Alan Parks’ BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER wins le Prix Mystère De La Critique

Alan Parks has been awarded the Prix Mystère De La Critique for BOBBY MARS FOREVER – the French title of BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER, the third book in Parks’s critically acclaimed Harry McCoy series. The much-loved series has won awards in several countries – this follows the Edgar Prize win for the same title in the US and the McIlvanney Prize for MAY GOD FORGIVE, presented at the Bloody Scotland festival last year.

Alan was presented with this latest prize in person at the Un Aller Retour Dans Le Noir festival in Pau on Sunday (1 October 2023). The award, one of the longest-running crime novel prizes in France, is given by Georges Rieben and his colleagues from the Mystère Magazine, with one prize for the best French crime novel, and another for international crime writing in translation.

Alan was also awarded, for the second year running, the Prix Rivages des Libraires – an honour bestowed by a panel of 100 participating booksellers from across France – following on from his 2022 victory for his previous Harry McCoy novel, L'ENFANT DE FÉVRIER (FEBRUARY’S SON).

All of the Harry McCoy novels by Alan Parks are published in France by Editions Payots-Rivages, with their next translation, THE APRIL DEAD, out in Spring 2024. The 6th McCoy title TO DIE IN JUNE, was published by Canongate in the UK in June 2023 and will be out in the US from Europa in June 2024. The Harry McCoy series is published further in translation in Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and Sweden. Film/TV rights are also under option.  

Congratulations Alan!

About BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER

Glasgow. August 1973. A city on fire. Who is to blame when no one is innocent ? The papers want blood. The force wants results. The law must be served, whatever the cost.

July 1973. The Glasgow drugs trade is booming and Bobby March, the city's own rock-star hero, has just overdosed in a central hotel. Alice Kelly is twelve years old, lonely. And missing. Meanwhile the niece of McCoy's boss has fallen in with a bad crowd and when she goes AWOL, McCoy is asked — off the books — to find her. McCoy has a hunch. But does he have enough time?

About Alan Parks

Alan Parks worked in the music industry for over twenty years before turning to crime writing.

His debut BLOODY JANUARY was shortlisted for the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière, FEBRUARY’S SON was nominated for an Edgar Award, BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER won the Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original, the Prix Mystère de la Critique in the foreign fiction category, and was shortlisted for the Macavity Award for Best Mystery Novel and THE APRIL DEAD was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year. The fifth Harry McCoy book, MAY GOD FORGIVE, was published in April 2022 and won the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2022. It was shortlisted for the 2023 CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award and longlisted for the 2023 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. Most recently, TO DIE IN JUNE, the sixth entry in the series, was published by Canongate in 2023. The Harry McCoy series is optioned for television.

Alan was born in Scotland and attended The University of Glasgow where he was awarded a M.A. in Moral Philosophy. He still lives and works in the city as well as spending time in London.

Praise for Alan Parks

‘One of the great Scottish crime writers’ – The Times

‘Tipped to become an enduring classic of tartan noir.’ – Sunday Post

‘Dark and gritty… Gripping.’ – Crime Monthly

‘A brilliant series’ – Sunday Times Crime Club

‘Bloody and brilliant’ – Louise Welsh (on BLOODY JANUARY)

‘Pitch-black Tartan noir: bleak, but with an emotional heart that's hard to ignore.’ – Daily Mail (on FEBRUARY’S SON)

‘Manoeuvering through the mean streets of Glasgow, the morally ambiguous, deeply flawed McCoy makes an ideal antihero.’ – Publishers Weekly (on BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER, Edgar Prize Winner 2022)

‘Altogether one of the best police thrillers of the last few years.’ – Morning Star (on THE APRIL DEAD)

Visit Alan’s website

Follow Alan on Twitter

Blake Friedmann Best of 2022 & 2023

We’re delighted to have so many author achievements from 2022 to celebrate! Take a look at the list here:

GOOD INTENTIONS by Kasim Ali

 One of LoveReading’s ‘Books of the Year 2022’

 One of The Week’s ‘Best Novels of 2022’

