Jo Callaghan wins Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year 2024

Rising Star Jo Callaghan wins 

Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2024 

with AI inspired debut In the Blink of An Eye

Thursday 18 July 2024: In the Blink of An Eye by debut author Jo Callaghan has been announced as the winner of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2024, the UK and Ireland’s most prestigious crime fiction award, presented by Harrogate International Festivals at a special ceremony on the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.

In the Blink of An Eye introduces an intriguing detective double act as bereaved DCS Kat Frank is chosen to lead a pilot programme that sees her paired with AI colleague Lock, as human experience combines with logic to solve a complex missing persons case. 

Hugely talented rising star, Midlands-born Jo Callaghan was selected for the Festival’s prestigious ‘New Blood’ panel in 2023 and has used her background as a strategist specialising in the future of work to create an innovative – and at times humorous - story examining the role of AI in criminal investigation. The novel, which Callaghan started writing after losing her husband to cancer in 2019, also explores grief and learning to live with loss. 

Jo Callaghan receives a £3,000 prize, as well as an engraved beer cask handcrafted by one of Britain’s last coopers from Theakston’s Brewery. 

On winning the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, Jo Callaghan said: 

“I am so honoured to have won this award - this time last year I sat on the debut panel and I never imagined this is where I'd be now! Huge thank you to everyone on the judging panel, my fellow shortlistees and my biggest thanks go to all the wonderful readers who have taken Kat and Locke to their hearts.”

In the Blink of An Eye was selected by a judging panel made up of journalists, broadcasters and representatives from the Award’s sponsors, with the public vote counting as the seventh judge, from an incredibly strong shortlist which also included The Last Dance by Mark Billingham, The Secret Hours by Mick Herron, Killing Jericho by William Hussey, None of This is True by Lisa Jewell and Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent. 

The inaugural McDermid Debut Award, named in recognition of world-famous crime writer Val McDermid was won by Marie Tierney for Deadly Animals, it was also announced.

Deadly Animals features road-kill obsessed teenager Ava Bonney, who discovers the mauled body of a schoolmate and embarks on a daring quest to unravel the truth behind the string of chilling deaths plaguing her Birmingham community. Birmingham-born Marie Tierney, who now lives in the Fens, worked in education before becoming a full-time writer. She receives a £500 cash prize. Nicola Sturgeon presented the award on behalf of Val McDermid, who is Chair of judges and helped select the winner. 

On winning the McDermid Debut Award, Marie Tierney said: 

“I’m shocked and overwhelmed by winning this incredible award because the competition was incredibly fierce. Thank you to all the readers who appreciated Ava and her quirky ways.”

Legendary writer, Martina Cole received the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award in recognition of her impressive writing career. Headline’s publishing director Jennifer Doyle, accepted the award on Martina’s behalf. 

‘The undisputed queen of British crime thrillers,’ Martina Cole has forged a unique connection to readers with her powerful storytelling. She is the author of twenty-seven bestselling novels with worldwide sales of over 18 million copies. Many of her novels, including The Take, The Runaway, Dangerous Lady and The Jump, have been made into hit TV series, capturing the imagination of millions worldwide. Her new novel, Guilty, co-written with Jacqui Rose, will be published by Headline in October 2024. Cole has appeared at the Festival three times, most recently in conversation with Peter James as a Special Guest in 2016. 

Martina Cole said: ‘It is a tremendous honour to receive this award. I’d like to thank everyone in the crime writing community – my fans, my fellow authors, my publisher, Headline, and my agent, Darley Anderson - for supporting me over the last 32 years. Opening up new worlds to readers, some of whom had never read a book before they picked up one of mine, has always given me a huge sense of pride and pleasure.’

Cole is the latest in a line of acclaimed authors to have received the coveted award, with previous winners including Sir Ian Rankin, Lynda La Plante, James Patterson, John Grisham, Lee Child, Val McDermid, P.D. James, Michael Connelly and last year’s recipient, Ann Cleeves. 

