Thursday, December 28, 2023

New Releases - November 2023

Now arriving on [the blog] platform 1, the heavily delayed November Arrivals. Here's a snapshot of what I think was published for the first time in November 2023 (and is usually a UK date but occasionally will be a US or Australian date). 109 titles this month. If I've missed anything or got the date wrong, do please leave a comment. 

Please note that, unless specifically mentioned, when a book has differing print and ebook release date, I use the print release date. Translators' names are included where known.

Ace, Cathy - The Corpse with the Opal Fingers #13 Welsh-Canadian Professor Cait Morgan, Criminologist
Adams, Jane - Murder At the Wedding #9 Rina Martin, Actress
Atkinson, Heather - A Savage Feud #2 The Savage Sisters
Austin, Stephanie - A Devon Midwinter Murder #7 Juno Browne
Bailey, Elizabeth - The Hanging Cheat #10 Lady Fan
Barnes, Kerry - Callous #3 Georgie Deacon
Bateman, E C - Murder Most Antique #2 Felicia Grant, Stamford, Lincs
Beaumont, Charles - A Spy Alone #1 Oxford Spy Ring
Belsham, Alison - The Innocent Angels #3 Detective Lexi Bennett
Benedict, Alexandra - The Christmas Jigsaw Murders
Benjamin, Tom - Last Testament in Bologna #5 Daniel Leicester, Bologna
Bjork, Samuel - The Wolf tr. Charlotte Barslund #4 Holger Munch & Mia Kruger, Oslo Police
Blake, David - Bluebell Wood #10 DCI Tanner, Norfolk
Bolton, Sharon - The Fake Wife
Bond, Martha - Murder in the Grotto #2 Lottie Sprigg Country House
Bowen, Rhys - The Proof of the Pudding # 17 Lady Georgiana Rannoch ('Georgie'), 1930s Britain
Bright, Verity - Murder on the Cornish Cliffs #16 Lady Eleanor Swift, 1920s
Broadfoot, Neil - Unmarked Graves #6 Connor Fraser, Stirling
Brolly, Matt - The Railroad #2 Lynch and Rose
Brook, Lee - The West Yorkshire Ripper #11 West Yorkshire Crime
Brown, Benedict - The Christmas Bell Mystery #12 Lord Edgington Investigates
Browne, Sheryl - We All Keep Secrets
Burrowes, Grace - A Gentleman in Challenging Circumstances #3 The Lord Julian Mysteries
Caine, Michael - Deadly Game #1 DCI Harry Taylor
Carver, Will - Upstairs at the Beresford #2 The Beresford
Casey, Jane - The Outsider Castillo, Javier - The Snow Girl tr. Isabelle Scott #1 Miren Triggs
Chase, Clare - Mystery at Saltwater Cottages #11 Eve Mallow, Saxford St Peter
Chester, Fliss - Death on the Scotland Express #4 Cressida Fawcett, 1920s
Comley, M A - To Catch a Killer #11 DI Sam Cobbs
Cutler, Judith - The Dead Hand #5 Matthew Rowsley, Steward & Mrs Faulkner, Housekeeper, Victorian Era
Dalgliesh, J M - The Dead Man of Storr #2 DI Duncan McAdam, Isle of Skye
Dawson, Lucy - The Night She Lied
Dennison, Hannah - Dagger of Death at Honeychurch Hall #10 Kat Stanford
Dixon, Helena - Murder at the Highland Castle #14 Miss Underhay
Doherty, Paul - Murder Most Treasonable #22 Brother Athelstan
Dowd, Victoria - Murder Most Cold #5 Ursula Smart
Durrant, Helen H - The Ravenswood Murders #2 DCI Alice Rossi
Dylan, Rhys - No One Near #10 DCI Evan Warlow
Ellis, Joy - The Bag of Secrets #6 Matt Ballard
Enright, Robert - The Dead Of Night #1 DS Jack Townsend
Everett, F L - Murder in a Country Village #2 Edie York, 1940s
Farrar, M K - The Night Prowler #12 DI Erica Swift
Farrar, M K - Under the Surface #2 Law of Sandtown
Farrington, C J - Last Stop on the Murder Express #3 Olga Pushkin
Fielding, Liz - Murder Under the Mistletoe #2 Abby Finch, Cotswolds
Fraine, A L - Blood Red Ford #5 Detective Loxley, Nottinghamshire
Frost, Chris - The Killer's Christmas List
Gatland, Jack - Find The Lady #4 Ellie Reckless
Gatward, D J - Dark Harvest #16 DCI Harry Grimm
Gibney, Patricia - The Altar Girls #13 Detective Lottie Parker
Giles, Stewart - The Electrician #25 DS Jason Smith
Greenwood, Ross - Death at Paradise Park #2 DS Ashley Knight, Norfolk
Grimwood, Jack - Arctic Sun #3 Tom Fox
Gunnis, Emily - The Girls Left Behind
Hambling, Michael - Vicious Crimes #12 DCI Sophie Allen
Harper, Izzie - Murder in the Hot Air Balloon #4 The Wootton Windmill Mysteries
Hedgecock, Liz & Harmon, Paula - Death on the Towpath #4 Booker & Fitch
Holliday, SJI - The Party Season
Horst, Jorn Lier - Snow Fall tr. Anne Bruce #16 Chief Inspector William Wisting, Larvik
Hunt, Rosie - Murder on the Coast #5 Lady Felicity Quick, 1920s
Hurst, Daniel - My Daughter's Husband #2 My Daughter's Boyfriend
Isaka, Kotaro - The Mantis tr. Sam Malissa
Isaksen, Jógvan - Dead Men Dancing tr. Marita Thomsen #4 Hannis Martinsson
James, Ed - A Shadow on the Door #4 DI Rob Marshall
James, Jane E - The Son-in-Law
Jardine, Quintin - The Cage #35 Detective Chief Superintendent Bob Skinner, Edinburgh
Kaya, Kerry - Justice #3 The Tempests
Kemp, Martin - The Game
Kernick, Simon - The First 48 Hours
Kobler, Seraina - Deep Dark Blue tr. Alex Roesch #1 Rosa Zambrano, Lake Zurich
Kovach, Carla - Her Deadly Promise #12 Detective Gina Harte
Kray, Roberta - Cheated
Kyriacou, Eleni - The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou
Lawler, Liz - My Husband's Lies
Leadbeater, David - The Devil's Reaper # 34 Matt Drake
Lyle, H B - Spy Hunter #4 Wiggins, 1909
Lynch, Rachel - The Rich
Mariani, Scott - The Tudor Deception 28 Ben Hope, Ex-SAS
Marsons, Angela - Bad Blood # 19 DI Kim Stone
McDermott, Alan - Ocean of Wrath #6 Eva Driscoll
McLean, Rachel & Ravensworth, Millie - Death in the West End #2 Diana Bakewell
Messina, Lynn - A Murderous Tryst #11 Beatrice Hyde-Clare, Regency era
Meyrick, Denzil - Murder at Holly House #1 Inspector Frank Grasby, 1950s
Mitchell, Caroline - The Islanders
Mosse, Greg - Murder at Bunting Manor #2 Maisie Cooper
Murphy, Kitty - Death in the Holidays #3 Dublin Drag
Nadal, Jay - Secrets to Die For #10 DI Karen Heath
Natt och Dag, Niklas - 1795: The Order of the Furies tr. Ian Giles #3 Jean Mickel Cardell
New, Jacqueline - Scars of the Past #1 DCI McNeill, Edinburgh
Oliver, Kelly - Arsenic at Ascot #4 Fiona Figg
Pearson, David - The Empty Safe Mystery #2 Wexford Homicides
Ramsay, Danielle - My Best Friend's Secret
Rankin, Ian - The Rise (ebook only) - Novella
Reid, TG - Night Comes Falling #6 DCI Bone
Roberts, Adam - The Death of Sir Martin Malprelate
Rowson, Pauline - The Hayling Island Murders #17 DI Andy Horton and his sidekick Barney Cantelli, Portsmouth
Scarrow, Simon - Rebellion #21 Macro and Cato, Roman soldiers
Smith, Alex - Unholy Saints #14 DCI Robert Kett, Norfolk
Smith, Fiona Veitch - The Pantomime Murders #2 Miss Clara Vale, 1929
Stacey, L H - The House Guest
Stevenson, Charlotte - The Serial Killer's Son
Tyler, L C - A Well-Earned Death #9 John Grey, lawyer, 1657
Upson, Nicola - Shot With Crimson #11 Josephine Tey, real-life crime writer
Walden, Celia - The Square
Walter, B P - Notes on a Murder
Ward, Sarah - The Sixth Lie #2 Mallory Dawson, Wales
Williams, T A - Murder on the Matterhorn #5 Armstrong and Oscar
Wood, Tom - Blood Debt #11 Victor, Assassin

Friday, December 22, 2023

Ten Years of the Petrona Award

Over on the Petrona Award website we've been marking 'Ten Years of the Petrona' and revisiting the first ten winners. What a fantastic set of books and a great present for the crime fan in your life - ranging from dark humour to historical, police procedural to private eye, psychological thriller to semi-amateur investigators, there's something for everyone.

Why not check out the classic reviews and new articles on the Petrona website.