 THE HIERARCHIES  by Ros Anderson

 ‘THE HIERARCHIES by Ros Anderson went above and beyond my expectations. The plot is as fast-paced as any Hollywood movie but the writing is exquisite. Told through the voice of Sylv.ie, a synthetic robot designed to cater to her husband’s every whim, there are dark moments and, as with the best dystopian fiction, the novel asks questions about humans and how we relate to those we see as ‘lesser’. I became very attached to Sylv.ie and her journey and I know I will re-read this book many times.’ – Gaynor Jones, Northern Soul, ‘Best Reads of 2022’

 EAST SIDE VOICES (including contributions by Romalyn Ante, Tuyen Do & Andrew Wong)

 ‘EAST SIDE VOICES, which started life as a literary salon exploring what it means to be East and Southeast Asian in Britain today, now takes this varied and thought-provoking collection of essays, brought together by founder and editor Helena Lee… Invaluable and delightful.’ – Esquire, ‘Best Books of 2022’

 ‘A range of touching essays on what it means to have an Asian or Southeast Asian identity in Britain. I found the nuanced reflections by the contributors, from Harry Potter actress Katie Leung to author and musician Claire Kohda, incredibly informative and, at times, profoundly emotional.’ – Katy Hessel, Waterstones Blog, ‘Katy Hessel's Favourite Reads of 2022’

THE MILK TART MURDERS (A Tannie Maria Mystery #4) by Sally Andrew

 A Number 1 Bestseller in South Africa (and series streamed on Acorn TV)

A SKY FULL OF STARS by Dani Atkins

 Winner of the Contemporary Romantic Novel Award at the 2022 Romantic Novel Awards

 HONEY & SPICE by Bolu Babalola

 One of Booklist’s ‘Top 10 Romance Debuts’ of 2022

 One of Time’s ‘Must-Read Books of 2022’

 One of WHSmith’s ‘Best Books of 2022’

 One of NPR’s ‘Best Books of 2022’

 A Times Bestseller

 ‘The holidays are the perfect time to sink into this sweet and savvy mashup. Like a Gen Z meeting of Nora Ephron and Bernardine Evaristo, in her first romance novel, the author of the myth-inspired story collection LOVE IN COLOR infuses the joy, pain, and laughter of young love with cultural insight and drama… This swoony coming-of-age tale cements Babalola’s superlative status as a queen of romantic comedy and master chronicler of Black British life.’ – Oprah Daily, ‘Favorite Books of the Year’

 ‘Amidst the typical stream of horror that social media offered in 2022, Twitter and TikTok also placed this sensual and thought-provoking romance into my lap… a romantic comedy brimming with all of my favourite tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, and Brits bantering until you’re practically begging for them to just snog already. Babalola expertly blends sex with societal discourse in ways that echo Jane Austen and Nora Ephron. Receiving updates on her follow-up is – for now – reason enough to keep Twitter activated.’ – Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, ‘Best Books of 2022’

 ‘This book felt like me. Having attended a British uni with a big African-Brit community (very much like the characters Kiki and Malakai at their society, Blackwell), reading about all that existed in their world while their story took place was nothing short of amazing. Everything about the way the story moved and flowed was so familiar. I felt like I lived it and to me, that is why I read – to see myself in pages and bask in the knowledge that I *get* it. This was one of those reads. Beyond that, it is definitely my favourite because you can feel the care and thoughtfulness that went into crafting the very realistic characters. As a big lover girl, it helped that the whole book literally bled romance and Black joy and excellence. Totally swoon-worthy.’ – Anna-Maria Poku, The New York Times, ‘Readers’ Favourite Books of 2022’

 ‘A deliciously witty romantic comedy, packed full of memorable characters and relatable humour.’ – Waterstones, ‘Best Books of 2022: Feelgood Fiction’

 ‘Flirting – good flirting – has its own drumbeat; an unseen force that seems to govern the back and forth. Not only does Bolu Babalola capture this perfectly in HONEY & SPICE, but whether she’s writing about her characters’ heartbreak or their hope, their treasured friendships or their burning ambitions, her prose has its own irresistible rhythm – the kind that sucks you into their world completely… Babalola’s loving treatment of time-honoured romance tropes – the fake relationship is a classic for good reason – feels entirely fresh, and her ability to transcribe what it’s like to have chemistry with someone is enough to give you butterflies.’ – Apple Books, ‘Books of the Year’