2024 AWARD WINNERS: 

• WINNER of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2024: In the Blink of An Eye by Jo Callaghan (Simon & Schuster)

• WINNER of the McDermid Debut Award: Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney (Bonnier Books)

• Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award: Martina Cole (Headline)

Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston, said: 

“Tonight’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Awards winners truly represent the very best of crime and thriller writing. In the Blink of An Eye is a boundary pushing take on the police procedural genre, told with heart and humour and with a plot that kept me hooked until the very last page. I was chilled and thrilled by Deadly Animals, our first McDermid Debut Award Winner, and Marie Tierney really is a star of the future. We are delighted to celebrate Martina Cole’s illustrious career which has inspired readers and writers from around the world with our Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award.”

Sharon Canavar, Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said: 

“Awards night is always a special way to open the Festival and we are thrilled to celebrate the work of three extraordinary women crime writers this year. Jo Callaghan’s In the Blink of An Eye is a truly ground-breaking novel that changes the way we think about policing forever. We are delighted to reveal Marie Tierney as our first McDermid Debut Award winner. Her novel Deadly Animals impressed all the judges with the calibre of the writing and the assured handling of a harrowing story. We are thrilled to celebrate the work of the phenomenal Martina Cole with the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award. Truly a crime fiction legend, Martina has amassed a legion of devoted fans over the course of her career, captivating readers with her extraordinary characters and compelling plots.” 

The award winners were revealed at the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate, during the opening ceremony for the world’s largest and most prestigious celebration of crime writing, Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival (18-21 July), which this year features a stellar line up of bestselling authors and fan favourites including Richard Osman, Mick Herron, Elly Griffiths, Vaseem Khan, M.W. Craven, James Comey, Femi Kayode, Saima Mir, Peter James, Dorothy Koomson and Abir Mukherjee.

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2024 is presented by Harrogate International Festivals and sponsored by T&R Theakston Ltd, in partnership with Waterstones and the Daily Express, and is open to full-length crime novels published in paperback between 1 May 2023 and 30 April 2024. The winner receives £3,000 and a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by T&R Theakston Ltd.  

Inaugural McDermid Debut Award launched.

                              

Harrogate International Festivals launches inaugural 

McDermid Debut Award 

to spotlight new generation of crime writing talent 

Festival Dates: 18 – 21 July 2024 

www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com 

#Theakstons Awards 

14th March 2024 : Submissions have opened for Harrogate International Festivals ’ new award, the McDermid Debut Award for new writers, offering a unique opportunity to be recognised among the best in the crime fiction genre . The Award will be presented on the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival ,the world’s largest and most prestigious celebration of crime fiction. 

Named in recognition of world-famous crime writer,Val McDermid, who co- founded the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in 2003 and whose dedication to fostering new voices in crime fiction through the New Blood panel is legendary, this new Award seeks to continue her legacy, celebrating and platforming the best debut crime writers in the UK. 

Val McDermid said: ‘Curating the New Blood panel over twenty years exposed me to an extraordinary range of crime fiction I might otherwise have missed. I’m hoping that this new a ward will do the same for the army of avid readers out there looking for new talent.’ 

The McDermid Debut Award is open to full- length debut crime novels by UK and Irish authors published for the first time in hardback or paperback original between 1 May 2023 and 30 April 2024, with submission s closing on the 21st March . A shortlist of six titles, selected by an academy of established crime and thriller authors, will be announced on Thursday 13th June, with the winner determined by a judging panel of industry experts, including literary, broadcasting and media figures. All shortlisted authors will receive a full weekend pass to the Festival. The Award will be presented at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Awards event on Thursday 18th July , the opening night of the Festival , with the winner receiving a £500 cash prize. 

Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, Sharon Canavar, said: ‘We are delighted to announce this new award honouring Val McDermid, one of the icons of the genre, and we can’t wait to discover the stars of the future, be they writers of psychological thrillers or murder mysteries.’ 

Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston Ltd, commented: ‘The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival has always highlighted the best in crime fiction and the new McDermid Debut Award will help readers discover the next generation of crime fiction authors. I am sure this new award will attract even more of the best of crime writing talent and I very much looking forward to welcoming them along with all our friends t o this year’s Harrogate gathering.’ 

Submissions are also now open for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year , the UK and Ireland’s most prestigious crime and thriller writing award. Previous winners include Mick Herron, Lee Child, Stef Penney, Val McDermid, Clare Mackintosh, Mark Billingham, Chris Brookmyre, Steve Cavanagh and Denise Mina. 

KEY AWARD DATES: 

• The McDermid Debut Award and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year are currently open for submissions . The deadline for receipt of entries is 23.59 (GMT) Thursday, 21st March . 

•The Shortlists of the McDermid Debut Award and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year will be announced on Thursday 13^th June . 

• Both Awards, along with the Award for Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction will be presented at the opening n ight of the Festival on Thursday 18^th July. 

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival , which celebrates its 21^st year in 2024, 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. 

This year’s event is curated by bestselling crime writer and 2024 Festival Programming Chair Ruth Ware, with the programming committee, and Special Guests 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. 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 April 2024 . 

Longlist announced for Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year 2023

 LONGLIST REVEALED FOR UK’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS CRIME WRITING AWARD:

THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2023

The unique handcrafted oak barrels for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award being built under the watchful eye of one of England’s last coopers; Euan Findlay, with T&R Theakston and the Programming Chair for the 2023 Festival Vaseem Khan. Past recipients of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Awards include Lee Child, Val McDermid and Mark Billingham. (Credit: Charlotte Graham, 2023)

MARK BILLINGHAM | M. W. CRAVEN | FIONA CUMMINS | LUCY FOLEY | ELLY GRIFFITHS | JANICE HALLETT MICK HERRON | LISA JEWELL | DOUG JOHNSTONE | VASEEM KHAN | CLARE MACKINTOSH | IMRAN MAHMOOD GILLIAN MCALLISTER | VAL MCDERMID | LIAM MCILVANNEY | LEONORA NATTRASS | ALAN PARKS |VICTORIA SELMAN | SARAH VAUGHAN | RUTH WARE

The longlist for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2023 has been announced today by Harrogate International Festivals. The search for the best crime novel of the past year gets underway as the public are now invited to vote for their favourites to reach the next stage.

The winner of the prestigious Award will be announced at the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival (20 July), which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary. To mark the momentous occasion, for the first time the longlist includes twenty outstanding authors, rather than the traditional eighteen, competing for the UK and Ireland’s most coveted crime fiction writing Award.

With thrilling stories that transport readers from a burnt-out Glasgow under threat, to the hidden backstreets of Paris, from the bustle of 1950s Bombay and a mail ship bound for Philadelphia, the longlist celebrates the very best of the crime genre. 

A number of returning champions are hoping to take home the Award once again - Mick Herron defends his 2022 title with the latest Slough House instalment, Bad Actors, alongside Clare Mackintosh’s gripping New Year’s Day murder mystery The Last Party, two-time winner Mark Billingham’s electrifying thriller The Murder Book, and the scintillating 1989, the second in the new Allie Burns series from the doyenne of crime writing Val McDermid. 

Several of the crime world’s favourite crime solving protagonists are also in the running for the coveted trophy – Elly Griffith’s penultimate mystery featuring Dr Ruth Galloway, The Locked Room, is in contention, alongside M.W. Craven’s latest Detective Sergeant Washington Poe thriller The Botanist, and Black Hearts, the explosive thriller featuring Doug Johnstone’s Skelf women. 