Liza Marklund for LAST WILL, translated by Neil Smith

LINDA, AS IN THE LINDA MURDER by Leif G.W. Persson, translated by Neil Smith 

THE SILENCE OF THE SEA by Yrsa Sigurđardóttir, translated by Victoria Cribb,

THE CAVEMAN by Jørn Lier Horst, translated by Anne Bruce

WHERE ROSES NEVER DIE by Gunnar Staalesen, translated by Don Bartlett,

QUICKSAND by Malin Persson Giolito, translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles

THE KATHARINA CODE by Jørn Lier Horst, translated by Anne Bruce

LITTLE SIBERIA by Antti Tuomainen, translated by David Hackston

TO COOK A BEAR by Mikael Niemi, translated by Deborah Bragan-Turner

FATAL ISLES by Maria Adolfsson translated by Agnes Broomé

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

New Releases - October 2023

Here's a snapshot of what I think is published for the first time in October 2023 (and is usually a UK date but occasionally will be a US or Australian date). 89 titles this month. If I've missed anything or got the date wrong, do please leave a comment.

Please note that, unless specifically mentioned, when a book has differing print and ebook release date, I use the print release date. Translators' names are included where known.

Allen, Jo - Death in Good Time (ebook only) #11 DCI Jude Satterthwaite, Lake District
Allingham, Merryn - Murder in a French Village #7 Flora Steele, Sussex, 1955
Armitage, Richard - Geneva
Barron, Stephanie - Jane and the Final Mystery 15 Jane Austen
Black, Tony - The Lock-in #Short Stories
Blackwell, Penny - Murder at the Bonfire #2 Cherrywood Murders
Bond, Martha - Murder in the Library #1 Lottie Sprigg Country House
Bradley, Rebecca - Cold Hard Truth #4 Claudia Nunn
Brett, Simon - Mrs Pargeter's Patio #9 Mrs Pargeter, Gangster's widow
Britton, Anna - Shot in the Dark #1 Detectives Martin & Stern
Brookes, Dawn - The Museum Murders #3 Carlos Jacobi
Brown, Benedict - Murder at Everham Hall #1 Marius Quin, 1920s
Celestin, Ray - Palace of Shadows
Child, Lee (with Andrew Child) - The Secret #28 Jack Reacher, ex MP, USA
Cole, Martina (with Jacqui Rose) - Loyalty
Comley, M A - The Games People Play #21 DI Sara Ramsey
Cordani, Andreina - The Twelve Days of Murder
Cumming, Charles - Kennedy 35 #3 Box 88
Curtis, Emma - The Babysitter
Dalgliesh, J M - A Long Time Dead #1 DI Duncan McAdam, Isle of Skye
Devlin, Cara - Fatal by Design #5 Bow Street Duchess
Ebsworth, David - Blood Among the Threads #1 Wrexham Victorian Mystery
Ellis, Emmy - The Scorched Skin Killer #4 DI Bethany Smith
Forder, Tony J - What Dies Inside Us #11 DI Jimmy Bliss
Gatland, Jack - Counter Attack #4 Tom Marlowe
Giles, Stewart - Danger on the Island #11 DI Liam O'Reilly
Gray, Clio - The Fifth Face of Fear #2 Troubadours
Grayson, C J - Taken While She Slept #1 Detective April Fisher
Greene, Morgan - The Mark Of The Dead #2 DI Jamie Johansson Files
Griffiths, Elly - The Great Deceiver #7 Stephens and Mephisto, Brighton, 1950s
Hall, Emylia - The Harbour Lights Mystery #2 Shell House Detectives, Cornwall
Hall, Lisa - The Day She Disappeared
Hallett, Janice - The Christmas Appeal #2 Fairway Players
Hancock, Anne Mette - Ruthless tr. Tara Chace #3 Journalist Heloise Kaldan and Police Officer Erik Schäfer
Hannah, Sophie - Hercule Poirot's Silent Night: The New Hercule Poirot Mystery #5 Hercule Poirot and Inspector Edward Catchpool of Scotland Yard
Harris, Jon - Murder in a Somerset Village #2 Julia Ford
Hattersley, Matthew - When The Kingdom Comes #2 John Beckett
Hill, Karl - The Surgeon
Hill, Reginald - A Candle for Christmas & Other Stories #Short Stories
Hodges, David - Storm on the Levels #12 DC Kate Hamblin
Hollow Mike - The Covent Garden Murder #8 Blitz Detective
Horst, Jorn Lier & Enger, Thomas - Stigma tr. Megan E Turney #4 Alexander Blix
Irving, Alison - Casual Cruelties
James, Alison - The House Guest
Kane, S W - The Drowning Place #2 DI Lew Kirby
Kelly, Julia - A Traitor in Whitehall #1 Evelyne Redfern, 1940
Koning, Christina - Murder in Cambridge (also pub. as End of Term under A. C. Koning) #5 The Blind Detective, 1920s
Leather, Stephen - Baltic Black Ops #5 Spider Shepherd: SAS
Mackay, Niki - The Due Date
Marston, Edward - Danger of Defeat #10 Inspector Harvey Marmion and Sergeant Joe Keedy
Martin, Laura - A Poisoned Fortune #3 Jane Austen Investigations
McCleave, Simon - The Colwyn Bay Killings #17 DI Ruth Hunter
McClure, Rob - The Scotsman
McDermid, Val - Past Lying #7 Karen Pirie
McKenna, Clara - Murder on Mistletoe Lane #5 Stella and Lyndy, 1905
McLean, Rachel (with Millie Ravensworth) - Death at Westminster #1 Diana Bakewell
Merritt, Chris - Committed #1 Ellen McGinley
Moloney, Catherine - Crime in the Allotment #20 DI Gilbert Markham
Morgan, Anna-Marie - The Park Murders #21 DI Yvonne Giles
Morris, M S - Days Like Shadows Pass #5 DCI Tom Raven
Morrison, Lynn - Double Cross Dead #4 Dora and Rex, 1920s
Morton, Mandy - Cat Among the Pumpkins #12 The No. 2 Feline Detective Agency
Moss, NJ - The Twins
Muir, T F - The Killing Mood #12 DI Andy Gilchrist & team, St. Andrews
Nixon, Keith - The Dead Can't Lie #8 Solomon Gray
O'Connor, Carlene - Some of Us Are Looking #2 Dimpna Wilde
Pearce, Biba - The Marlow Murders #7 Rob Miller, Police, London
Pearson, David - The Ferry Port Mystery #1 Wexford Homicides
Perry, Anne - A Christmas Vanishing
Perry, Karen - The Worst Thing You Ever Did
Phifer, Helen - The Haunting on West 10th Street #1 Detective Maria Miller
Pine, Alex - The Night Before Christmas #4 DI James Walker, Cumbria
Probyn, Jack - Death's Touch #3 DS Tomek Bowen
Puleston, Stephen - Stone Cold Dead #11 Inspector Drake
Rhodes, Kate - Hangman Island #7 DI Ben Kitto
Rigby, Sally (with Amanda Ashby) - The Stepmother
Riley, Vanessa - Murder in Drury Lane #2 Lady Worthing, Regency
Rose, M L - Hold Your Breath #5 DCI Rohan Roy
Sigurdardottir, Lilja - White as Snow tr. Quentin Bates #3 Arora
Sigurdardottir, Yrsa - The Prey tr. Victoria Cribb
Slater, K L - Husband and Wife
Smith, G N - The Shelter #3 Fiona MacLeish
Starr, Melvin R - A Polluted Font #16 Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon, 14thC England
Tuomainen, Antti - The Beaver Theory tr. David Hackston #3 Rabbit Factor Trilogy
Waller, Anita - Fatal Lies #2 Forrester Family
Watson, Sue - The Lodge
Wilkinson, Kerry - The Night of the Sleepover #1 Sleepover
Wood, Michael - Below Ground #11 DCI Matilda Darke
Yokoyama, Hideo - The North Light tr. Louise Heal Kawai

Thursday, October 12, 2023

The Petrona Award 2023 - Winner

 

Winner of 2023 Petrona Award announced

The winner of the 2023 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year is: 

FEMICIDE by Pascal Engman, translated from the Swedish by Michael Gallagher and published by Legend Press.

Pascal Engman will receive a trophy, and both the author and translator will receive a cash prize.


The judges’ statement on FEMICIDE:

This year’s Petrona Award winner is a page-turning, absorbing and uncomfortable Swedish thriller. FEMICIDE tells of a young woman, Emilie, who is found murdered in her Stockholm apartment in the same week that her violent ex-boyfriend is released from prison. Detective Vanessa Frank is assigned the case. Meanwhile, we hear the story of young journalist Jasmina, the survivor of a recent, severe sexual assault. Author Pascal Engman dives into the world of incels through Tom, a very believable character who is part of a weaponised gender war brought about by, amongst other things, misguided hatred, feelings of being ignored by society, and sexual frustration. FEMICIDE comes to a pinnacle as the attacks against women escalate on a huge scale. 

Continuing in the tradition of fellow Swedish authors Sjöwall and Wahlöö, and Henning Mankell, Pascal Engman uses his writing to comment on societal values making FEMICIDE an interesting, fictional take on the multifaceted topic of violence against women. The book stood out to all the Petrona judges for several reasons. The way FEMICIDE opens the reader’s eyes to the steadily increasing threat of the incel movement and what makes these men tick was felt by all the judges. FEMICIDE is a challenging read that broadens thinking. The writing is well informed, the book has a good sense of urban space, and it picks up pace in a satisfying manner. There is a cast of interesting, and sometimes unconventional, characters for the reader to get to know. All the judges felt this book offered something creatively original that captured the zeitgeist of the early twenty-first century and it is a deserved winner. 


Comments from the winning author, translator and publisher:

Pascal Engman (author):

It feels incredibly significant to win this award. Several of my major idols and heroes in this genre have been recipients of it. I consider it an honour, a great honour. Writing FEMICIDE was a unique experience. The research on the incel movement was very challenging. I was pulled towards their darkness in many ways. Therefore, I also want to thank Linnea, my fiancée, for putting up with me then, as she does now.

