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Thursday, June 18, 2020

NEW BLOOD 2020 – VAL MCDERMID TIPS CRIME FICTION’S RISING STARS!

DEEPA ANAPPARA | ELIZABETH KAY | JESSICA MOOR | TREVOR WOOD


The undisputed ‘Queen of Crime’ Val McDermid has unveiled the hotly tipped ‘New Blood’ authors for 2020, showcasing the year’s best breakout crime writing talent:

-          Deepa Anappara – Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line (Chatto & Windus)
-          Elizabeth Kay – Seven Lies (Sphere)
-          Jessica Moor – Keeper (Penguin)
-          Trevor Wood – The Man on the Street (Quercus)

Since 2004, the best-selling Scottish author of the Tony Hill & Carol Jordan series has curated an annual celebration of the most formidable debuts taking the crime and thriller genre by storm, with an invitation to join the line-up of the world’s largest and most prestigious crime fiction festival: Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.
This year, Deepa Anappara has been selected for her part coming-of-age, part detective mystery Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, a heart-breaking and thought-provoking social commentary of modern India’s slums that has been recognised for the Women’s Prize. Elizabeth Kay is on the list for her explosive Seven Lies, taking domestic noir to a whole new level in a deliciously dark blurring of truth and lies, and Jessica Moore is recognised for her brutal and beautiful Keeper, the addictive literary thriller that has had everyone talking. Concluding this year’s New Blood contingent is Trevor Wood and his debut The Man on the Street, a gritty thriller set on the streets of Newcastle.
Val McDermid said: “I have been hosting the New Blood showcase since the festival began in 2003 and, in my book, discovering and sharing new talent with an eager audience is the best job in crime fiction. I know exactly what I’m looking for on my quest: fresh and distinctive voices, a well-told, convincing story and the almost indefinable sense that these authors all have much more to say. Deepa, Elizabeth, Jessica and Trevor tick all of these boxes and more, and if this year’s debuts share a theme, it is the irresistible and devastating way in which crime fiction shines a light on our times: homelessness, domestic violence, child trafficking and mental health are all dissected with an unflinching gaze. Whilst we can’t gather en masse at the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate this year, I hope that readers will enjoy our virtual introduction to these brilliant new writers.”
The unveiling of McDermid’s selection has become one of the most anticipated moments of the publishing calendar, with readers on the lookout to uncover their new favourite author and add the ‘next big thing’ to their bookshelves.
Former ‘New Blood’ alumni include Clare Mackintosh, SJ Watson, Stuart MacBride, Liam McIlvanney and Belinda Bauer, as well as three authors on this year’s shortlist for the UK’s most prestigious crime writing award – Theakston Old Peculier: Abir Mukherjee, Jane Harper and Oyinkan Braithwaite, who was chosen just last year for her Booker longlisted My Sister, the Serial Killer.

Trevor Wood said: “As a kid I dreamt of playing in the cup final. I’m a fraction older now but being chosen for Harrogate’s New Blood panel feels exactly like that did.”
Jessica Moor said: "To have been chosen for this panel, which has included some of my favourite new authors of the last decade, and to have been chosen by the legendary Val McDermid, is a such an honour."
Deepa Anappara said: “I am thrilled and honoured to be picked for the New Blood panel, and grateful to Val McDermid for her immense generosity and support of debut novelists.”
Elizabeth Kay said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to have been selected for such a prestigious event. The ‘New Blood’ panel has an incredible history, and I’m delighted to be participating this year alongside three really exciting other authors.”

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line
In a basti on the outskirts of a sprawling Indian city, nine-year-old Jai watches too many reality cop shows in the house he shares with his family. Jai thinks he’s smarter than his friend Pari (even though she always gets top marks) and considers himself to be a better boss than his hardworking friend Faiz (even though he has a job). When their classmate from school goes missing, the Djinn Patrol ventures out, wielding their detective skills into the bustling city to investigate; through the rattle-tattle energy and mouth-watering smells of the bazaar, to the dangerous rubbish ground and as far as the railway station at the end of the Purple Line. But children continue to vanish, and the trio must confront terrified parents, an unsympathetic police force and soul-snatching djinns in order to uncover the truth. As the disappearances edge ever closer to home, the lives of Jai and his friends will be altered forever.