They are joined by fellow Theakston nominees, including Sarah Vaughan with her masterful psychological page-turner Reputation, the unputdownable The It Girl from Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley’s deeply unsettling, locked room mystery The Paris Apartment as well as All I Said Was True, the ticking clock thriller from barrister-turned-authorImran Mahmood. Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival 2023 Programming Chair Vaseem Khan is vying to win with The Lost Man of Bombay, as is Blue Water – Leonora Nattrass’ atmospheric tale aboard an eighteenth-century ship on route to Philadelphia. Joining them are Liam McIlvanney’s highly anticipated The Heretic, which sees D.I. Duncan McCormack tackling brutal gang warfare on the streets of Glasgow, and the eerily unnerving new thriller Into The Dark from Val McDermid’s 2017 New Blood selection, Fiona Cummins.

A plethora of established voices join the Theakston ranks for the first time this year. The tantalisingly tense Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister and Lisa Jewell’s chilling new domestic noir The Family Remains are longlisted along with Victoria Selman’s nerve-jangling Truly Darkly Deeply, the deftly suspenseful The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett, while chilling police procedural May God Forgive gives star of ‘Tartan Noir’ Alan Parks his first longlisting. 

The full Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2023 longlist is:

The Murder Book by Mark Billingham (Little, Brown Book Group; Little Brown)

The Botanist by M.W. Craven (Little, Brown Book Group; Constable)

Into The Dark by Fiona Cummins (Pan Macmillan; Macmillan/Pan)

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley (HarperCollins; HarperFiction)

The Locked Room by Elly Griffiths (Quercus)

The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett (Profile Books; Viper)

Bad Actors by Mick Herron (John Murray Press; Baskerville)

The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell (Cornerstone; Century Fiction)

Black Hearts by Doug Johnstone (Orenda Books)

The Lost Man of Bombay by Vaseem Khan (Hodder & Stoughton)

The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh (Little, Brown Book Group; Sphere)

All I Said Was True by Imran Mahmood (Bloomsbury Publishing; Raven Books)

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister (Penguin Random House; Michael Joseph)

1989 by Val McDermid (Little, Brown Book Group; Little Brown)

The Heretic by Liam McIlvanney (HarperCollins; HarperFiction)

Blue Water by Leonora Nattrass (Profile Books; Viper)

May God Forgive by Alan Parks (Canongate Books)

Truly Darkly Deeply by Victoria Selman (Quercus)

Reputation by Sarah Vaughan (Simon & Schuster)

The It Girl by Ruth Ware (Simon & Schuster)

Simon Theakston, Executive Director of Theakston, added: “Each year I eagerly await the long list announcement for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and every year I’m reminded of the phenomenal talent in the crime fiction writing world, whether a returning icon or a rising star. I’m looking forward to a celebratory toast of Old Peculier in July, but for now, we raise a glass to all the exceptional nominees as the shortlist vote is taken to the public.”

Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, Sharon Canavar, commented: “We are delighted to announce the 2023 longlist for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, with an exceptional collection of the UK and Ireland’s best crime fiction novels from the past year. The Award is an integral part of the Festival and with a gripping mix of subgenres nominated, from psychological thrillers to murder mysteries, we can’t wait to see how the public vote this year.”

The longlist was selected by an academy of crime writing authors, agents, editors, reviewers, members of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Programming Committee, along with representatives from the media partner, Daily Express. The award is run by Harrogate International Festivals sponsored by T&R Theakston Ltd, in partnership with Waterstones and Daily Express, and is open to full-length crime novels published in paperback between 1 May 2022 to 30 April 2023 by UK and Irish authors.

The public are now invited to vote to create a shortlist of six titles from 10am on Thursday 27 April atwww.harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com. Voting closes on Thursday 18 May, with the shortlist announced and winner voting opening on Thursday 15 June. The winner will be revealed on the opening night of Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Thursday 20 July, receiving £3,000 and a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by T&R Theakston Ltd.

harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com | @HarrogateFest | #TheakstonAward 

THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2022 SHORTLIST - Voting closes soon

THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL 

OF THE YEAR 2022 SHORTLIST

 

Elly Griffiths | Joseph Knox | Laura Shepherd Robinson

|Mick Herron | Vaseem Khan| Will Dean

The shortlist for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2022, presented by Harrogate International Festivals, has been announced today, with six bestselling authors competing to win the UK’s most prestigious crime writing prize.