Michael Gallagher (translator):

FEMICIDE was a fantastic book to work on. Pascal Engman certainly belongs to the Nordic Noir tradition, but his writing and his characters deftly reflect the tectonic shifts underway in Sweden and the wider world. Always unsettling and compelling, he is not bound by conventions or old cliches. I am delighted that the jury has recognised his talent and that my translation seems to have done it justice!

Cari Rosen (Legend Press Commissioning Editor):

We are so thrilled that FEMICIDE has been chosen as the winner of this year's Petrona Award. The novel delves into the world of incels after a series of brutal attacks against women, and perfectly encapsulates the pace, drama and drive of Pascal's writing. The Vanessa Frank series has sold more than a million copies worldwide and everyone at Legend is delighted to be able to bring this, the first of three books, to an English-speaking audience thanks to Michael Gallagher's expert translation.


The Petrona team would like to thank David Hicks for his continuing sponsorship of the Petrona Award.







Wednesday, October 04, 2023

Petrona Award 2023 - Change to Winner's Announcement Date

With many apologies but due to unforeseen circumstances the winner of the Petrona Award 2023 will now be announced on 12 October 2023, rather than 5 October 2023.


Monday, September 18, 2023

New Releases - September 2023

Here's a snapshot of what I think is published for the first time in September 2023 (and is usually a UK date but occasionally will be a US or Australian date). 69 titles this month. September and future months (and sometimes years) can be found on the Future Releases page. If I've missed anything or got the date wrong, do please leave a comment.

Please note that, unless specifically mentioned, when a book has differing print and ebook release date, I use the print release date. Translators' names are included where known.

• Amphlett, Rachel - Cover the Bones #5 Detective Mark Turpin
• Archer, Jeffrey - Traitors Gate #6 Detective Chief Inspector William Warwick
• Beaton, M C - Agatha Raisin: Dead on Target (with R W Green) #34 Agatha Raisin, Retired PR person, Cotswolds
• Beevis, Keri - The Boat House
• Benn, James R - Proud Sorrows #18 Billy Boyle, WW2
• Briggs, J C - The Waxwork Man #11 Charles Dickens and Superintendent Jones
• Bright, Verity - Murder by Invitation #15 Lady Eleanor Swift, 1920s
• Burnside, Heather - Redemption #3 Manchester Thrillers
• Burrowes, Grace - A Gentleman of Dubious Reputation #2 The Lord Julian Mysteries
• Cambridge, Colleen - Murder by Invitation Only #3 Phyllida Bright, housekeeper to Agatha Christie
• Carson, John - Now or Never (ebook only) #19 DCI Harry McNeil
• Cartwright, Jack - Her Dying Mind (ebook only) #11 Wild Fens Murder Mystery
• Clark, Anne Wyn - The Secrets of Mill House
• Clarke, Sarah - The Ski Trip
• Comley, M A - Sinner #10 DI Sally Parker
• Cookman, Lesley - Murder in Autumn #24 Libby Sarjeant, middle aged actress/investigator, Kent
• Cox, Helen - A Body in the Borderlands #8 Kitt Hartley, Yorkshire
• Croft, Kathryn - The Wedding Guest
• Day, Becca - The Secrets We Buried
• Ellis, Emmy - Revived #21 Cardigan Estate
• Ellis, J R - The Brewery Murders #9 Detective Chief Inspector Oldroyd, Yorkshire
• Everett, F L - Murder in the Blitz #1 Edie York, 1940s
• Francis, Dick - No Reserve (by Felix Francis)
• Galbraith, Robert - The Running Grave #7 Cormoran Strike
• Gatland, Jack - Kissing A Killer #16 DI Declan Walsh
• Gillan, Florence - The Forfeit
• Glass, Ava - The Traitor #2 Alias Emma series
• Golding, Melanie - The Sight
• Hanley, C B - Blessed are the Dead #8 Edwin Weaver, C13
• Herron, Mick - The Secret Hours
• Hood, D K - Dark Angel #1 Detective Beth Katz
• Hood, D K - Shadow Angel #2 Detective Beth Katz
• Howell, Lis - The Gardener in the Graveyard #5 The Norbridge Chronicles
• Hunter, Cari - A Calculated Risk
• Hunter, E V - A Marriage To Murder For #3 Hopgood Hall Murder Mysteries
• James, Peter - Stop Them Dead #19 Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, Brighton
• Johnstone, Doug - The Opposite of Lonely #5 Skelfs family
• Kinsey, T E - A Fire at the Exhibition #10 Lady Emily Hardcastle, 1908
• Kovach, Carla - Her Hidden Shadow #14 Detective Gina Harte
• Lee, M J - The Irish Convict (ebook only) #10 Jayne Sinclair Genealogical Mysteries
• Lindsay, Douglas - I am Multitudes #11 DS Hutton
• McCabe, Amanda - Flora Flowerdew and the Mystery of the Purloined Papers #2 Flora Flowerdew, Victorian Era
• McLean, Rachel - The Ghost Village Murders #9 DCI Lesley Clarke, Dorset
• McLean, Rachel & Hames, Joel - The Harbour #1 Cumbria Crime
• MacLean, S G - The Winter List #6 Damian Seeker, agent of the Lord Protector, 1654
• Mackay, N J - The Quiet Dead #1 DI Sebastian Locke
• Malliet, G M - The Washing Away of Wrongs #8 Max Tudor, Vicar
• Malone, Michael J - The Murmurs #1 Annie Jackson
• Matthews, L V - Silent Waters
• Nickson, Chris - Rusted Souls #11 Detective Inspector Tom Harper, Leeds Police, 1890s
• Organ, Emily - Death in Westminster (ebook only) #5 Augusta Peel, 1920s
• Osman, Richard - The Last Devil To Die #4 The Thursday Murder Club
• Penrose, Andrea - Murder at the Merton Library #7 Wrexford & Sloane
• Peston, Robert - The Crash
• Phifer, Helen - Stolen Darlings #10 Detective Morgan Brookes
• Ripley, Mike - Mr Campion's Memory #11 Albert Campion
• Ross, L J - The Bay #3 Summer Suspense Mysteries
• Schellman, Katharine - Murder at Midnight #4 Lily Adler, London, 1815
• Seddon, Holly - The Short Straw
• Smith, Alexander McCall - From a Far and Lovely Country #24 Mma Ramotswe, PI, Botswana
• Swann, Leonie - The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp tr. Amy Bojang #1 Agnes Sharp
• Thomson, Lesley - The Mystery of Yew Tree House #9 Stella Darnell
• Tobin, Sam - Wind Up Dead #3 Manchester Underworld
• Veste, Luca - Trust In Me
• Wallace, Joanna - You'd Look Better as a Ghost
• Ward, Cameron - The Safe House
• Waugh, Daisy - Old School Ties #3 Tode family
• Wells, Kate - Murder on the Farm #1 Jude Gray
• Young, Glenda - Foul Play at the Seaview Hotel #3 Helen Dexter, Scarborough

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Blog Tour - Murder at the Residence by Stella Blómkvist tr. Quentin Bates

I'm very pleased to be today's stop on the Blog Tour for Murder at the Residence by Stella Blómkvist tr. Quentin Bates. 

I have a teaser extract for you. 

You can read a review of Murder at the Residence at yesterday's stop at Books'n'Banter.





Murder at the Residence by Stella Blómkvist 

Translation Quentin Bates

Corylus Books


Let me up the stairs, guys,’ I say.

One of them spreads his arms wide.

Come to daddy, baby,’ he croons.

I try to push my way between the men. But they both grab. They’re holding on tight.

The younger one says something in a language I don’t understand. Just then, he slides a hand up my leg, over the top of one tall black boot.

His pal sniggers.

I glare into dark, drunken eyes.

You want to go to prison?’ I snap, in English.

Me no prison,’ the man replies, shaking his head.

I’m a lawyer,’ I continue in the same harsh tone. ‘Hands off. Right now. Or I’ll have you both charged with assault.’

No fucking prison,’ the guy repeats, reluctantly withdrawing his hand.

The other one does the same.

The blonde grabs my arm.

You real lawyer?’ she asks in stiff English.

Of course.’

Can I talk with you?’

No. I’m going home.’

Please. I’m desperate.’

There’s anguish in her dark eyes.

All right.’

Those horny-as-hell guys aren’t going to let the blonde get away without getting what they’ve been waiting so long for. They encircle her. Their voices babble. Banknotes are waved. Euros and dollars.

She manages to calm them down. It looks like she’s promised to come right back to deal with their needs.

I’m not going to interfere in private enterprise. Let alone meddle in every patriarchy’s oldest profession. But these girls’ enthusiasm for their work seems to be at a low ebb, if they need to pep themselves up with a blast of white powder between clients.

The girl follows me up the stairs. There are three of the boys in black in full uniform waiting at the top of the stairs. Two of them are young bucks. One’s fair. The other has dark hair. The third is a red-haired girl. Looks hardly more than twenty.

Do good business down there?’ the fair-haired one asks in easy English, with a superior grin on his face.

Has the police college stopped teaching youngsters manners?’ I retort, my voice waspish.

The grin slips from the face of the boy in black.

Show me your ID,’ he orders.

My name’s Stella Blómkvist and I’m a lawyer,’ I say coldly, handing him a business card. ‘Come to my office if you need to talk to me.’


Many thanks to Ewa, Stella, Quentin and Corylus Books for this extract and the opportunity to be involved.


Tomorrow's stop is at Emerald Reviews.