 ‘If Bolu Babalola’s bestselling (and utterly fantastic) short story collection LOVE IN COLOUR offered a taste of the kinds of stories that this author can tell, then there’s no denying that her full-length debut HONEY & SPICE has confirmed without a doubt that Babalola is a romance writing force to be reckoned with. Packed with just as much passion, chemistry and heart as those stories that came before it, HONEY & SPICE has a lot of fun with its genre as expert relationship-evader Kiki and the man she recently publicly declared “The Wasteman of Whitewell” embark on a fake relationship in a bid to achieve their respective goals. Beneath the story of Kiki and Malakai’s surprising connection and electric chemistry, however, is an equally well-developed narrative of identity, friendship, love and growth. It’s all told with such an intelligent, sparkling narrative style and such delicious romantic tension that HONEY & SPICE will leave you desperately wanting to hear more from Bolu Babalola.’ – Megan Davies, Culturefly, ‘Best Books of 2022’

 ‘Every so often a writer will come along who takes your breath away with every page. Bolu Babalola is that writer. HONEY AND SPICE is her debut novel following the success of her short story collection LOVE IN COLOUR. It does not disappoint. The novel has all the ingredients for a hot and hilarious rom-com; take two students and a dash of chemistry, and mix in a hugely entertaining plotline, topped with a few spoons of passion and there you have it. Perfection.’ – Samira Sawlani, African Arguments, ‘Best African Books of 2022’

 ‘Bolu Babalola’s debut novel is a sexy slow-burn with depth, and the best part? She’s publishing a sequel in 2024.’ – Lydia Wang, Women’s Health Magazine, ‘Best Romance Novels 2022’ 

 ‘I haven’t read anything that has given me the same warm and fuzzy feeling since Bolu Babalola’s last offering LOVE IN COLOUR. Filled with romantic tension and misunderstanding, and an irresistible love interest, HONEY & SPICE is the perfect antidote to all woes. Never cynical and always loving, Bolu Babalola is a real gem! … A funny and sparkling debut, HONEY & SPICE is full of delicious tension and romantic intrigue that will make you weak at the knees.’ – Una McKeown, The British Blacklist, ‘The Best Reads of 2022’

 ‘Weruche Opia’s confident narration sings with a heady mix of feminine power and vulnerability. Opia builds an elegant, charismatic persona for Kiki Banjo, who doles out feminist relationship advice on her radio show. Add a fake relationship and a magical connection for a spellbinding story.’ – AudioFile Magazine, ‘Best Audiobooks of 2022’

 ‘I loved this book – romance and a bit of drama took me back to my university days. I loved the characters and all of the different friendships and relationships. It was fun and enjoyable and so easy to read!’ – Kimberley (Reading Partner), The Reading Agency, ‘Books of 2022’

 ‘Humorous and passionate’ – Elizabeth Okosun, The List, ‘The Best Romance Books Of 2022’

 ‘This enemies-to-lovers romance set on a British university campus hums with Bolu Babalola’s energetic, intelligent voice.’ –  Bookpage, ‘Best Romance of 2022’

 OXBLOOD by Tom Benn

 Longlisted for the 2022 Gordon Burn Prize

 HOPE AND GLORY by Jendella Benson

 =‘Hilarious and heart-warming in equal measure, this novel is centred around a family struggling to cope with loss, buried secrets and collective trauma. At times, I felt genuinely concerned for Glory, her family and the status of her new romantic relationship. I was completely absorbed in Jendella Benson’s Peckham, and loved her unique narrative voice… HOPE AND GLORY is a rich, heart-warming story of loss, love and family chaos and marks an exciting new voice in fiction.’ – Una McKeown, The British Blacklist, ‘The Best Reads of 2022’

 ‘In Jendella Benson’s HOPE AND GLORY, Glory Akindele flies home to London from Los Angeles after the news of her father’s sudden death. She’s tired of pretending that her life in L.A. is glamorous, but things aren’t so great at home either. Glory’s brother is in jail and won’t speak to her because she missed his trial, her sister is trying to uphold the facade of a perfect Nigerian housewife, and after the loss of her husband, her mother is on the verge of another nervous breakdown. Glory decides to stay and try to mend her family’s problems, but discovers a family secret that threatens to drive her family further apart.’ – Mariette Williams, Essence, ‘The 7 Best Novels Of 2022’

