’s Girl A also features on the Audible Sounds of Crime shortlist. Dean is the only author up for three CrimeFest awards. Girl A is also in contention for the eDunnit Award for the best e-book, alongside bestselling authors Michael Connelly and Megan Abbot, as well as Gianrico Carofiglio for The Measure of Time, which was shortlisted for Italy’s most prestigious literary award, the STREGA prize.

Shortlisted for the H.R.F Keating Award for best biographical or critical book on crime fiction are books that focus on icons of the genre, including Ian Fleming’s nephew - James Fleming – for Bond Behind the Iron Curtain, and Patricia Highsmith: Her Diaries and Notebooks, which was published for the centenary of her birth in 2021. Richard Bradford’s acclaimed Devils, Lusts and Strange Desires: The Life of Patricia Highsmith also makes the list.

The Last Laugh Award sees Mick Herron’s Slough House on the shortlist. The Jackson Lamb series of dysfunctional British intelligence agents is due to be screened by Apple TV this April, starring Oscar-winner Gary Oldman. He’s up against stalwarts of the genre, including Simon Brett for An Untidy Death and Christopher Fowler with London Bridge is Falling Down.

Best Crime Novel for Children, aged 8-12, features giant of the genre Anthony Horowitz for Nightshade, from his popular Alex Rider series. The nominees also include the multi-award-winning Frank Cottrell-Boyce with Noah’s Gold, Alexandra Page’s charming Wishyouwas and M.G. Leonard’s birdwatching detective, Twitch.

Best Crime Novel for Young Adults, aged 12-16, features C.L. Taylor’s The Island, dubbed Lost meets The Hunger Games. Faridah Àbíké Íyímídé’s Ace of Spades also makes the list. An instant New York Times bestseller, Ace of Spades is described as Gossip Girl meets Get Out, and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal 2022.

Adrian Muller, Co-host of CRIMEFEST, said: “After two years of hosting our awards online due to Covid restrictions, we’re thrilled we will be announcing and celebrating the winners of 2022’s CrimeFest Awards in person at our convention in Bristol in May. These shortlists show how valuable books have been to all ages, particularly in times of isolation, as sources of escapism, entertainment and enrichment. We’d like to thank Audible and Specsavers for their on-going support of these awards.”

CRIMEFEST has had to postpone its 2020 and 2021 conventions, due to Covid restrictions. Hosted in Bristol, it 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.

Leading British crime fiction reviewers and reviewers of fiction for children and young adults, alongside the members of the School Library Association (SLA) form the CRIMEFEST judging panels, aside from Audible Sounds in which Audible listeners establish the shortlist and the winning title.

Co-host of CRIMEFEST, Donna Moore, added: “We are proud to be one of the few genre awards that recognise e-books and audiobooks, humour, children and Young Adult crime fiction novels. We aim to be the most inclusive of awards to reflect the values of our convention, and the incredible diversity and reach of the genre which dominates the cultural landscape.”

CRIMEFEST was created following the hugely successful one-off visit to Bristol in 2006 of the American Left Coast Crime convention. It was established in 2008. It follows the egalitarian format of most US conventions, making it open to all commercially published authors and readers alike.

The 2022 Shortlists in full

SPECSAVERS DEBUT CRIME NOVEL AWARD

In association with headline sponsor, the Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award is for crime novels by previously unpublished authors bring vital fresh blood to the genre.

Girl A by Abigail Dean (HarperCollins)

The Appeal by Janice Hallett, (Viper)

The Khan by Saima Mir,(Point Blank)

How to Kidnap the Rich by Rahul Raina, (Abacus/ Little, Brown Book Group)

One Night, New York by Lara Thompson, (Virago/Little, Brown Book Group)

Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden, (Simon & Schuster)

AUDIBLE SOUNDS OF CRIME AWARD

The Audible Sounds of Crime Award is for the best unabridged crime audiobook available for download from audible.co.uk, Britain’s largest provider of downloadable audiobooks.