 

Thursday, September 07, 2023

The Petrona Award 2023 - Shortlist

 


From the press release which was embargoed until 8.00am today:

Outstanding crime fiction from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland shortlisted for the 2023 Petrona Award 


Seven impressive crime novels from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland have been shortlisted for the 2023 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year. The shortlist is announced today, Thursday 7 September and is as follows:


Pascal Engman - FEMICIDE tr. Michael Gallagher (Sweden, Legend Press)

Anne Mette Hancock - THE CORPSE FLOWER tr. Tara F Chace (Denmark, Swift Press)

Håkan Nesser - THE AXE WOMAN tr. Sarah Death (Sweden, Mantle)

Petra Rautiainen - LAND OF SNOW AND ASHES tr. David Hackston (Finland, Pushkin Press)

Joachim B Schmidt - KALMANN tr. Jamie Lee Searle (Switzerland, Bitter Lemon Press)

Lilja Sigurðardóttir - RED AS BLOOD tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Orenda Books)

Gunnar Staalesen - BITTER FLOWERS tr. Don Bartlett (Norway, Orenda Books)


The winning title will be announced on 5 October 2023. 

The Petrona Award is open to crime fiction in translation, either written by a Scandinavian author or set in Scandinavia, and published in the UK in the previous calendar year.

The Petrona team would like to thank our sponsor, David Hicks, for his continued generous support of the Petrona Award. 


The judges’ comments on the shortlist:

There were 43 entries for the 2023 Petrona Award from six countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland). There were twenty-one female, nineteen male, two female/male pairs and one male/male pair of authors. The novels were translated by 22 translators and submitted by 22 publishers/imprints. 

This year’s Petrona Award shortlist sees Sweden represented with two novels and Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland with one novel each. The judges selected the shortlist from a particularly strong pool of candidates with the shortlisted titles ranging from police procedural and private investigator to historical. 

As ever, we are extremely grateful to the seven translators whose expertise and skill have allowed readers to access these outstanding examples of Scandinavian crime fiction, and to the publishers who continue to champion and support translated fiction. 


The judges’ comments on each of the shortlisted titles:


Pascal Engman - FEMICIDE tr. Michael Gallagher (Sweden, Legend Press)

FEMICIDE is a page turning, absorbing, thriller featuring Detective Vanessa Frank. A young woman is found murdered in her apartment in the same week her violent ex-boyfriend is released from prison. Meanwhile, we hear the story of Jasmina, a survivor of a recent severe sexual assault. Engman dives into the world of incels through Tom, a very believable character who is part of a weaponised gender war. 

As expected this is not a comfortable read, addressing the whole incel phenomenon which is of growing concern. The well written characters and increasingly tense plot strands keep the reader absorbed as the story comes to a pinnacle as the attacks against women escalate.


Anne Mette Hancock - THE CORPSE FLOWER tr. Tara F Chace (Denmark, Swift Press)

Journalist Heloise Kaldan is trapped in a nightmare. One of her sources has been caught lying. Then she receives a cryptic letter from Anna Kiel, wanted for murder, but not seen by anyone in three years. When the reporter who first wrote about the case is found murdered, detective Erik Schafer comes up with the first lead. Has Kiel struck again? As Kaldan starts digging deeper she realises that to tell Kiel’s story she will have to revisit her own dark past.

A dark and compelling story with echoes of Stieg Larsson's THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, this is an exceptionally strong start to the series, with a balanced blend of journalistic detection, psychological thriller and police procedural.


Håkan Nesser - THE AXE WOMAN tr. Sarah Death (Sweden, Mantle)

The fifth and final Inspector Gunnar Barbarotti novel from Håkan Nesser, sees Barbarotti returning to work after a personal tragedy and tasked with the investigation of a cold case, based on the unexplained disappearance of Arnold Morinder five years previously. Morinder's former partner Ellen Bjarnebo, who had been previously convicted of the brutal murder of her first husband, is sought by Barbarotti for more information, but she too has disappeared.

Håkan Nesser's credentials as a superior storyteller are once more in evidence in THE AXE WOMAN, with its impressive narrative arc and peerless characterisation, coupled with a perceptive translation by Sarah Death.


Petra Rautiainen - LAND OF SNOW AND ASHES tr. David Hackston (Finland, Pushkin Press)

LAND OF SNOW AND ASHES is set at a prison camp in Finnish Lapland in 1944 during the occupation by Nazi Germany, and in 1947 when journalist Inkeri arrives in remote Enontekiö on an assignment to chart the area’s social development. Inkeri gets to know the small community, discovers disturbing silenced crimes, and tries to find out what happened to her missing husband. Rautiainen weaves in the elements of Finland’s recent hidden history in the European context, and gives voice to the Sámi people, while Inkeri’s personal investigation shows the painful truths of human brutality and the cost of survival in extreme conditions. 

A harsh yet beautiful landscape adds to the mystery and allows for reflection and thought in this striking historical but contemporary novel. 


Joachim B Schmidt - KALMANN tr. Jamie Lee Searle (Switzerland, Bitter Lemon Press)

A local hotel owner and entrepreneur has gone missing, then Kalmann Odinsson discovers a pool of blood in the snow in the quiet village of Raufarhofn. Kalmann is an engaging, highly observant,  neurodiverse character who sees the world his own way and who can easily become overwhelmed. He hunts and makes fermented shark and his usually quiet life in the small community falls into turmoil as the police arrive to investigate formally. 

This quirky Icelandic story quickly draws the reader in, and information is revealed slowly as the mystery is solved. KALMANN is a beautifully written, absorbing, character-driven tale set in a rich Icelandic landscape.


Lilja Sigurðardóttir - RED AS BLOOD tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Orenda Books)

Following the events in COLD AS HELL, the UK-based financial investigator Áróra Jónsdóttir still searches for her sister Ísafold in Iceland, now convinced she will only find her sister’s body. Teaming again with Daníel, an old family friend and a detective, she becomes involved in the murky, violent, criminal underworld when the entrepreneur Flosi’s wife gets kidnapped. 

The chilling scenery and tight plotting with unexpected twists propel the novel into the uncommon sphere of financial crime mixed with a strong sense of unease and danger. The writing is sharp, intelligent and witty, and the characters authentic. Sigurðardóttir surprises at every step with her exciting style, faultlessly brought into English by Quentin Bates. 


Gunnar Staalesen - BITTER FLOWERS tr. Don Bartlett (Norway, Orenda Books)

BITTER FLOWERS is set in Norway in the 1980s during the heated atmosphere of toxic waste environmental protests. Private investigator Varg Veum is just out of rehab for his alcoholism. The story starts with a body found under suspicious circumstances in a swimming pool. The lifestyle of the rich, their power and the privilege their money affords them comes into question.

Staalesen is an expert at making his characters just complex enough that the reader can empathise with the human condition in the majority of them. BITTER FLOWERS is finely crafted and translated giving the reader a clear sense of location and an array of vivid characters to spend their time with.


The judges

Jackie Farrant - creator of RAVEN CRIME READS and a bookseller/Area Commercial Support for a major book chain in the UK.

Miriam Owen - founder of the NORDIC NOIR blog, passionate about the arts, she moderates author panels and provides support at crime fiction festivals.

Ewa Sherman - translator and writer, and blogger at NORDIC LIGHTHOUSE


Award administrator

Karen Meek – owner of the EURO CRIME blog and website.

On social media, please use #PetronaAward23.




Monday, August 28, 2023

New Releases - August 2023

Here's a snapshot of what I think is published for the first time in August 2023 (and is usually a UK date but occasionally will be a US or Australian date). 91 titles this month. August and future months (and sometimes years) can be found on the Future Releases page. If I've missed anything or got the date wrong, do please leave a comment.

Please note that, unless specifically mentioned, when a book has differing print and ebook release date, I use the print release date. Translators' names are included where known.