MELIZ’S KITCHEN by Meliz Berg

 No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller

 One of ‘The Food Programme’s Books of 2022’

 CASE STUDY by Graeme Macrae Burnet

 Shortlisted for the 2022 Gordon Burn Prize

 Shortlisted for the 2022 Ned Kelly Award for Best International Crime Fiction

 Longlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize

 Longlisted for the Historical Writers’ Association 2022 Gold Crown Award

 ‘Did an unorthodox therapist drive a woman to suicide? This novel of purportedly found documents, including journals and biographical interludes, takes on this psychological mystery while exploring through its nested narratives the possibilities of fiction.’ – New York Times, ‘Notable Books of 2022’

 ‘CASE STUDY by Graeme Macrae Burnet is complex, funny and scary. After the ingenuity of HIS BLOODY PROJECT, set in remote 19th-century Scotland, who would imagine he could pull off the same trick twice with the cultish anti-psychiatry scene of 1960s London? Mind-blowing.’ – Peter Brookes, The Times, ‘Favourite Books of 2022’

 TIEPOLO BLUE by James Cahill

 One of BBC Culture’s ‘Best Books of the Year 2022’

 ‘Having been up at Cambridge in the mid-1980s, I was prepared to recognize (and luxuriate in the nostalgia of) the university’s ambience as depicted in James Cahill’s triumphant first novel TIEPOLO BLUE after I read the TLS review of it. Sure enough, it took me right back there in an instant, as the plot and the intriguing central character march towards their superb denouement.’ – Andrew Roberts, Times Literary Supplement, ‘Books of the Year 2022’

 ‘A compelling psychosexual story about beauty, desire and art, TIEPOLO BLUE is all the more interesting because it hits notes of such strangeness.’ – Lucy Scholes, Prospect Magazine, ‘Fiction Books of the Year: 2022’

 ‘An alluring and profoundly moving bildungsroman.’ – Waterstones, ‘Best Books of 2022’

 ‘A simmering debut novel.’ – Esquire, ‘Best Books of 2022’

 ‘When a repressed art historian falls for an uninhibited young artist, his entire life begins to unravel. Beautifully written, perfectly poised between satirical and heartfelt, and set right here in Dulwich Village.’ – Village Books, ‘Books of the Year: Fiction 2022’

 ‘Art, sex, power – TIEPOLO BLUE has it all, wrapped together in a plot that grabs you by the hand and leads you into the wild nights of Soho’s gay nightlife and the 1990s British art scene. It’s gripping and exquisitely written, with queer lust cutting through a pervasive air of unease.’ – Matt Railton, Soho House, ‘Best reads of 2022’

 THE LAST THING TO BURN by Will Dean

 Shortlisted for Thriller Book of the Year at the 2022 Fingerprint Awards

 Shortlisted for the 2022 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award

 Longlisted for The Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2022

 Longlisted for The 2022 Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger Award

 THE MAN WHO LOVED CROCODILE TAMERS by Finuala Dowling

 ‘I wept through it and when I finished THE MAN WHO LOVED CROCODILE TAMERS by Finuala Dowling, such is the emotion it evokes… a memorably crafted novel. It touches the tender nerve network of family and some shriekingly vivid entrail images of World War 2 battlefields in a tale that takes you into old schools and churches, hospitals and circus tents, advertising agencies, the streets of London, bars of Cape Town and even the downtrodden of Marseille. Most endearing are the interspersed heartfelt Fragments from a writer’s diary. This is a beautiful nugget of family legend, glistening with poet Dowling’s exquisitely turned phrases and hallmark huggable humour.’ – Nancy Richards, Sunday Times, ‘Books of the Year’

 A RATION BOOK CHRISTMAS BROADCAST by Jean Fullerton

  Shortlisted for the Shorter Romantic Novel in the 2022 Romantic Novel Awards

 BETRAYAL by David Gilman

 One of LoveReading’s ‘Books of the Year 2022’

 THE HYACINTH GIRL: T.S. Eliot’s Hidden Muse by Lyndall Gordon

 ‘Exemplary… revealed that the great man’s poetry was a lot less impersonal than he led us to believe.’ – Lucasta Miller, The Spectator, ‘Books of the Year’