Better Off Dead by Lee and Andrew Child - read by Jeff Harding (Penguin Random House Audio)

Girl A by Abigail Dean - read by Holliday Grainger (HarperFiction)

Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins - read by Rosamund Pike (Penguin Random House Audio)

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell - read by Joanna Froggatt (Penguin Random House Audio)

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty -read by Caroline Lee (Penguin Random House Audio)

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman - read by Lesley Manville (Penguin Random House Audio)

The Marriage by K.L Slater - read by Lucy Price-Lewis (Audible Studios / Bookouture)

False Witness by Karin Slaughter - read by Kathleen Early (HarperCollins)

eDUNNIT AWARD

The eDunnit Award is for the best crime fiction eBook

The Turnout by Megan Abbott (Virago/ Little, Brown Book Group)

The Measure of Time by Gianrico Carofiglio (Bitter Lemon Press)

The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly (Orion Fiction)

Girl A by Abigail Dean (HarperCollins)

Running Out of Road by Cath Staincliffe (Constable/ Little, Brown Book Group)

The Royal Secret by Andrew Taylor (HarperCollins)

H.R.F. KEATING AWARD

The H.R.F. Keating Award is for the best biographical or critical book related to crime fiction. The award is named after H.R.F. ‘Harry’ Keating, one of Britain’s most esteemed crime novelists.

The Detective's Companion in Crime Fiction: A Study in Sidekicks by Lucy Andrews (Palgrave Macmillan)

Devils, Lusts and Strange Desires: The Life of Patricia Highsmith by Richard Bradford Bloomsbury, Caravel)

Bond Behind the Iron Curtain by James Fleming (The Book Collector)

Patricia Highsmith: Her Diaries and Notebooks by Patricia Highsmith (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)

Murder Isn't Easy: The Forensics of Agatha Christie by Carla Valentine (Sphere/ Little, Brown Book Group)

Hank Janson Under Cover by Stephen James Walker (Telos Publishing Ltd)

LAST LAUGH AWARD

The Last Laugh Award is for the best humorous crime novel.

An Untidy Death by Simon Brett (Severn House)

Riccardino by Andrea Camilleri (Mantle)

Bryant & May: London Bridge is Falling Down by Christopher Fowler (Doubleday)

The Appeal by Janet Hallet (Viper)

Slough House by Mick Herron (Baskerville, John Murray Press)

The Rabbit Factor by Antti Tuomainen, (Orenda Books)

BEST CRIME FICTION NOVEL FOR CHILDREN

This award is for the best crime fiction novel for children (aged 8-12)

Noah's Gold by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, (Macmillan Children's Books)

Vi Spy: Licence to Chill by Maz Evans (Chicken House)

Nightshade by Anthony Horowitz, (Walker Books)

The Five Clues by Anthony Kessel, (Crown House Publishing)

Lake Evolution by Jennifer Killick Crater, (Firefly Press)

Twitch by M.G. Leonard,(Walker Books)

Wishyouwas: The Tiny Guardian of Lost Letters by Alexandra Page illustrated by Penny Neville-Lee (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)

The Secret Detectives by Ella Risbridger (Nosy Crow)

BEST CRIME FICTION NOVEL FOR YOUNG ADULTS

This award is for the best crime fiction novel for young adults (aged 12-16).

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké Íyímídé, (Usborne Publishing)

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley (Rock the Boat)

The Girl Who … by Andreina Cordani (Atom/ Little, Brown Book Group)

The Outrage by William Hussey (Usborne Publishing)

As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson (Electric Monkey)

Splinters of Sunshine by Patrice Lawrence (Hodder Children's Books)

The Outlaws of Scarlett & Browne by Jonathan Stroud (Walker Books)

The Island by C. L Taylor (HQ)

Durham Book Festival

 

The Durham Book Festival have announced their programme. The festival is due to take place between 9^th and 17^thOctober 2021. The full programme can be read here. They are combining a return to live in-person events at the Gala Theatre with a full digital programme of over 50 literary events, films, podcasts, essays and more.

Tickets are now availble.

The crime fiction events are -

Catriona Ward and Abigail Dean: Thrillers With a Twist - (9^th October 2021- 11:00am)

Join Abigail Dean and Catriona Ward, two thriller writers who are turning the genre on its head as they explore trauma and survival in these gripping and intelligent novels.

