Capital Crime, the crime and thriller festival led by Goldsboro Books’ co-founder and managing director David Headley, has announced that it will be returning in 2024 to its new home of the Leonardo Royal Hotel in London, May 30-June 1 2024. Authors and speakers confirmed so far include Ian Rankin, creator of Inspector Rebus; Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh; Ann Cleeves, author of the Vera and Shetland series; author and screenwriter Anthony Horowitz; U.S. crime fiction author, Kellye Garrett; author and barrister, Rob Rinder; Elly Griffiths, creator of the Ruth Galloway series; Silo creator, Hugh Howey; Alex Michaelides, author of the global bestseller, The Silent Patient; and Paula Sutton, the "queen of cottage-core" and the face behind Hill House Vintage. Also returning are the festival’s Fingerprint Awards and the social outreach initiative, which aims to demystify the industry for young state-school Londoners considering a career in publishing. Early bird weekend tickets for next year are on sale now at www.capitalcrime.org. (HT to Shots Magazine)
As part of the Texas Book Festival Lit Crawl, the Vintage Bookstore & Wine Bar in Austin is hosting a Noir at the Bar on Saturday, November 11, with a round of hip, hard-boiled, nitty-gritty noir readings by crime fiction authors. Participants will include Chandler Baker, David McCloskey, Mike McCrary, Amanda Moore, James Wade, and Ashley Winstead.
The Real Book Spy founder and author of the Matthew Redd thriller series, Ryan Steck, has signed a two-book deal with Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House, to continue the Lord Alexander Hawke series following the sudden passing of author Ted Bell earlier this year. Bell, the famed, award-winning adman who conquered the world of advertising before retiring in his 50s and launching a career as a novelist, published Hawke, the first of twelve globe-trotting adventures starring MI6 super agent Alex Hawke, back in 2003. An instant New York Times bestseller, Hawke—who was described as "a secret agent who takes you into the danger zone with a ballsy wit" by author Vince Flynn and as "the new James Bond" by James Patterson—quickly became one of the genre’s most recognizable names, read by millions around the world. Steck, who was close friends with Bell, will release the first new Hawke thriller, Monarch, in 2025.
After a spate of bookstore closings, it's always welcome news to hear of a new store opening. Criminally Good Books is headed to York, Pennsylvania, next year and will stock all kinds of crime fiction, such as historical crime, cozy crime, thriller, mystery, police procedural, and detective fiction, as well as true crime books, special editions, book-related gifts and mystery-themed items. In addition to stocking crime books, Criminally Good Books will have special themed events like author signings and fingerprint classes, as well as incorporating a recording studio for podcasters. Owner Isla Coole said that "York has a proud history linked to books, printing, and publishing. We want to continue and support the tradition of books in York, promote literacy, and support our community."
In less happier news, another bestseller list bites the dust. Book coverage in the mainstream media has been on the decline for the past several years, and the latest to fall is the Wall Street Journal's weekly bestseller lists. The paper ran a total of six fiction and nonfiction lists, as well as a hardcover business list, all powered by Circana BookScan. Paul Gigot, editorial page editor at the WSJ said that all other aspects of the paper’s book coverage will "continue as usual," although with literary and arts coverage declining at a rapid rate, it remains to be seen how long that will last.
Good kitty! In a bit of fun forensic news, it turns out almost every cat has a unique DNA mutation detectable in their hair, which is offering CSI detectives an almost sure-fire way to put criminals at the scene of their crimes or their homes, provided there was a cat there.
In the Q&A roundup, Jacqueline Seewald Interviewed author Daniella Bernett about Betrayed By The Truth, the latest book in her Emmeline Kirby-Gregory Longdon mystery series set in London and Switzerland; Lisa Haselton chatted with cozy mystery author Catherine C. Hall about her latest novel, Secrets Laid to Rest, which she describes as "the Golden Girls meet the Ghostbusters in small-town Sutter, Georgia"; and Tess Gerritsen spoke with Parade Magazine about her new book, The Spy Coast, and living among spies in Maine.
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