Deepa Anappara grew up in Kerala, southern India, and worked as a journalist in cities including Mumbai and Delhi. Her reports on the impact of poverty and religious violence on the education of children won the Developing Asia Journalism Awards, the Every Human has Rights Media Awards, and the Sanskriti-Prabha Dutt fellowship in Journalism. A partial of her debut novel, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, won the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize, the Bridport/Peggy Chapman-Andrews Award and the Deborah Rogers Foundation Writers Award. She has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, Norwich, and is currently studying for a PhD on a CHASE doctoral fellowship. Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line will be publised in America, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Spain and Sweden. deepa-anappara.com

Seven Lies
Only you know the truth: Jane and Marnie have been inseparable since they were eleven years old. In their twenties, they both married handsome young men. Years later, Jane and Marnie are still best friends – and both men are dead. But if Jane had been honest from the start – if she hadn’t told that first little white lie – then perhaps the person she loves most would still love her too. Perhaps everything would be different. This is Jane’s opportunity to tell the real story – if you can believe her. As Jane narrates hers and Marnie’s shared history and unpicks each of seven increasingly catastrophic lies, she reveals the pockets of darkness that have infiltrated their friendship; the toxic secrets still bubbling beneath; and a tale of obsession, of grief, and the real meaning of truth.
Elizabeth Kay (@AnyOtherLizzy) started her career as an assistant at Penguin Random House. She is now a commissioning editor and is simultaneously pursuing her passion for writing. Her debut novel, Seven Lies, will be published in 2020. Elizabeth lives in London with her husband. @AnyOtherLizzy

Keeper
He's been looking in the windows again. Messing with cameras. Leaving notes. Supposed to be a refuge. But death got inside. When Katie Straw's body is pulled from the waters of the local suicide spot, the police decide it's an open-and-shut case. A standard-issue female suicide. But the residents of Widringham women's refuge where Katie worked don't agree. They say it's murder. Will you listen to them?
Jessica Moor (@jessicammoor) studied English at Cambridge before completing a Creative Writing MA at Manchester University. Prior to this she spent a year working in the violence against women and girls’ sector and this experience inspired her first novel, KEEPER.

The Man on the Street
It started with a splash. Jimmy, a homeless veteran grappling with PTSD, did his best to pretend he hadn’t heard it – the sound of something heavy falling into the Tyne at the height of an argument between two men on the riverbank. Not his fight. Maybe it was another of his vivid nightmares? Since he found himself living on the streets, avoiding other people’s fights has helped him to survive. Trouble finds him easily enough without looking for it. Then a newspaper headline catches his eye: GIRL IN MISSING DAD PLEA. The girl, Carrie, reminds him of someone he lost.  This makes his mind up: it’s time to stop hiding from his past. But telling Carrie, what he heard - or thought he heard - turns out to be just the beginning of the story. The police don’t believe him. Who believes a homeless man? But Carrie is adamant that something awful has happened to her dad and Jimmy agrees to help her, putting himself at risk from enemies old and new. But Jimmy has one big advantage: when you’ve got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose. 
Trevor Wood (@TrevorWoodWrite) has lived in Newcastle for twenty-five years and considers himself an adopted Geordie. He’s a successful playwright who has also worked as a journalist and spin-doctor for the City Council. Prior to that he served in the Royal Navy for sixteen years. Trevor holds an MA in Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) from UEA. The Man on the Street is his first novel.

About Harrogate International Festivals
‘Harrogate International Festivals’ is a charitable organisation with a mission to present a diverse year-long programme of live events that bring immersive and moving cultural experiences to as many people as possible. Delivering artistic work of national importance, the Festival curates and produces over 300 unique and surprising performances each year, celebrating world-renowned artists and championing new and up-coming talent across music, literature, science, philosophy and psychology. The HIF+ ongoing education outreach programme engages schools, young people and the local community with workshops, talks, projects and inspiring activities, ensuring everyone can experience the Festival’s world class programme and the transformative power of the arts.
Established in 1966, Harrogate International Festivals are an artistic force to be reckoned with and a key cultural provider for the North of England.
Find out more at: www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com | Facebook: @HarrogateInternationalFestivals | Twitter: @HarrogateFest | Instagram: @harrogatefestivals

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Small Paperback of THE HIDING GAME about to hit the shelves!!



I've been very quiet of late, but the last couple of months have been awash with two bouts of shingles for myself, a family member with Covid, and a hubby with a double dose of vertigo! (I'm just saying!)

Anyhow, we have all survived and the small paperback version of THE HIDING GAME will be hitting the shelves next week!

Ahem....a perfect lockdown read!!!


ABOUT: THE HIDING GAME

In a small town south-east of Boston, a young nanny awaits trial for murder.
The evidence - and the media - is against her, but Abby Jones swears she is innocent.
Defence attorney Heather Baxter believes Abby is telling the truth, but convincing a jury will not be easy. And she knows that in a place like Corham, where her own mother's murder remains unsolved, justice isn't always served.
As the lawyer starts to dig deeper into Abby's case, Heather soon realises there may be a link to the shadows of her own past -- and those involved will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried ...