The coveted award, now in its eighteenth year, celebrates crime fiction at its very best, with this year’s shortlist taking readers from newly independent India to the tension of a remote Fenlands cottage, from a nail-biting missing persons investigation in Manchester to the wilds of North Norfolk, and from the hedonism of Georgian London to the murky world of international espionage. Selected by the public from a longlist of eighteen novels, with a record number of votes being placed this year, the list of six novels features newcomers to the shortlist, two New Blood panellists, a previous Festival Programming Chair, and a five-time shortlistee. None of this year’s shortlistees have ever taken home the prize before, making the competition even more tense.

Elly Griffiths, who was the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Programming Chair in 2017, is shortlisted for the fifth time for The Night Hawks, the thirteenth instalment in her popular Ruth Galloway series.The Night Hawks sees Norfolk’s favourite forensic archaeologist Galloway called when a group of metal detectorists discover a body buried on a beach with Bronze Age treasure, a find which will lead to a series of murders seemingly linked to the local legend of a spectral dog whose appearance heralds death.

Sunday Times bestseller True Crime Story, the first standalone novel from Joseph Knox, blends fact and fiction to tell the gripping story of a 19-year-old university student who leaves a party in her student halls and is never seen again. Knox, who was selected by Val McDermid as a New Blood panellist in 2017, was longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2018 for his thriller Sirens the following year, but has never previously reached the shortlist stage.

Historical crime writer Laura Shepherd Robinson continues her incredible streak as her second novel Daughters of Night is shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, two years after her debut Blood & Sugar was longlisted for the award in 2020. Robinson’s evocative novel transports readers to the seedy underworld of Georgian London, as Caroline ‘Caro’ Corsham tries to solve the murder of a prostitute in the infamous Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, an investigation which will delve into the darkest corners of high society.

Bestselling author Mick Herron is longlisted for Slough House, the tenth instalment in his series of the same name, which was recently adapted by Apple TV as spy drama Slow Horses, starring Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas. Herron will be hoping to take home the prize this year, with 2022 marking the fifth time in the past six years he has secured a place on the shortlist.

Midnight at Malabar House by Vaseem Khan, the first in a new series chronicling the investigations of India’s first female police detective, marks Khan’s first time reaching the shortlist. The novel introduces readers to Inspector Persis Wadia as she is plucked from obscurity in a basement office and tasked with solving the murder of an English diplomat as the country prepares to become the world’s biggest republic.

Finally, The Last Thing to Burn sees bestselling author and New Blood 2018 panellist Will Dean move away from the Nordic setting of his acclaimed Tuva Moodyson series in favour of a claustrophobic thriller set on the British fenlands. The Last Thing to Burn, which has secured Dean his first ever placement on the shortlist, sees a woman held captive in a remote cottage by a man who calls her Jane and insists she is his wife. She has long abandoned hopes of escape, until she finds a reason to live and finds herself watching and planning, waiting for the right moment to act.

The six novels shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2022 are:

The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths (Quercus Fiction)

True Crime Story by Joseph Knox (Doubleday)

Daughters of Night by Laura Shepherd Robinson (Mantle/Pan)

Slough House by Mick Herron (Baskerville)

Midnight at Malabar House by Vaseem Khan (Hodder & Stoughton)

The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean (Hodder & Stoughton)

Simon Theakston, Executive Director of Theakston, added: “What a fantastic shortlist, six thrilling tales which deliver shocking twists and unforgettable characters! We raise a glass of Theakston Old Peculier to all of the shortlistees and look forward to revealing the winner in July as we kick off the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.”

Sharon Canavar, Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, commented: “We are delighted to announce this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year shortlist, featuring six novels by some of the most exciting crime writers working today. Whisking readers around the world and through time, this shortlist is a fantastic demonstration of the variety to be found in crime fiction. The public have a tough task ahead choosing just one winner and we can’t wait to see who they vote for!”