 ‘Lyndall Gordon’s sensitive study of Emily Hale, Eliot’s childhood sweetheart in America’ – Iona McLaren, The Telegraph, ‘Best Biographies of 2022’

 ‘Putting it all in a surprising perspective is Lyndall Gordon’s insightful THE HYACINTH GIRL. Though raised in St. Louis, and long associated with a distinct British chilliness, Eliot and his work were shaped by women rarely given their due. Drawing on more than 1,100 letters to his lifelong love Emily Hale, Gordon introduces a tangled emotional backdrop.’ – Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune

 ‘A number of good books have marked the centenary of “The Waste Land”… but, for me, the most brilliant and incisive new book on Eliot is Lyndall Gordon’s The Hyacinth Girl: T.S. Eliot’s Hidden Muse, which looks at Eliot’s poetry in the light of his recently opened correspondence with Emily Hale.’ – Colm Tóibín, Irish Times, ‘Best Books of the Year’

 SIDE EFFECTS: How Our Healthcare Lost Its Way - And How We Fix It by David Haslam

 ‘In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the revered doctor asks searching questions about the current state of the NHS and what we should rightfully expect from our medical services.’ –Waterstones, ‘Best Books of 2022: Popular Science’

 PICTURE YOU DEAD by Peter James

 Top 10 Sunday Times Bestseller

 ‘Peter James returns with book eighteen in the highly successful DS Roy Grace series. Whether your loved one is a fan of Grace (either in the book or TV show format), or just loves a good police procedural, PICTURE YOU DEAD won’t disappoint – this time, Grace is caught up in the cut-throat world of fine art collection.’ – Darren Hardy, Amazon Editors’ Choice, ‘Best Books to Gift: Fiction’

‘The latest instalment in the Roy Grace series of mystery novels is also a personal favourite. James is a solid writer – character, action, and plot are perfectly balanced in this fantastic and gripping novel. If you haven’t read Peter James, make 2023 your resolution to start.’ – Andrew Gulli, The Strand Magazine, ‘Top 25 Mystery Novels of 2022’

 THE KIDS by Hannah Lowe

 Winner of the Costa Prize 2022

 Shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize 2022

 Hannah Lowe made fellow of the Royal Society of Literature

 ARE WE HAVING FUN YET? by Lucy Mangan

 Longlisted for the Comedy Women in Print Prize

 Zakes Mda

 The latest in a series of academic accolades, Wits University Awarded an Honorary Doctorate to Zakes Mda in July 2022

 THE DARK FLOOD by Deon Meyer

A Number One Bestseller in South Africa

 Winner of the Crime Fiction Lover’s Award, Best in Translation, December 2022

 ‘Deon Meyer is the monarch of South African crime novelists. Detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido, demoted after an ill-advised sortie in Cape Town, are investigating the disappearance of a computer wizard and beset by their own problems (such as Benny’s alcoholism). No stinting on the usual critique of South African politics.’ – Barry Forshaw, Financial Times, ‘Best Books of 2022: Crime Fiction’

 ‘South African author Deon Meyer writes in his native Afrikaans and is a master at keeping a long-running series fresh and feisty, which is why readers loved his latest Benny Griessel novel. It’s also one of his best… THE DARK FLOOD is a complex mystery thriller that is tense and explosive, populated with strong characters and has a very satisfying denouement as the strands of the story coalesce. As good as police procedurals get anywhere in the world.’ – Crime Fiction Lover,  Winner of  ‘Best in Translation’ at Crime Fiction Lover Awards 2022

 At the Gothenburg Book Fair 2022 Deon was also awarded the Martin Beck Award (‘Den gyllene kofoten’ or The golden crowbar) by the Swedish Academy of Crime Writers for THE LAST HUNT (published in 2020 but the prize could not be awarded to him due to the pandemic).

