25 February 2015

Next John Connolly: A Song of Shadows

Charlie Parker is back. John Connolly's new novel A Song of Shadows will be available from 9 April 2015 in the UK and 11 August in the US.

Still recovering from his life-threatening wounds, private detective Charlie Parker investigates a case that has its origins in a Nazi concentration camp during the Second World War.

Parker has retreated to the small Maine town of Boreas to regain his strength. There he befriends a widow named Ruth Winter and her young daughter, Amanda. But Ruth has her secrets. She is hiding from the past, and the forces that threaten her have their origins in the Second World War, in a town called Lubsko and a concentration camp unlike any other.

Old atrocities are about to be unearthed, and old sinners will kill to hide their sins. Now Parker is about to risk his life to defend a woman he barely knows, one who fears him almost as much as she fears those who are coming for her.

His enemies believe him to be vulnerable. Fearful. Solitary. But they are wrong. Parker is far from afraid, and far from alone. For something is emerging from the shadows.

Read the opening chapter

Publication date on Amazon UK: 9 April 2015


17 February 2015

Steve Cavanagh on his Big Apple setting

Belfast writer Steve Cavanagh has been revealing some key reasons why he picked a New York setting rather than an Irish one for his new series of legal thrillers featuring former con artist turned trial lawyer Eddie Flynn.

As he explains to Matt Craig on his Reader Dad blog this month:

"One thing that stands out to me is that I’m mainly influenced by American crime writers and books set in the US. Michael Connelly is a major influence and I would’ve read mostly US based fiction – although in recent years there has been more of a balance between US, UK and Irish fiction.

"The other major factor was that I wanted to write a legal thriller and that creates its own difficulties if you set that book in Northern Ireland. Largely because we have a dual system of representation; if you find yourself in court you will have a solicitor and a barrister representing you. The solicitor does most of the early court appearances and prepares the case for trial and the barrister performs the role of the trial advocate.

"At the time I didn’t feel confident about creating two lead characters – particularly when one character, the barrister, would inevitably be the one doing all the cool courtroom scenes. It didn’t seem balanced to me.

"So I felt setting the book in the US solved that problem as attorneys in America perform both roles and I could concentrate on a single lead character to focus the story."

Steve Cavanagh's novel The Defence is published on 12 March 2015.

9 February 2015

Author profile: Philip Davison

Dublin-born novelist, screenwriter and playwright Philip Davison is author of the offbeat series of spy novels featuring Harry Fielding, an odd job man for the MI5 in London.

The four-book series begins with The Crooked Man (1997), which was made into a TV drama in 2003 starring Ross Kemp and Liam Cunningham.

Davison is a member of Aosdána, and continues to live in Dublin.

Official author website: Philipdavison.com

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7 February 2015

Waterstones Killer Crime Festival 2015

Waterstones and HarperCollins are running a 2-day crime fiction festival taking place on March 13th & 14th and will include live and virtual events. The virtual festival will be run by Killer Reads, HarperCollins’ crime and thriller blog and digital-first imprint.

It will follow a similar format to their Virtual Romance Festival and the BFIVoyager Sci-Fi Festival, where events take place on Twitter, Facebook and Google Hangouts. The live events will happen in Waterstones bookshops around the country and will be curated and driven regionally and from head office.

The aim of Killer Crime Festival is to connect leading crime authors with readers. The festival will be open and inclusive - all crime authors, bloggers, fans are welcome.

You will need to register here to be sent further details about the virtual event. And if you’d like to be involved in the virtual event, email sam.missingham@harpercollins.co.uk

If you would like to get involved with a live event, email steven.cooper@waterstones.com
Hashtag #KillerFest15

2 February 2015

Author profile: Ruby Barnes

R.A. Barnes and Ruby Barnes are pen names of the English writer who lives in Ireland. Some of his crime fiction and thrillers also have Irish settings.

In Peril (2012), Ger Mayes is a middle-class Scotsman married to an Irish woman and living in Ireland. He also has a mistress, drinks too much, womanises too much, and drunkenly murders a Romanian beggar who assaulted him. Its sequel is Getting Out of Dodge (2013).

The Baptist (2011) is a psychological thriller set in Kilkenny and told from a serial killer's point of view.

Official author website: Rubybarnes.blogspot.com

Author on Twitter: @Ruby_Barnes

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