In Girl A by Abigail Dean, Lexie Grace is the girl who escaped. Following the news that their abusive mother has died in prison, Lex is forced to return to the House of Horrors that she grew up in. Together with her sister, Evie, Lex intends to turn the house into a force for good. But first she must come to terms with her six siblings – and with the childhood they shared. An ordinary house on an ordinary street becomes a pit of unimaginable darkness in The Last House on Needless Street, a truly nerve-shattering psychological thriller by Catriona Ward. This is the story of a serial killer. A stolen child. Revenge. Death. You think you know what’s inside the last house on Needless Street. You think you’ve read this story before. That’s where you’re wrong.

Chaired by Grace Keane, New Writing North

Richard Osman: Books That Made Me - (9^th October 2021 – 7:00pm)

We are delighted to welcome Richard Osman back to Durham Book Festival for a special pre-recorded digital event. Richard will be talking about his new crime novel The Man Who Died Twice as well as some of the books that have inspired him throughout his life.  The Man Who Died Twice is the second novel in the record-breaking, bestselling Thursday Murder Club series. Elizabeth has received a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. He’s made a big mistake, and he needs her help. His story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life. As bodies start piling up, Elizabeth enlists Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in the hunt for a ruthless murderer. And if they find the diamonds too? Well, wouldn’t that be a bonus?  Richard Osman is an author, producer and television presenter and the creator and co-presenter of the BBC One television quiz show Pointless. His first novel, The Thursday Murder Club, was a million-copy bestseller.

Chaired by Professor Katy Shaw, Northumbria University.

Murder, Mystery and Mayhem: Durham City Guided Walk - (15^th October 2021 – 10:30am)

(Meet outside Gala Theatre entrance) It could be said that Durham City exists because of crime. Pillaging by raiding Vikings led to the city’s formation as we know it today. Take a walk around Durham and hear how crimes gone by have been recorded through the written word. Discover how the city and its hinterland have provided a backdrop and been incorporated into crime fiction and writing.

Denise Mina and Lucy Jago: Women Who Dare - (15^th October 2021 – 5:30pm)

Denise Mina and Lucy Jago discuss their new novels, which tell the stories of transgressive women in history and the secrets and scandals of the royal courts. It’s Saturday evening, 9 March 1566 and Mary Queen of Scots is six months pregnant. She’s hosting a supper party. Mary doesn’t know that her Palace is surrounded – that an army of men is creeping upstairs to her chamber. They’re coming to murder David Rizzio, her friend and secretary. Mary’s husband wants it done in front of her and he wants her to watch it done. Rizzio by Denise Mina looks at history through a modern lens and explores the lengths that men – and women – will go to in the search for love and power. Frances Howard has beauty and a powerful family. Anne Turner has wit and talent – but no stage on which to display them. When these two very different women meet a powerful friendship is sparked. Frankie sweeps Anne into a world of splendour that exceeds all she imagined: a Court whose foreign king is a stranger to his own subjects and where ancient families fight for power. Based on the true scandal that rocked the court of James I, A  Net for Small Fishes is an exhilarating dive into the pitch-dark waters of the Jacobean court.

Chaired by Dr Natalie Mears, Durham University.

Val McDermid: 1979 - (16^th October 2021 – 7:30pm)

Join us for an evening with bestselling crime writer Val McDermid as she talks about 1979, the heart-pounding first novel in a gripping new series by the Queen of Crime.  Set in Glasgow and following crime reporter Allie Burns, 1979 draws upon McDermid’s own experiences as a journalist, where she witnessed life in the newsroom at first-hand.  It is the winter of discontent, and reporter Allie Burns is chasing her first big scoop. There are few women in the newsroom and she needs something explosive for the boys’ club to take her seriously. Soon Allie and fellow journalist Danny Sullivan are exposing the criminal underbelly of respectable Scotland. They risk making powerful enemies – and Allie won’t stop there. When she discovers a home-grown terrorist threat, Allie comes up with a plan to infiltrate the group and make her name. But she’s a woman in a man’s world… and putting a foot wrong could be fatal.

Chaired by Doug Johnstone, author of The Jump.