'Intriguing and compelling ... will enthral you to the end' Liz Nugent

'Absolutely gripping ... an addictive page turner.' Patricia Gibney

'Riveting legal thriller, beset with dark secrets and murky lies.' Catherine Ryan Howard

'A gripping courtroom drama with a courageous new heroine in Heather Baxter. Pacy, tightly plotted and full of suspense.' Andrea Carter

'Riveting, thought provoking and compulsive.' Arlene Hunt

CrimeFest has announced the shortlists for its annual awards!



The awards were due to be presented at a Gala Dinner during the convention at the Bristol Grand Mercure Hotel this June, but in light of Covid-19, the winners will be announced online at www.crimefest.com and via its social media pages on Tuesday 7 July.
CrimeFest was created following the hugely successful one-off visit to Bristol in 2006 of the American Left Coast Crime convention. It was established over ten years ago in 2008. It follows the egalitarian format of most US conventions, making it open to all authors and readers alike.
The convention has grown to become not only one of the biggest crime fiction events in Europe, but also one of the most popular dates in the international crime fiction calendar, with circa 60 panel events and 150 authors over four days.

The Shortlists

SPECSAVERS DEBUT CRIME NOVEL AWARD
- Fiona Erskine for The Chemical Detective (Point Blank)
- Katja Ivar for Evil Things (Bitter Lemon Press)
- Carolyn Kirby for The Conviction of Cora Burns (No Exit Press)
- Alex Michaelides for The Silent Patient (Orion Fiction)
- Laura Shepherd-Robinson for Blood & Sugar (Mantle)
- Holly Watt for To The Lions (Raven Books)

AUDIBLE SOUNDS OF CRIME AWARD
- Kate Atkinson for Big Sky narrated by Jason Isaacs (Penguin Random House Audio)
- Oyinkan Braithwaite for My Sister, the Serial Killer narrated by Weruche Opia (W F Howes)
- Alex Callister for Winter Dark narrated by Ell Potter (Audible Studios)
- Lee Child for Blue Moon narrated by Jeff Harding (Penguin Random House Audio)
- Lisa Jewell for The Family Upstairs narrated by Tamaryn Payne, Bea Holland, Dominic Thorburn (Penguin Random House Audio)
- T.M. Logan for The Holiday narrated by Laura Kirman (Zaffre)
- Peter May for The Man with No Face narrated by Peter Forbes (Quercus, Fiction)
- Alex Michaelides for The Silent Patient narrated by Louise Brealey, Jack Hawkins (Orion)

H.R.F. KEATING AWARD
- Ursula Buchan for Beyond The Thirty-Nine Steps (Bloomsbury Publishing)
- John Curran for The Hooded Gunman (HarperCollins Crime Club)
- Barry Forshaw for Crime Fiction: A Reader's Guide (No Exit Press)

LAST LAUGH AWARD
- William Boyle for A Friend is a Gift you Give Yourself (No Exit Press)
- Hannah Dennison for Tidings of Death at Honeychurch Hall (Constable)
- Helen FitzGerald for Worst Case Scenario (Orenda Books)
- Christopher Fowler for Bryant & May - The Lonely Hour (Transworld)
- Antti Tuomainen for Little Siberia (Orenda Books)
- L.C. Tyler for The Maltese Herring (Allison & Busby)


eDUNNIT AWARD

- Helen FitzGerald for Worst Case Scenario (Orenda Books)
- Sarah Hilary for Never Be Broken (Headline)
- Andrew Taylor for The King's Evil (HarperFiction)
- L.C. Tyler for The Maltese Herring (Allison & Busby)
- Holly Watt for To The Lions (Raven Books)
- Don Winslow for The Border (HarperFiction)

BEST CRIME FICTION NOVEL FOR CHILDREN (ages 8-12)
- P.G. Bell for The Great Brain Robbery (Usborne Publishing)
- Vivian French for The Steam Whistle Theatre Company (Walker Books)
- Sophie Green for Potkin and Stubbs (Bonnier Books)
- A.M. Howell for The Garden of Lost Secrets (Usborne Publishing)
- Simon Lelic for The Haven (Hodder Children's Books)
- Thomas Taylor for Malamander (Walker Books)

BEST CRIME FICTION NOVEL FOR YOUNG ADULTS (ages 12-16)
- Kathryn Evans for Beauty Sleep (Usborne Publishing)
- John Grisham for Theodore Boone: The Accomplice (Hodder & Stoughton)
- Samuel J. Halpin for The Peculiar Peggs of Riddling Woods (Usborne Publishing)
- Simon Mason for Hey Sherlock! (David Fickling Books)
- Tom Pollock for Heartstream (Walker Books)
- Nikesh Shukla for The Boxer (Hodder Children's Books)
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