• Abbott, Rachel - Don't Look Away #3 Stephanie King
• Adams, Jane - The Lost Daughter #5 Ray Flowers, ex-police officer, Leicestershire
• Allen, Hania - The Unexpected Guest #5 DS Dania Gorska
• Anderson, Lin - The Wild Coast #18 Rhona MacLeod, forensic scientist, Glasgow
• Baker, J A - The Woman in the Woods
• Barber, Lizzy - Nanny Wanted
• Baylis, Edie - The Price of Betrayal (ebook only) #2 Scarred
• Beard, Susanna - The Best Friend
• Blómkvist, Stella - Murder at the Residence tr. Quentin Bates #7 Stella Blómkvist, Lawyer
• Brack, Graham - Murder In Maastricht #7 Master Mercurius
• Brightwell, Emily - Mrs Jeffries Aims to Win #41 Mrs Jeffries
• Brolly, Matt - The Bridge #6 Detective Louise Blackwell
• Brooke, S J - The Body on Scafell Pike #1 DI Jess Chambers and Margot Voyce, Lake District
• Brownlow, John - Assassin Eighteen #2 Last Man Standing series
• Callaghan, Helen - The Drowning Girls
• Carpenter, Elisabeth - The Family on Smith Street
• Cassidy, Amanda - The Returned
• Cassidy, Jane - The Desire Line
• Cavanagh, Steve - Kill For Me Kill For You
• Chowdhury, Ajay - The Invitation (ebook only) #1 Kamil Rahman Novella
• Cleeves, Ann - The Raging Storm #3 Detective Matthew Venn, Devon
• Comley, M A - To Hold Responsible #10 DI Sam Cobbs
• Davison, Anita - Murder in the Bookshop #1 Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet, 1915, London
• Dixon, Helena - Murder at the Village Fair #13 Miss Underhay
• Ellis, Emmy - Roulette #20 Cardigan Estate
• Ellis, Kate - The Killing Place #27 Wesley Peterson (policeman) and Neil Watson (archaeologist), Tradmouth, Devon
• England, Caroline - The Stranger Beside Me
• Evans, Maz - Over My Dead Body
• Ewan, C M - The House Hunt
• Feeney, Alice - Good Bad Girl
• Fennell, David - The Silent Man #3 DI Grace Archer & DS Harry Quinn, London
• Filteau-Chiba, Gabrielle - Feral tr. David Homel
• Ford, P F - A Date With Death #5 West Wales Murder Mysteries
• Fortin, Sue - Death at Applewick Manor (ebook only) #2 Applewick Village
• Frank, Anita - The Good Liars
• Gatward, D J - Dead Man's Hands (ebook only) #15 DCI Harry Grimm
• Goddard, Robert - The Fine Art of Uncanny Prediction #2 Umiko Wada
• Goodhind, J G - Murder Runs in the Family #13 Honey Driver, Hotelier, Bath
• Goodwin, Sarah - The Blackout
• Gray, Lisa - To Die For
• Greene, Morgan - The Last Light of Day #8 DI Jamie Johansson
• Hamdy, Adam - White Fire #3 Scott Pearce
• Hausmann, Romy - Anatomy of a Killer tr. Jamie Bulloch
• Hayes, Samantha - The Inheritance
• Hepburn, Sam - The Mistake I Made • Howard, B M - Blood on the Tiber #2 Gracchus & Vanderville • Howard, Catherine Ryan - The Trap
• Hurst, Daniel - The Doctor's Widow #2 The Doctor's Wife
• Jameson, Emma - A Death at Bay View Hotel #5 Jemima Jago, Librarian, Isles of Scilly
• Jeffrey, Diane - The Other Couple
• Jonasson, Ragnar & Jakobsdottír, Katrín - Reykjavík tr. Victoria Cribb
• Khan, Vaseem - Death of a Lesser God #4 Inspector Persis Wadia
• La Plante, Lynda - Taste of Blood #9 WPC Tennison
• Leigh, Judy - Foul Play at Seal Bay #1 Morwenna Mutton, Librarian, Cornwall
• Leitch, Fiona - A Cornish Seaside Murder #6 Jodie 'Nosey' Parker, Chef
• Lewis, Susan - I Know It's You
• Llaca, Verónica E - Blood Ties tr. Mark Fried
• Lloyd, Catherine - Miss Morton and the Spirits of the Underworld #2 Miss Morton, Regency England
• London, Kate - The Misper #4 DS Sarah Collins
• Louth, Nick - The Body in Nightingale Park #12 DCI Craig Gillard
• MacDonald, Dee - A Body in a Cornish Village #7 Kate Palmer, Cornwall
• Malliet, G M - Death in Print #5 Detective Chief Inspector St Just
• Marlowe, Deb - Murder on the Mirrored Lake #3 Kier and Levett, Victorian Era
• McAllister, Gillian - Just Another Missing Person
• McDermott, Andy - The Knights of Atlantis #17 Archaeologist Nina Wilde & ex-SAS bodyguard Eddie Chase
• McKinty, Adrian - The Detective Up Late #7 Sean Duffy
• Mott, Tony - Deadly Autumn Harvest tr. Marina Sofia
• Mumford, Louise - The Hotel
• Oliver, Kelly - Mayhem in the Mountains #3 Fiona Figg
• Parker, Kate - Deadly Manor #10 Olivia Denis, 1930s London
• Parks, Adele - Just Between Us
• Parsons, Tony - Who She Was
• Pryor, Mark - The Dark Edge of Night #2 Henri Lefort
• Ramsay, Caro - In Her Blood #2 DCI Christine Caplan, Highlands
• Rose, M L - Stolen Souls #1 Detective Nikki Gill, Oxford
• Rosenberg, Kenneth - London on Fire (ebook only) #4 Nathan Grant
• Russell, Leigh - Without Trace #20 DI Geraldine Steel
• Russell, Michael - The City of God #8 Garda Detective Stefan Gillespie
• Selman, Victoria - All the Little Liars
• Shemilt, Jane - All Her Secrets
• Silva, Jo - Murder on a Cornish Isle #2 The Edge of the World Detective Agency
• Simpson, Carla - Deadly Illusion #4 Angus Brodie and Mikaela Forsythe, Victorian London
• Smirnoff, Karin - The Girl in the Eagle's Talons (Millennium VII) tr. Sarah Death
• Smith, Alex - Lucky Number Seven #13 DCI Robert Kett, Norfolk
• Smith, Fiona Veitch - The Picture House Murders #1 Miss Clara Vale, 1929
• Staalesen, Gunnar - Mirror Image tr. Don Bartlett #13 Varg Veum, PI in Bergen, Norway
• Stone, Lisa - The Gathering
• Tope, Rebecca - A Discovery in the Cotswolds #21 Thea Osborne, House Sitter, Cotswolds
• White, M J - Leave no Trace #3 Cora Lael, Suffolk
• Williams, T A - Murder in Siena #4 Armstrong and Oscar
• Yarwood-Lovett, Sarah - A Generation of Vipers #4 Nell Ward

Saturday, August 26, 2023

Cover Theme - Windows 10 Lock Screen

Not quite the same but similar to the Windows 10 screen:


More cover similarity posts can be found here.

Tuesday, August 08, 2023

The Petrona Award 2023 - Longlist

 From the press release which was embargoed until 8.00am today:



OUTSTANDING CRIME FICTION FROM DENMARK, FINLAND, ICELAND, NORWAY, SWEDEN AND SWITZERLAND LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 PETRONA AWARD

Twelve crime novels from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland have made the longlist for the 2023 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year.

They are:

Jussi Adler-Olsen - The Shadow Murders tr. William Frost (Denmark, Quercus)
Lina Areklew - Death in Summer tr. Tara F Chace (Sweden, Canelo Crime)
Kjell Ola Dahl - Little Drummer tr. Don Bartlett (Norway, Orenda Books)
Pascal Engman - Femicide tr. Michael Gallagher (Sweden, Legend Press)
Anne Mette Hancock - The Corpse Flower tr. Tara F Chace (Denmark, Swift Press)
Susanne Jansson - Winter Water tr. Rachel Willson-Broyles (Sweden, Hodder & Stoughton)
Håkan Nesser - The Axe Woman tr. Sarah Death (Sweden, Mantle)
Petra Rautiainen - Land of Snow and Ashes tr. David Hackston (Finland, Pushkin Press)
Joachim B Schmidt - Kalmann tr. Jamie Lee Searle (Switzerland, Bitter Lemon Press)
Lilja Sigurðardóttir - Red as Blood tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Orenda Books)
Gustaf Skördeman - Codename Faust tr. Ian Giles (Sweden, Zaffre)
Gunnar Staalesen - Bitter Flowers tr. Don Bartlett (Norway, Orenda Books)

The significantly increased number of entries for this year’s Petrona Award illustrates the continuing popularity of Scandinavian crime fiction in translation. The longlist contains a mix of new and established authors including previous Petrona Award winner, Gunnar Staalesen.

Both large and small publishers are represented on the longlist, with Orenda Books leading with three entries, and the breakdown by country is Sweden (5), Denmark (2), Norway (2), Finland (1), Iceland (1) and Switzerland (1), with translators Don Bartlett and Tara F Chace having translated two entries each.

The shortlist will be announced on 7 September 2023.

The Petrona Award 2023 judging panel comprises Jackie Farrant, the creator of RAVEN CRIME READS and a bookseller/Area Commercial Support for a major book chain in the UK; Miriam Owen, founder of the NORDIC NOIR blog, passionate about the arts, she moderates author panels and provides support at crime fiction festivals, and Ewa Sherman, translator and writer, and blogger at NORDIC LIGHTHOUSE. The Award administrator is Karen Meek, owner of the EURO CRIME blog and website.

The Petrona Award was established to celebrate the work of Maxine Clarke, one of the first online crime fiction reviewers and bloggers, who died in December 2012. Maxine, whose online persona and blog was called Petrona, was passionate about translated crime fiction but in particular that from the Scandinavian countries.

The award is open to crime fiction in translation, either written by a Scandinavian author or set in Scandinavia and published in the UK in the previous calendar year.

More information on the history of the Award and previous winners can be found at the Petrona Award website (https://www.petronaaward.co.uk/).

The Petrona team would like to thank our sponsor, David Hicks, for his generous support of the 2023 Petrona Award.

Monday, July 24, 2023

Award News: Petrona Award Entries 2023

I am pleased to announce that the 43 titles that were eligible for the 2023 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year have been entered by the publishers.

The winner of the Award will be announced online later this year.

The rules for eligibility are:
  • The submission must be in translation and published in English in the UK during the preceding calendar year ie 1 January – 31 December 2022.
  • The author of the submission must either be born in Scandinavia* or the submission must be set in Scandinavia*.
  • The submission must have been published in its original language after 1999.
(E-books that meet the above criteria may be considered at the judges’ discretion (does not include self-published titles))
*in this instance taken to be Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

More details about the award and the history behind it can be found on the Petrona Award website. The winner of the 2022 Award was Fatal Isles by Maria Adolfsson, translated from the Swedish by Agnes Broomé and published by Zaffre.

The award is sponsored by David Hicks.

Entries 

[21 titles are by Female authors and 20 by Male plus 2 teams of Male and Female authors. There are 23 translators (15 Female (29 titles), 6 Male (13 titles) and 1 Female/Male collaboration (1 title)) and 6 countries are represented (24 Sweden, 6 Iceland, 7 Norway, 2 Finland, 3 Denmark and 1 Switzerland).]