 YOUR WORD OR MINE by Lia Middleton

 ‘A thriller so full of twists it left me with whiplash’ – Clare Mackintosh, Daily Express, ‘Favourite Books of 2022’

 MY FIRST MEALS by Grace Mortimer

 Instant Sunday Times Bestseller

 Joseph O’Connor

 Winner of the 2022 AWB Vincent American Ireland Fund Literary Award

 WHAT EDEN DID NEXT by Sheila O’Flanagan

 Number One on the Irish Bestseller lists

 Shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards 2022 for Popular Fiction Book of the Year

 THREE WEDDINGS AND A PROPOSAL by Sheila O’Flanagan

 Top 10 bestseller in both the UK and Ireland

 MAY GOD FORGIVE by Alan Parks

 Winner of the McIlvanney Prize 2022

 One of The Guardian’s ‘Best Crime & Thriller Books of 2022’

 ‘This fifth instalment in Parks’s 1970s-set Harry McCoy crime series continues the neat titular conceit which began with BLOODY JANUARY and continued with FEBRUARY’S SON. Winner of this year’s prestigious McIlvanney Scottish Crime Book of the Year Prize at the Bloody Scotland festival, it finds McCoy racing to save two boys kidnapped by unknown assailants after they are charged with a deadly arson attack on a hairdresser. Let’s hope Parks makes it all the way through to December to complete the dodecology.’ – Barry Didcock, The Herald, ‘Best Scottish Novels Of 2022’

 BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER by Alan Parks

 Winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award 2022

 Shortlisted for the Macavity Award for Best Mystery Novel 2022

 SHIVER by Allie Reynolds

 Shortlisted for ‘Best Debut Crime’ at the 2022 Davitt Awards

 THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH by Monique Roffey

 Monique Roffey made fellow of the Royal Society of Literature

 ‘For a long time the idea of the woman scorned in Caribbean Literature came from Jean Rhys’ WIDE SARGASSO SEA, and while that was a powerful narrative, Monique Roffey has chosen to challenge it, and explore a different aspect of this in her award winning novel THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH. While it is about an actual mermaid caught off the coast of a Caribbean island in the 1970s, it is also about possession of women, colonisation, complicated inherited legacies and ancient curses. It’s a bittersweet, tender love story told in a lilting patois that immediately creates a detailed vision of the island, its land, people and history.’ – Mahvesh Murad, Tor.com, ‘Best Books of 2022’

 THE LITTLE WARTIME LIBRARY by Kate Thompson

 ‘A love letter to libraries, librarians and books… wonderful.’ – Reader review, Women’s Prize newsletter, ‘The Best Books You Read in 2022’

 A HISTORY OF WATER by Edward Wilson-Lee

 ‘In A HISTORY OF WATER, Edward Wilson-Lee brilliantly weaves together the career of the Portuguese national poet, Camões, and the historian Damião de Góis, and cleverly resolves a mystery about Damião’s murder. He opens a window on to a vast and contentious trading world that extended from Manila and Macau to the Atlantic.’ – David Abulafia, Times Literary Supplement, ‘Books of the Year 2022’

 ‘THE HISTORY OF WATER contrasts the lives of two great sixteenth century Portuguese men, and through them asks us to engage with two contrasting views of history. In its quiet way it takes us deep into the origins of post-Renaissance culture. I loved it.’ – Gabriel Josipovici, Times Literary Supplement, ‘Books of the Year 2022’

 ‘If you’re tired of the Nazis and the Tudors, this is the perfect antidote. It’s the story of two men who travelled the world from Lisbon in the 16th century: the art-collecting diplomat Damiao de Gois and the one-eyed ruffian Luis de Camoes, whose voyages took them as far as India, China and Japan… A splendidly readable book, full of odd details and bizarre characters.’ – Dominic Sandbrook, The Times, ‘Best History Books’

 ‘Compelling… An amazingly intricate account of Portugal’s Golden Age, constructed around two explorers and their competing visions for an expanding world.’ – Prospect Magazine, ‘Books of the Year: History’

 Edward Wilson-Lee was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to work on his next book.

BOOKS TO READ IN 2023

So many BFLA titles were chosen as 2023 highlights! Take a look at the list here:

THE LAST PASSENGER by Will Dean

‘Will Dean’s THE LAST PASSENGER focuses on what was meant to be the holiday of a lifetime. Now, the main character just needs to survive. Ooh er.’ – Aine Toner, Belfast Telegraph, 2023 pick

RESURRECTION by David Gilman

A LoveReading ‘2023 Fiction Preview ­– The Fabulous Fiction that Awaits Us in the New Year ’ pick