From Marlow to Coopers Chase by Robert Thorogood

 

For me, the hardest part of writing a novel in 2020 wasn’t dealing with coronavirus, or the fact that I had a terrifyingly unmovable publication date that at times felt more pressing than a global pandemic, it was the discovery that Richard Osman seemed to be writing the same novel as me.

I don’t know how these things happen, is there something in the water perhaps, but how is it that seemingly identical projects can be created at the same time? How were two Robin Hood movies released in 1991? (The one with Kevin Costner’s bum was far superior to the one with that guy with the moustache IMO). Or Deep Impact and Armageddon  both coming out in 1998? More pertinently for me, how did Richard Osman’s as-yet-to-be-published novel, The Thursday Murder Club, have such a similar title to my work-in-progress, The Marlow Murder Club? 

(In truth, I can well imagine the synchronicity of titles. After all, I’d got the inspiration for my book from a collection of short stories by Agatha Christie that was published under the title The Tuesday Murder Club – it’s where Miss Marple makes her first appearance. I presume Richard Osman did similarly. Even if he didn’t borrow his title intentionally, it’s funny how the subconscious works. I’m the creator of Death in Paradise for the BBC, and when I was making decisions early on, I had to name the main town on the fictional island where the show is set. I plumped for ‘Honoré’ quite by random, or so I thought. Many years later, I was re-reading A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie and discovered that her book is set on the fictional island of St. Honoré. Spooky, huh?)

Anyway, the point is, even if Richard Osman’s book had the same title as mine, I just had to hope the contents weren’t in any way similar. And how could they be? After all, I’d come up with the idea for my book back in 2015, when I’d tried to sell it as a TV idea… and failed. Now I was writing it as a novel, I had to keep my head down and keep on writing, that’s what I told myself: keep writing, wait until the blurb for Richard’s novel was revealed, and then breath a huge sigh of relief when I saw how very different the two books were.

When then the blurb for his novel was revealed, I was stunned.

Were the two books similar? Well let’s see: his book was a light-hearted murder mystery about a 78-year old woman who gathers her friends together to help solve murders in the Home Counties. Whereas my light-hearted murder mystery novel was about a 77-year old woman who gathers her friends together to help solve murders in the Home Counties. Similar? Apart from a one-year age different in our leading ladies, the blurbs for the two books appeared to be identical.

Luckily, I finished my novel and had pressed ‘send’ on it to my publisher a few months before Richard's book was published in September – and to the sort of stunning reviews and sales that would make any fellow writer’s black heart shrivel. But now I could finally read his book, and saw how wonderful it was – truly funny, moving, witty and so very clever – it was no longer this scary half-imagined thing, it was a book that I could enjoy as a tremendous romp from start to finish.

And reading it made me realise that the two books weren’t actually similar at all. In style, in tone, in how he constructed his story by alternating first-person chapters – and, above all, in the characters he populated his novel with – the two books were entirely different. Even if they both operate in a similar light-hearted murder mystery universe. But then, from Midsomer to St. Mary Mead, all of us light-hearted murder mystery writers operate in a similar universe.

I could breathe a huge sigh of relief. Richard Osman’s book may be the best book I read in 2020, but it doesn’t stop mine from having a crack at 2021. And who knows, maybe one day, the friends from The Marlow Murder Club can retire to Coopers Chase and solve murders with Elizabeth and her friends in The Thursday Murder Club?

The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood (Harper Collins) Out Now

To solve an impossible murder, you need an impossible hero… Judith Potts is seventy-seven years old and blissfully happy. She lives on her own in a faded mansion just outside Marlow, there’s no man in her life to tell her what to do or how much whisky to drink, and to keep herself busy she sets crosswords for The Times Newspaper. One evening, while out swimming in the Thames, Judith witnesses a brutal murder. The local police don’t believe her story, so she decides to investigate for herself, and is soon joined in her quest by Suzie, a salt-of-the-earth dog-walker, and Becks, the prim and proper wife of the local Vicar. Together, they are the Marlow Murder Club. When another body turns up, they realise they have a real-life serial killer on their hands. And the puzzle they set out to solve has become a trap from which they might never escape…