Jussi Adler-Olsen - The Shadow Murders tr. William Frost (Denmark, M, Quercus) 
Maria Adolfsson - Wild Shores tr. Agnes Broomé (Sweden, F, Zaffre) 
Eva Björg Ægisdóttir  - Night Shadows tr. Victoria Cribb (Iceland, F, Orenda Books)
Stefan Ahnhem - The Final Nail  tr. Agnes Broomé (Sweden, M, Head of Zeus)
Tove Alsterdal - We Know You Remember tr. Alice Menzies (Sweden, F, Faber & Faber)
Lina Areklew - Death in Summer tr. Tara F Chace (Sweden, F, Canelo) 

Lina Bengtsdotter - For the Lost tr. Agnes Broomé (Sweden, F, Orion) 

Kjell Ola Dahl - Little Drummer tr. Don Bartlett (Norway, M, Orenda Books)
Arne Dahl - You Are Next tr. Ian Giles (Sweden, M, Harvill Secker)
Anders de la Motte - Deeds of Autumn tr. Marlaine Delargy (Sweden, M ,Zaffre)
Anders de la Motte - Dead of Winter tr. Marlaine Delargy (Sweden, M ,Zaffre) 

Katrine Engberg - The Harbour tr. Tara Chace (Denmark, F, Hodder & Stoughton)
Pascal Engman - Femicide tr. Michael Gallagher (Sweden, M, Legend Press)

Helene Flood - The Lover tr. Alison McCullough (Norway, F, MacLehose Press)

Anne Mette Hancock - The Corpse Flower tr. Tara Chace (Denmark, F, Swift Press)
Jorn Lier Horst - The Night Man tr. Anne Bruce (Norway, M, Michael Joseph)
Jorn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger - Unhinged tr. Megan Turney (Norway, M&M, Orenda Books)

Susanne Jansson - Winter Water tr. Rachel Willson-Broyles (Sweden, F, Hodder & Stoughton)
Ragnar Jonasson - Outside tr. Victoria Cribb (Iceland, M, Michael Joseph)

Anna Karolina - The Guilty One tr. Lisa Reinhardt (Sweden, F, Thomas & Mercer)
Anna Karolina - The Missing Man tr. Lisa Reinhardt (Sweden, F, Thomas & Mercer)
Lars Kepler - The Mirror Man tr. Alice Menzies (Sweden, F&M, Zaffre)

Camilla Lackberg & Henrik Fexeus - Trapped tr. Ian Giles (Sweden, F&M, HarperCollins)
David Lagercrantz - Dark Music tr. Ian Giles (Sweden, M, MacLehose Press)
Jónína Leósdóttir - Deceit tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, F, Corylus Books)
Ruth Lillegraven - Blood Ties tr. Diane Oatley (Norway, F, AmazonCrossing)

Niklas Natt och Dag - 1794: The City Between the Bridges tr. Ebba Segerberg (Sweden, M, Baskerville)
Hakan Nesser - The Axe Woman tr. Sarah Death (Sweden, M, Mantle) 

Sólveig Pálsdóttir - Harm tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, F, Corylus Books)

Petra Rautianen - Land of Snow and Ashes tr. David Hackston (Finland, F, Pushkin Press)
Hans Rosenfeldt - Cry Wolf tr. Elizabeth Clark Wessel (Sweden, M, HarperCollins)
Anders Roslund - Sweet Dreams tr. Elizabeth Clark Wessel (Sweden, M, Harvill Secker)

Joachim B Schmidt - Kalmann tr. Jamie Lee Searle (Switzerland, M, Bitter Lemon Press)
Lilja Sigurdardottir - Red as Blood tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, F, Orenda Books)
Yrsa Sigurdardottir  - The Fallout tr. Victoria Cribb (Iceland, F, Hodder & Stoughton)
Gustaf Skördeman - Codename Faust tr. Ian Giles (Sweden, M, Zaffre)
Gunnar Staalesen - Bitter Flowers tr. Don Bartlett (Norway, M, Orenda Books)
Malin Stehn - Happy New Year tr. Rachel Willson-Broyles (Sweden, F, Penguin)
Viveca Sten - Buried in Secret tr. Marlaine Delargy (Sweden, F, AmazonCrossing)
Viveca Sten - Hidden in Snow tr. Marlaine Delargy (Sweden, F, AmazonCrossing)

Antti Tuomainen - The Moose Paradox tr. David Hackston (Finland, M, Orenda Books)

Silje O Ulstein - Reptile Memoirs tr. Alison McCullough (Norway, F, Grove Press UK)
Christian Unge - A Grain of Truth tr. George Goulding & Sarah De Senarclens (Sweden, M, MacLehose Press)

Saturday, July 22, 2023

New Releases - July 2023

Here's a snapshot of what I think is published for the first time in July 2023 (and is usually a UK date but occasionally will be a US or Australian date). 94 titles again this month. July and future months (and sometimes years) can be found on the Future Releases page. If I've missed anything or got the date wrong, do please leave a comment.

Please note that, unless specifically mentioned, when a book has differing print and ebook release date, I use the print release date. Translators' names are included where known.

• Anthology - An Unnecessary Assassin
• Ace, Cathy - The Case of the Uninvited Undertaker #8 A Wise Enquiries Agency Mystery
• Adams, Jane - The Room with Eight Windows #9 Detective Chief Inspector Henry Johnstone, 1928
• Ægisdóttir, Eva Björg - You Can't See Me tr. Victoria Cribb #4 Forbidden Iceland
• Allan, Claire - In the Dark
• Arlidge, M J - Eye for an Eye
• Baylis, Edie - Judgement (ebook only) #5 Allegiance
• Belsham, Alison - The Girl's Last Cry #2 Detective Lexi Bennett
• Blackhurst, Jenny - The Summer Girl
• Broadribb, Steph - Death on the Beach #3 The Retired Detectives Club
• Bryndza, Robert - Fear The Silence
• Carrington, Sam - The Girl in the Photo
• Carson, John - Twist of Fate #18 DCI Harry McNeil
• Carter, Andrea - Death Writes #6 Benedicta 'Ben' O'Keeffe, Solicitor, Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland
• Cartwright, Jack - One Deadly Night #10 Wild Fens Murder Mystery
• Cercas, Javier - Prey For The Shadow tr. Anne McLean #2 A Terra Alta Investigation
• Clark, Eliza A - Penance
• Comley, M A - Evil Intent #20 DI Sarah Ramsey
• Cranswick, Judith - Passage to Greenland (ebook only) #1 Murder at Sea Mysteries
• Cummins, Fiona - All Of Us Are Broken #2 DS Saul Anguish
• Cunliffe, P S - Don't Close Your Eyes
• Davies, Abby - Arrietty
• Delaney, J P - The New Wife
• Douglas, Claire - The Woman Who Lied
• Douglas, Louise - The Secret of Villa Alba
• Dunford, Caroline - Death of a Dead Man #17 Euphemia Martins
• Eldridge, Jim - Murder at the Tower of London #9 Former Detective Inspector Daniel Wilson
• Ellicott, Jessica - Murder at a London Finishing School #7 Beryl and Edwina Mystery, 1920s
• Ellis, Emmy - Rewrite #19 Cardigan Estate
• Ellis, Joy - The River's Edge #10 DI Rowan Jackman & DS Maria Evans, Lincolnshire
• Gatland, Jack - Kill Your Darlings #15 DI Declan Walsh
• Godden, Gillian - Forever Diamond #4 Diamond
• Goldberg, Leonard - The Wayward Prince #7 Daughter of Sherlock Holmes series
• Granger, Ann - The Old Rogue of Limehouse #9 Lizzie Martin, Lady's companion and Inspector Ben Ross, Victorian Era
• Hall, Emylia - The Shell House Detectives #1 Shell House Detectives, Cornwall
• Hanington, Peter - The Burning Time #4 William Carver, BBC Reporter
• Harper, Izzie - Murder in the Sunflower Field #3 The Wootton Windmill Mysteries
• Hay, Alex - The Housekeepers
• Heley, Veronica - False Name #16 Bea Abbott, Sixty-something owner of The Abbott (Domestic) Agency
• Hilary, Sarah - Black Thorn • Hill, M K - Zero Kill
• Huang, Christopher - Unnatural Ends
• Hunter, Cara - Murder in the Family
• Hunter, Evie - The Alibi
• Hurley, Graham - The Blood of Others #8 Wars Within
• Jackson, David - One Good Deed
• James, Ed - A Lonely Place of Dying (ebook only) #3 DI Rob Marshall
• Jewell, Lisa - None of this is True
• Jones, Philip Gwynne - The Venetian Candidate #7 Nathan Sutherland
• Keogh, Valerie - The Nurse
• Kinsley, Erin - Someone You Know
• Kirk, JD - In Service of Death (ebook only) #17 DCI Logan
• Kitson, Bill - Guilty as Sin (ebook only) #16 Detective Mike Nash, Yorkshire
• Leather, Stephen - Clean Kill #20 Dan Shepherd, SAS trooper turned undercover cop
• Lynch, Rachel - Silent Bones #11 DI Kelly Porter, Lake District
• Mackintosh, Clare - A Game of Lies #2 DC Morgan
• Markin, Wes - The Crying Cave Killings #3 DCI Emma Gardner, Yorkshire
• Maslen, Andy - Playing the Devil's Music #8 DI Stella Cole
• Massey, Sujata - The Mistress of Bhatia House #4 Perveen Mistry, India's only female lawyer, 1920s
• McDermott, Andy - Ghost Target #3 Alex Reeve
• Mina, Denise - The Second Murderer: A Philip Marlowe Mystery
• Mosse, Greg - Murder at Church Lodge #1 Maisie Cooper.
• Mullen, Owen - Three Sisters (ebook only)
• Musso, Guillaume - The Stranger in the Seine tr. Rosie Eyre
• North, Lauren - She Says She's My Daughter (ebook only)
• Paris, B A - The Mosquito (ebook only) - Short Story
• Parris, S J - Alchemy #7 Italian monk Giordano Bruno, Elizabethan era
• Pearse, Lesley - Betrayal
• Pearson, David - Murder at the Caravan #15 Detectives Lyons and Hays, Galway
• Petersen, Christoffer - Solja #1 Solja Trilogy
• Pineiro, Claudia - A Little Luck tr. Frances Riddle
• Raymond, Andrew - The Bloody, Bloody Banks (ebook only) #3 DCI Lomond
• Rowe, Angie - The Seventh Passenger #1 Detective Lorcan O'Dowd
• Rowson, Pauline - Death in the Dunes #4 Inspector Alun Ryga, Dorset
• Russell, Leigh - Barking Mad #2 Poppy Mystery
• Ryan, Rachel - Someone You Trust
• Salter, Michelle - A Killing at Smugglers Cove #4 Iris Woodmore, 1920s
• Scarr, Louisa - Out of the Ashes #5 DS Butler & DC West
• Shaw, G W - The Conspirators
• Skelton, Douglas - Children of the Mist #5 Rebecca Connolly
• Smith, Hayley - The Perfect Girlfriend
• Smith, Nikki - The Beach Party
• Tait, Victoria - Deadly Performance #7 Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery, Cotswolds
• Tallon, Emma - Her Enemy #6 Scarlet Drew
• Toyne, Simon - The Clearing #2 Laughton Rees
• Travers, Lydia - Mystery in the Highlands #3 The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency
• Tremayne, Peter - Revenge of the Stormbringer #32 Sister Fidelma
• Turner, A K - Case Sensitive #3 Cassie Raven, Mortuary Technician
• Vingtras, Marie - Blizzard tr. Stephanie Smee
• Walters, Alex - Old Evils #4 DI Annie Delamere, Derbyshire
• Ware, Ruth - Zero Days
• Watson, Katy - A Very Lively Murder #2 Dahlia Lively
• Wood, Michael - Making of a Murderer (ebook only) #3 DCI Matilda Darke Short Story
• Yakovleva, Yulia - Death of the Red Rider tr. Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp #2 Investigator Vasily Zaitsev, Leningrad, 1930s