The public are now invited to vote for a winner at www.harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com. Voting closes on Friday 8^th July, with the winner to be revealed on the opening night of Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Thursday 21^st July. The winner will receive a £3,000 prize, as well as a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by T&R Theakston Ltd.

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year is run by Harrogate International Festivals sponsored by T&R Theakston Ltd, in partnership with Waterstones and the Express, and is open to full length crime novels published in paperback 1 May 2021 to 30 April 2022 by UK and Irish authors.

Shortlist for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year revealed

 CRÈME DE LA CRIME

SHORTLIST REVEALED FOR THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2021

ELLY GRIFFITHS | ROSAMUND LUPTON | BRIAN MCGILLOWAY|

ABIR MUKHERJEE | CHRIS WHITAKER | TREVOR WOOD

Harrogate, 15 June 2021: The six authors shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year are today unveiled after being chosen by a public vote and the prize Academy. Now in its 17th year the most coveted prize in crime fiction – presented by Harrogate International Festivals – celebrates crime writing at its best, transporting readers around the world from Calcutta to California to the frigid North Sea.

This year’s longlist recognises author Chris Whitaker who hopes to claim the trophy on his first ever nomination with We Begin at The End – a powerful story of crime, punishment, love and redemption set in coastal California.

Sunday Times bestselling author Rosamund Lupton’s thrilling story of gunmen opening fire on a Somerset School has clinched a coveted spot on the shortlist. Three Hours sets the clock ticking for the hostages in a nail-biting exploration of white supremacy and radicalisation.

The creator of Norfolk’s best loved forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway Elly Griffiths is hoping that her seventh prize nomination takes her one step further to take the title. The twelfth novel in the whodunnit series, The Lantern Men sees Galloway return to the fens to hunt down a serial killer.

Trevor Wood’s meteoric rise continues as the debut author goes from being selected for Val McDermid’s highly respected ‘New Blood’ panel at the 2020 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival to being shortlisted for the coveted trophy with his acclaimed novel The Man on the Street. As a former naval officer, Wood brings to bear remarkable insight in this story of a homeless Falklands veteran with severe PTSD turned criminal investigator.

Scottish-Bengali author Abir Mukherjee is vying for his latest Wyndham & Banerjee novel Death in the East – described by The Times as “the best so far of an unmissable series”.A mesmerising portrait of India, Assam and East End London, perhaps this third nomination for will prove lucky for the account-turned best-selling author?

The final title on this year’s shortlist is Northern Irish author Brian McGilloway’s second nomination for political thriller The Last Crossing which looks at The Troubles from the perspective of view of former operatives who like to think they have moved on.

The six shortlisted books for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2021 are:

The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths (Quercus, Quercus Fiction)

Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton (Penguin Random House UK, Viking)

The Last Crossing by Brian McGilloway (Little, Brown Book Group, Constable)

Death in the East by Abir Mukherjee (VINTAGE, Harvill Secker)

We Begin At The End by Chris Whitaker (Bonnier Books UK, Zaffre)

The Man on the Street by Trevor Wood (Quercus, Quercus Fiction)

The public are now invited to vote for the winner via 

www.harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.comand the winner will be announced on the opening night of Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Thursday 22 July, and will receive £3,000, and a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by Theakston Old Peculier.

Executive director of T&R Theakston, Simon Theakston, said: “This is it: the crème de la crème of crime. This shortlist really does showcase the breadth and depth of the genre. It’s going to be a fiercely fought prize this year so make sure you vote for your favourite. Until then, I look forward to raising a glass of Old Peculier at the winner’s announcement on 22 July!”

The award is run by Harrogate International Festivals sponsored by T&R Theakston Ltd, in partnership with WHSmith and the Express, and is open to full length crime novels published in paperback 1 May 2020 to 30 April 2021 by UK and Irish authors. The longlist was selected by an academy of crime writing authors, agents, editors, reviewers, members of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Programming Committee, and representatives from T&R Theakston Ltd, the Express, and WHSmith.