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Monday, May 28, 2018

Shortlist Announced for Crime Novel of the Year Old Theakston Festival 2018!!

THEAKSTON FESTIVAL ROUNDS UP SIX SUSPECTS ON CRIME NOVEL AWARD SHORTLIST



The shortlist for crime writing’s most wanted accolade, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, has been announced.
The shortlisted six were whittled down from a longlist of 18 titles. The prize, created to celebrate the very best in crime fiction, was open to UK and Irish crime authors whose novels were published in paperback from 1 May 2017 to 30 April 2018.
The shortlist in full:
  • Mick Herron, Spook Street
  • Val McDermid, Insidious Intent
  • Denise Mina, The Long Drop
  • Abir Mukherjee, A Rising Man
  • Stav Sherez, The Intrusions
  • Susie Steiner, Persons Unknown
Val McDermid, Susie Steiner, and Mick Herron return as contenders after being shortlisted in 2017, the year Chris Brookmyre took the winning accolade.

Mick Herron’s espionage thriller, Spook Street, is the fourth in his award-winning Jackson Lamb series. His acclaimed series is based on an MI5 department of ‘rejects’ – intelligent services’ misfits and screw-ups. Herron’s writing was praised by critic Barry Forshaw for ‘the spycraft of le CarrĂ© refracted through the blackly comic vision of Joseph Heller’s Catch-22.’

Val McDermid’s Insidious Intent features DCI Carol Jordan and Tony Hill, two of the most iconic characters in crime fiction. The LA Times said it was a novel that ‘shows Val McDermid deserves her Queen of Crime crown’. McDermid last received the Novel of the Year accolade in 2006.

Denise Mina could make it a hat-trick after winning the award in 2012 and 2013, she is the only author to date to have won the Novel of the Year in two consecutive years.The Long Drop has already attracted a wealth of awards; Mina was the first woman to win The McIlvanney Prize for The Long Drop.

Abir Mukherjee is the only author on the shortlist for a debut novel. A Rising Man, saw Abir Mukherjee picked as a 2016 New Blood author by Val McDermid at the Festival. She hailed it as, ‘One of the most exciting debut novels I’ve read in years.’ It too has won awards, including the CWA Historical Dagger. His sequel in the Sam Wyndham series is A Necessary Evil.

The Intrusions by Stav Sherez was a 2017 Guardian and Sunday Times book of the year, dubbed ‘A Silence of the Lambs for the internet age’ by Ian Rankin. The book was acclaimed by critics for its echoes of Emile Zola and influences from Graham Greene to Dostoyevsky.

Former Guardian journalist Susie Steiner’s first crime novel introduced Detective Manon Bradshaw in Missing, Presumed, a Sunday Times bestseller. Her follow up,Persons Unknown, a Richard and Judy book club pick, has attracted huge critical acclaim.
The 2018 Award is run in partnership with title sponsor T&R Theakston Ltd, WHSmith, and The Mail on Sunday.

2018 marks the 14th year of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award.
Executive director of T&R Theakston, Simon Theakston, said: “The shortlisted authors are already rich in awards, but there’s only one Novel of the Year, so it will be fascinating to see which of these remarkable titles prevails - all are simply outstanding.”
The overall winner will be decided by the panel of Judges, alongside a public vote. The public vote opens on 1 July and closes 14 July at www.theakstons.co.uk.

Helen Donkin, Literature Festival Manager at Harrogate International Festivals, said: “The public’s vote is incredibly important. It’s the readers that have real power when it comes to judging a book’s worth, so I’d encourage everyone to make their voice heard – it’s free and simple to vote online.”

The winner will be announced at an award ceremony hosted by broadcaster Mark Lawson on 19 July on the opening night of the 16th Theakston 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 Theakston Old Peculier.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

THE DOLL'S HOUSE - MYSTERY SCENE MAGAZINE...AN EXTRAORDINARY BOOK!


A comprehensive review of THE DOLL'S HOUSE from MYSTERY SCENE MAGAZINE in the US, described as the oldest, largest, and most authoritative guide to the crime fiction genre.

You can read the full juicy review HERE. I really should consider writing more cheerful stuff!

I paraphrase here of course, but I also appreciate both the positives and negatives within...


THE DOLL'S HOUSE by LOUISE PHILLIPS..

“If you’re looking for an intricate, multi-layered mystery, I suggest you pick up a copy of Louise Phillips’ The Doll’s House….an extraordinary book, the prose is elegant, and filled with insight....”

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

BOOKBUB - THE DOLL'S HOUSE PROMOTION!!



THE DOLL'S HOUSE is currently under a BOOKBUB PROMOTION, and is currently ranked at #323 in ALL KINDLE BOOKS....

You can visit Bookbub HERE

(PLEASE NOTE, this promotion is not currently available in Ireland or the UK)

#HAPPY #READING

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Let the Monsters Loose!!!

Starting next Thursday, 17th May, 8 Weeks at the Irish Writers Centre, 6.30 - 8.30, I'll be talking about getting the reader to care and letting the monsters loose, among other things :-)....see info below - ONLY A FEW PLACES LEFT!!.Learn the secrets of successful crime-fiction writing with bestselling and award-winning crime author Louise Phillips. During the course, participants will receive in-depth analysis of all aspects of great crime fiction, including the creation of memorable characters, planning, pace, dialogue, and narration. Editorial critique throughout will help sharpen your creative voice, alongside information on today’s publishing industry, and how best to get that elusive agent/publishing deal. Many of Louise’s students have achieved publication success, including authors who have gone on to become International Bestsellers.Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm Duration: 8 Weeks Cost: €220/€200 Members
Louise Phillips is the author of four bestselling psychological crime thrillers all of which were nominated for the Best Irish Crime Novel of the Year. Her second novel, The Doll’s House, won the award in 2013. A recipient of both arts bursaries and residencies for literature and longlisted for the UK CWA Dagger in the Library Award, she has also been a judge on the Irish Panel for the EU Literary Award. In 2016 and 2017, her first two novels were published to critical acclaim in the US, and she is currently working on her latest novel, Skating Pond.
Here's What Other Writers Thought:Louise Phillips knows what makes a good story - and has proved it by writing several bestselling crime novels. In this workshop, she imparts the literary knowledge and practical skills learned along the way. –Eoghan EganI would have liked the course to be longer, but that’s only because I enjoyed it so much. The two hours each class felt like ten minutes it was that good. –Samantha McGarryFor Booking Information Visit HERE
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