Friday, July 21, 2023

Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2023 - Winner(s)

The winner of the 2023 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year was announced last night and it is: M W Craven for The Botanist.

Elly Griffith's was "Highly Commended" for The Locked Room and Ann Cleeves was awarded  the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award.

Read more and see photos of the winners at the official website.

Friday, July 07, 2023

CWA Dagger Awards 2023 - Winners

The winners of the CWA Dagger Awards were announced last night. The winner of the Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger is Even the Darkest Night, Javier Cercas translated by Anne McLean.

 Here is the official press release:

2023 CWA Dagger Awards Announced

 

The winners of the 2023 CWA Daggers, which honour the very best in the crime writing genre, have been announced.

The prestigious Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Daggers are the oldest awards in the genre and have been synonymous with quality crime writing for over half a century.

Vaseem Khan, Chair of the CWA, said: "This year's CWA Daggers, in the CWA’s 70th jubilee year, continued the tradition of recognising both the broad appeal of the genre, and the wide spectrum of writers now operating within it, showcasing the full creative range of modern crime writing."

George Dawes Green receives the CWA Gold Dagger for The Kingdoms of Savannah.

Judges praised the ‘intricately constructed’ novel as a ‘timeless fable.’ A masterpiece of Southern Gothic noir, George Dawes Green’s sprawling mystery explores class and power structures after a brutal murder. He is best known for his runaway bestseller The Juror, the basis for the movie starring Demi Moore.

William Shaw, co-Vice Chair of the CWA, said: “After a fourteen-year hiatus, George Dawes Green’s triumphant return with The Kingdoms of Savannah is a bravura demonstration of the extraordinary power of crime fiction. Peopled with vividly-drawn characters from every Southern walk of life, this compelling mystery achieves something remarkable in peeling back the skin of Georgia’s troubled history to expose a society whose opulence was always built on something very dark.”

Past winners of the CWA Gold Dagger, which recognises the best crime novel of the year, include John le Carré, Reginald Hill, and Ruth Rendell.

The winner of the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger is John Brownlow for Agent Seventeen. Awarded for best thriller, the Dagger is sponsored by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, the Fleming family-owned company that looks after the James Bond literary brand.

Agent Seventeen, a debut thriller from the British-Canadian screenwriter, centres on an elite hitman who must remain one step ahead of his many rivals if he wants to stay alive. It was praised by the judges as a ‘deceptively layered’ blockbuster thriller and ‘roller-coaster’ tale. Brownlow is best known as a screenwriter of Sylvia, starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Daniel Craig, and the TV series, Fleming.

The anticipated ILP John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger highlights the best debut crime novel. This year, the accolade goes to Hayley Scrivenor for Dirt Town, praised by the CWA judges as a ‘haunting mystery.’ Dirt Town, which follows the case of a missing girl in small-town Australia, was described by The Guardian as “outback noir that lives up to the hype.”

The CWA Historical Dagger goes to DV Bishop for The Darkest Sin.  Set in Renaissance Florence, The Darkest Sin is an atmospheric historical thriller that judges praised as ‘well-researched’ and ‘gripping to the end.’

The ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction goes to Wendy Joseph for Unlawful Killings: Life, Love and Murder: Trials at the Old Bailey. The revealing, humane and gripping stories from Wendy Joseph, a retired Old Bailey judge, were praised as a ‘rare glimpse beneath the wig, with significant observations on the justice system.’

The Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger, sponsored by former CWA Chair, Maxim Jakubowski in honour of his wife Dolores Jakubowski, goes to Javier Cercas for Even the Darkest Night, translated by Anne McLean. The leading Spanish literary author was commended for his ‘complex characters’ and ‘striking sense of place.’

The CWA Daggers are one of the few high-profile awards that honour the short story. Hazell Ward scoops the award for Cast a Long Shadow, an emotional tale of murder that leads to a man condemned by suspicion by a whole village. Ward delivers a, ‘truly emotional ride with a twist.’

The Dagger in the Library is voted on exclusively by librarians, chosen for the author’s body of work and support of libraries. This year it goes to Sophie Hannah.

The Sunday Times bestselling writer is published in 49 languages and 51 territories. Her books have sold millions of copies worldwide. Hannah is the author of the new Poirot mysteries with the blessing of Agatha Christie’s family and estate.

One of the anticipated highlights of the annual Daggers is the Debut Dagger competition, sponsored by ProWritingAid. The international competition is open to uncontracted writers. This year, the award goes to Jeff Marsick for Sideways, about a 26-year-old army veteran, Gage, suffering from PTSD.

The Dagger for the Best Crime and Mystery Publisher, which celebrates publishers and imprints demonstrating excellence and diversity in crime writing, goes to Viper (Profile Books).

Viper’s books include Sunday Times bestsellers The Appeal by Janice Hallett and The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward, and Reese Witherspoon Book Club sensation, The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave.

A CWA Red Herring, for services to crime writing and the CWA, were awarded to Gary Stratmann and Corinne Turner.

Maxim Jakubowski, former Chair of CWA, said: “As the husband of crime writer Linda Stratmann, a past CWA Chair, Gary Stratmann has accidentally found himself at the heart of our community and has taken it to it like a fish to water; ever supportive, convivial, he has become the de facto CWA photographer, social gadfly, and visual historian.”

On Corinne Turner, Maxim said: “As the head of Ian Fleming Publications, Corinne Turner has not only been a stalwart CWA sponsor, but has also lent her knowledge, business advice, sensible management experience and invaluable financial know how to our board. She has been a major factor into making us a more professional body, and has always been available with a smile on her face."

The CWA Diamond Dagger, awarded to an author whose crime-writing career has been marked by sustained excellence, is announced in early spring each year and in 2023 it was awarded to Walter Mosley.

One of the most versatile and admired writers in America, Mosley is the author of more than 60 critically acclaimed books, that cover a wide range of genres. His work has been translated into 25 languages.

The winners were announced at a Gala Dinner at the Leonardo City Hotel in London on Thursday 6 July. The ceremony was compered by bestselling authors Victoria Selman and Imran Mahmood. Charlie Higson, the Fast Show actor, comedian, and author of the recent James Bond novel On His Majesty's Secret Service and many Young Bond volumes, was the after-dinner speaker.

One of the UK’s most prominent societies, the CWA was founded in 1953 by John Creasey; the awards started in 1955 with its first award going to Winston Graham, best known for Poldark.

