The most coveted prize in crime fiction is now in its 17th year and celebrates crime writing at its best, transporting readers around the world from Calcutta to California to the frigid North Sea. This books on this year’s shortlist encompass a vast array of themes and topics, from white supremacy and radicalisation to PTSD and homelessness, and from nail-biting hostage situations to tales of addiction, desperation and rehab. The six shortlisted books for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2021 are: – The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths (Quercus, Quercus Fiction) The creator of Norfolk’s best loved forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway Elly Griffiths is hoping that her seventh prize nomination takes her one step further…
My favourite books of 2019
What a brilliant year for books it has been, so many great titles by lots of new debuts and established authors. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the publicists that have sent books and for the invites to join blog tours and tour organisers – there’s so many of you to name – I know I’ll miss some people out if I try to name names, so as not to offend I will just leave it at that. Twitter friends, some of whom I have managed to meet in person this year and can now call real friends. I’ve read a few books this year, more than…
Haverscroft – S.A Harris – Blog tour – 29/10/19
I’d like to extend my great thanks to Emma Dowson for the invitation to join this blog tour – S.A Harris has written a really spooky read in Haverscroft published by Salt Publishing. Salt is one of UK’s foremost independent publishers. Longlisted for the Not the Booker Prize 2019 Kate Keeling leaves all she knows and moves to Haverscroft House in an attempt to salvage her marriage. Little does she realise, Haverscroft’s dark secrets will drive her to question her sanity, her husband and fatally engulf her family unless she can stop the past repeating itself. Can Kate keep her children safe and escape Haverscroft in time, even if it…
Orenda Books Roadshow Hungerford 7th March hosted by Hungerford Books
13 Authors – 4 Events – Orenda Roadshow – Great work Karen Sullivan loves to find new authors, with fresh voices, who push genres in different directions, with their quirky beautiful writing, she wants goosebumps and with these authors, she has got all those things. What a great evening – 13 authors from several countries – Iceland, Finland, Germany, France, Norway and the UK – all introducing their books and then reading from them for roughly 1 minute, answering audience questions and still smiling by the end of the event. From the 13 books on offer this evening, I have read Will Carver’s – Good Samaritans and loved it, Steph…
#Blogtour – Shadows of Regret by Ross Greenwood
My deep thanks to Caroline Vincent of Bits about Books who arranged this tour and asked me to be part of it. Katie committed a terrible crime. Sixteen years in prison was the price. When she is released from prison, the world has changed. Isolated and alone, Katie struggles to make sense of her life. Starting again isn’t easy especially after what she’s done. Despite not feeling free or safe, Katie overcomes her fears and confronts the future. But history won’t remain forgotten. Who can she trust when her new friends are either damaged or hiding dark secrets? One by one, memories of the past are revealed but one in…
Before A Christmas Carol, there was….. Miss Marley
Miss Marley was a real delight. A perfect Christmas read, and if I didn’t know better I would have said this was writtten first and Dickens added a sequel. A truly delightful tale of how Jacob Marley became the ghost who rattled chains at his aged friend Ebeneezer Scrooge – with the links forged to look like cashboxes and padlocks. Marley traveled the earth in limbo for 7 years before going to visit Scrooge to show what could happen to him also, if he didn’t change his misser like ways. The ghosts of past, present and future show Scrooge what has, could and will happen if he doesn’t alter his lonely lifestyle in…
Ransom Riggs – Book Signing St James Church, Piccadilly, London, 6th November 2018
Firstly what a fabulous venue! I’ve been to a few book signings – never one in such a beautiful setting. Designed in 1672 by Architect Sir Christopher Wren, consecrated in 1684. But then severely damaged during the second world war in 1940, which Ransom wrote about in his first Novel Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, published back in 2011. And who ymbryne Miss Wren is named after becuase Ransom loves all things English and loves wandering around exploring London and goes Ur-Bexing (Urban exploring – of vacated old buildings) wherever he can – see his website for more on this. The A Map of Days is Book 4 in the what will be…
Jodi Picoult – A Spark of Light Henley Literary Festival 28/10/18
I hold my hands up – I have never read any of Jodi’s books before, (though I do have some in my ‘To Read’ pile) – but I know about them. And this is why I wanted to see for myself, to hear what this woman is all about, in her own words. Because she has written some award-winning books. Some controversial books and some tearfully emotional books too. Having written 25 books of varying subject matter – ranging from the Hallowcaust and Nazi’s. Most recently about racism in Small Great Things. Bone Marrow transplants – and reluctant siblings in My Sisters Keeper as a friend of mine had Leukemia and…
Salisbury Literary Festival – 20/10/2018 – CJ Tudor & Stuart Turton
I booked my tickets and headed off to Salisbury – a popular city – with its own cathedral, renown for its iconic clock- the oldest clock in the world, built in 1386 and the tallest spire 123 metres tall, but less of that, as I didn’t go to see the cathedral (but neither did the Russian spies). Google gave me that information too. I went to the Salisbury Literary Festival, 17th-22nd October, held in various venues throughout the town, due to the number of events they had going on during the weekend. An amazing array of authors, of all genres collected over the week to come together to celebrate the humble book. …
#Bloggers Book Night
Blackwells – Broadstreet, Oxford The name Blackwell has been associated with bookselling since Benjamin Henry Blackwell opened his bookshop at 50 Broad Street on 1st January 1879. Since then the retail company he founded has grown into a nationwide chain of bookshops serving the academic, professional and specialist markets. At Blackwell UK Ltd we are proud of our traditions and history that makes us the leading academic bookseller in the UK So, I had the pleasure of going to Blackwell’s, for a #Bloggers event evening. Some 20 of us, fellow bloggers, publishers, and publishing students. Held in the Norrington Room, underneath the main store, after hours. We got introduced to lots of…