Dagger Winners 2023

CWA GOLD DAGGER

The Kingdoms of Savannah, George Dawes Green (Headline Fiction, Headline Publishing Group)

CWA IAN FLEMING STEEL DAGGER

Agent Seventeen, John Brownlow (Hodder & Stoughton)

ILP JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER

Dirt Town, Hayley Scrivenor (Pan Macmillan, Macmillan)

CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER

The Darkest Sin, DV Bishop (Pan Macmillan, Macmillan)

CWA ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION

Unlawful Killings: Life, Love and Murder: Trials at the Old Bailey, Wendy Joseph (Transworld)

CWA CRIME FICTION IN TRANSLATION DAGGER sponsored in honour of Dolores Jakubowski

Even the Darkest Night, Javier Cercas translated by Anne McLean (Quercus, MacLehose Press)

CWA SHORT STORY DAGGER

‘Cast a Long Shadow’ by Hazell Ward, in Cast a Long Shadow edited by Katherine Stansfield and Caroline Oakley (Honno Press)

CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY

Sophie Hannah

CWA PUBLISHERS’ DAGGER

Viper (Profile Books)

CWA DEBUT DAGGER sponsored by ProWritingAid

‘Sideways’ Jeff Marsick

THE CWA RED HERRING for services to crime writing and the CWA

Gary Stratmann

Corinne Turner

DIAMOND DAGGER

Walter Mosley

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The winners announcements are available on the CWA website, as well as via its Facebook, Twitter #CWADaggers and YouTube channel.

The 2023 Shortlists in Full:

GOLD DAGGER

The Kingdoms of Savannah, George Dawes Green (Headline Publishing Group)

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

A Killing in November, Simon Mason (Quercus)

The Clockwork Girl, Anna Mazzola (Orion)

The Winter Guest, WC Ryan (Bonnier Books UK)

The Silent Brother, Simon Van der Velde (Northodox Press)

IAN FLEMING STEEL DAGGER

Take Your Breath Away, Linwood Barclay (HarperCollins, HQ)

Agent Seventeen, John Brownlow (Hodder & Stoughton)   

The Botanist, MW Craven (Little, Brown Constable)

The Ink Black Heart, Robert Galbraith (Sphere)       

The Chase, Ava Glass (Penguin Random House UK, Century)

May God Forgive, Alan Parks (Canongate)   

ILP JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER

Breaking, Amanda Cassidy (Canelo) 

The Local, Joey Hartstone (Pushkin Press, Pushkin Vertigo)

London in Black, Jack Lutz (Pushkin Press, Pushkin Vertigo)

Dirt Town, Hayley Scrivenor (Pan Macmillan, Macmillan)

No Country for Girls, Emma Styles (Sphere)  

Outback, Patricia Wolf (Bonnier Books UK, Embla)

HISTORICAL DAGGER

The Darkest Sin, DV Bishop (Pan Macmillan, Macmillan)

The Clockwork Girl, Anna Mazzola (Orion)   

The Homes, JB Mylet (Profile Books, Viper)

The Bangalore Detectives Club Harini Nagendra (Little, Brown, Constable)

Blue Water Leonora Nattrass (Profile Books, Viper)

Hear No Evil, Sarah Smith (John Murray Press, Two Roads)

CRIME FICTION IN TRANSLATION DAGGER

Good Reasons to Die, Morgan Audic translated by Sam Taylor (Welbeck Publishing Group, Mountain Leopard Press)

The Red Notebook, Michel Bussi translated by Vineet Lal (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)

Even the Darkest Night, Javier Cercas translated by Anne McLean (Quercus, MacLehose Press)

Bad Kids, Zijin Chen translated by Michelle Deeter (Pushkin Press, Pushkin Vertigo)

The Bleeding, Johana Gustawsson translated by David Warriner (Orenda Books)  

The Anomaly, Hervé Le Tellier translated by Adriana Hunter (Penguin Random House UK, Michael Joseph)

SHORT STORY DAGGER

Leigh Bardugo ‘The Disappearance’ in Marple (HarperCollins)

Victoria Dowd & Delilah Dowd, ‘The Tears of Venus’ in Unlocked (The D20 Authors)

Sanjida Kay ‘The Beautiful Game’ in The Perfect Crime edited by Vaseem Khan and Maxim Jakubowski (HarperCollins)

Abir Mukherjee ‘Paradise Lost’ in The Perfect Crime edited by Vaseem Khan and Maxim Jakubowski (HarperCollins)

CJ Tudor ‘Runaway Blues’ in A Sliver of Darkness (Penguin Random House)

Hazell Ward ‘Cast a Long Shadow’ in Cast a Long Shadow edited by Katherine Stansfield and Caroline Oakley (Honno Press)

ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION

The Poisonous Solicitor, Stephen Bates (Icon Books)

The Life of Crime, Martin Edwards (HarperCollins)

Unlawful Killings: Life, Love and Murder: Trials at the Old Bailey, Wendy Joseph (Transworld)

Tremors In The Blood: Murder, Obsession and the Birth of the Lie Detector, Amit Katwala (Harper Collins)

To Hunt a Killer, Julie Mackay and Robert Murphy (HarperCollins)

About A Son, David Whitehouse (Orion Publishing Group)

DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY

Ben Aaronovitch    

Sophie Hannah

Mick Herron 

PUBLISHERS’ DAGGER

Harper Fiction (HarperCollins)

Mantle (PanMacmillan)

Michael Joseph (Penguin Random House)

Pushkin Vertigo (Pushkin Press)

Quercus (Hachette)

Viper (Profile Books)

DEBUT DAGGER Sponsored by ProWritingAid

Bulldog Murphy, Chris Corbett

Male, Unknown, Chris Griffiths

Sideways, Jeff Marsick

Heist, James Pierson

The Line of Least Resistance, Jeff Richards

Cradle of Storms, Margaret Winslow

CWA Dagger Judging Panels

The judges, who have been deliberating on the submissions from publishers include leading authors, bloggers, newspaper reviewers, academics, and media professionals.

You can view the judging panel for each category on the CWA website: The Daggers — The Crime Writers' Association (thecwa.co.uk)

About the CWA

The CWA was founded in 1953 by John Creasey. Its aim is to support, promote and celebrate this most durable, adaptable and successful of genres and the authors who write within it. It runs the prestigious CWA Dagger Awards, which celebrate the best in crime writing.

A thriving, growing community with a membership encompassing authors of all ages and at all stages of their careers, the CWA is UK-based, yet attracts many members from overseas.

It supports author members (plus literary agents, publishers, bloggers and editors) with a monthly magazine; a digital monthly newsletter from sister company the Crime Readers’ Association showcasing CWA authors and their books and events that goes to around 12,000 subscribers; and Case Files, a bimonthly ezine highlighting new books by CWA members. www.thecra.co.uk

The CWA also supports the Debuts; as yet unpublished writers, many of whom enter the Debut Dagger competition and the Margery Allingham Short Mystery competition.

The CWA run an annual conference and hold chapter meetings throughout the UK so members can access face-to-face networking and socialising.

It supports libraries and booksellers, with three Library Champions and a Booksellers Champion. It has links with various festivals and many other writers’ organisations such as the Society of Authors.

thecwa.co.uk

The CWA runs National Crime Reading Month in June: www.crimereading.com.

Dagger Sponsors

ALCS – Sponsors of the Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction

The Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) is a not-for-profit organisation started by writers for the benefit of all types of writers. Owned by its members, ALCS collects money due for secondary uses of writers’ work. It is designed to support authors and their creativity; ensure they receive fair payment and see their rights are respected. It promotes and teaches the principles of copyright and campaigns for a fair deal. It represents over 100,000 members, and since 1977 has paid around £500 million to writers.

Ian Fleming Publications Ltd – Sponsors of the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger

Ian Fleming Publications Ltd is the Fleming family-owned company that looks after the James Bond literary brand, by promoting and making available all of Ian Fleming’s 007 books across the world.  They also keep the brand alive through the publication of new stories by authors such as Anthony Horowitz, William Boyd, Jeffery Deaver, Sebastian Faulks, Raymond Benson, John Gardner, Kingsley Amis, Samantha Weinberg, Steve Cole and Charlie Higson.  Alongside James Bond publishing, the company also manages the rights for Fleming’s two non-fiction books and his only children’s book, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

 

International Literary Properties (ILP) – Sponsors of the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger

International Literary Properties works with authors, playwrights, managers of literary estates, and individual heirs to help realize the value from book and play-based intellectual property. ILP acquire all or partial rights to literary intellectual property, including books, plays and books of musicals. ILP own, nurture and champion a substantial number of properties, many authored by household names, in genres as diverse as mystery, crime, classic literature, non-fiction, and children’s. Its experienced team works closely with award-winning TV, film, and stage producers across the world.

ProWritingAid – Sponsors of the Debut Dagger

ProWritingAid was created by writers, for writers. Our primary goal is to help new writers get their stories and ideas across in the clearest and most effective way possible. We are passionate about language and believe good stories are intrinsically entwined with the words and phrases used to express them. ProWritingAid will never replace a human editor (our software can’t spot your plot holes!) Rather, our software helps you self-edit to a deeper level so that when you send your manuscript off to a human editor, they can focus on the content of your writing and not spend their time fixing basic writing issues like passive voice or emotion tells.

We are thrilled to sponsor the Debut Dagger competition. ProWritingAid’s primary goal is to help more writers get their stories out into the world, and the Debut Dagger is such an amazing opportunity for new crime writers to get their work in front of people that matter. 

Maxim Jakubowski – Sponsor of the Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger

The Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger is sponsored by former CWA Chair, Maxim Jakubowski, in honour of his wife Dolores Jakubowski, who was a translator and university lecturer but now suffers from Alzheimer’s.

Maxim said: “Dolores is well-known to the crime writing community as she’s been at my side for decades at book launches, parties, Dagger Award dinners and festivals worldwide, where she was always popular and a good friend to many involved in the genre.”

Maxim will sponsor the Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger in her honour in perpetuity, beginning this year and continuing after his tenure in the Chair.

To view past winners, or find out more, please visit https://thecwa.co.uk/the-daggers