‘RESURRECTION by David Gilman sees Dan Raglan return in the third Englishman thriller. Thirty years after his death, the skeleton of a pilot emerges from the dunes, still carrying a document that could expose the most valuable spy the UK intelligence service has ever known. The British, French, and Russians are looking for it — and so is Raglan.’ – Frances Owen, Historia Mag, ‘Historical books to look out for in 2023’

THE DIVE by Sara Ochs

‘THE GUEST LIST meets THE BEACH in this absorbing summer read about the dark side of paradise. It’s a truly gripping thriller that will transport you to Thailand from the comfort of your armchair or sun lounger.’ – Dead Good Books, ‘Debut crime novels to watch out for in 2023’

MY FATHER’S HOUSE by Joseph O’Connor

An Irish Times ‘Books to look forward to in 2023’ pick  

An Irish Independent 2023 pick

An Irish Examiner 2023 culture pick

‘In this powerful literary thriller based on a true story, Irish priest Hugh O’Flaherty hides those escaping from the Nazis in the neutral Vatican City as German forces occupy Rome.’ – Denise O’Donoghue, Irish Examiner

THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE by Sheila O’Flanagan

An Irish Independent 2023 pick

BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER by Alan Parks wins Edgar Allan Poe Award

BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER by Alan Parks was named the winner of the Best Paperback Original category of the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Awards, in a banquet held last week at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square.

BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER is the third book in the Harry McCoy series. It was published by Canongate in the UK in March 2020, and by Europa in the US in April 2021. It was followed by THE APRIL DEAD, which was shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2021. The fifth book in the Harry McCoy series, MAY GOD FORGIVE, was released in the UK on 28th April 2022, with the US edition following on 3rd May. The series is sold in more than ten countries around the world.

The 2022 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, now in its 76th year, seeks to honour the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television published or produced in 2021. They are awarded by the Mystery Writers of America, which encompasses some 3,000 members including authors of fiction and non-fiction books, screen and television writers, as well as publishers, editors, and literary agents. Past winners of the Best Paperback Original category include

BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER by Alan Parks

July 1973. The Glasgow drugs trade is booming and Bobby March, the city's own rock-star hero, has just overdosed in a central hotel.

Alice Kelly is thirteen years old, lonely. And missing.

Meanwhile the niece of McCoy's boss has fallen in with a bad crowd and when she goes AWOL, McCoy is asked – off the books – to find her.

McCoy has a hunch. But does he have enough time?

Praise for the Harry McCoy series

‘The meticulously described setting is so suggestive readers may even catch whiffs of stale cigarette smoke and patchouli. Fans of Scottish noir will be satisfied.’ – Publishers Weekly

‘Parks’ sprawling plot offers not tidy whodunit puzzles but a wide-angle view of a gritty city in the grip of crime, home to an entertaining cross section of characters. Broad-shouldered McCoy is suitably unflappable as he walks Glasgow’s mean streets.’ – Kirkus Reviews

‘Parks captures the feel of a city long vanished in a breathless and tense retro crime caper.’ – The Sun

‘A series that no crime fan should miss: dangerous, thrilling, but with a kind voice to cut through the darkness.’ – Scotsman

‘Pitch-black tartan noir, set in 70s Glasgow ... Compelling ... with an emotional heart that’s hard to ignore.’ – Daily Mail

About Alan Parks

Alan Parks was Creative Director at London Records in the mid 1990’s, then at Warner Music, where he created ground-breaking campaigns for artists including All Saints, New Order, The Streets, Gnarls Barclay and Cee Lo Green. He was also Managing Director of 679 Recordings, a joint venture with Warner Music. His debut novel BLOODY JANUARY propelled him onto the international literary crime fiction scene immediately and his work has been hailed by contemporary writers and critics alike.

BLOODY JANUARY was shortlisted for the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière, FEBRUARY’S SON was nominated for an Edgar Award, BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER was picked as a Times Best Book of the Year and THE APRIL DEAD was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year. The Harry McCoy series is optioned for television.

Alan was born in Scotland and attended The University of Glasgow where he was awarded a M.A. in Moral Philosophy. He still lives and works in the city that is so vividly depicted in the 1970s setting of his Harry McCoy thrillers.

BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER by Alan Parks nominated for Edgar Allan Poe Award

We are delighted that BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER is among the nominees for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Awards, in the Best Paperback Original Category. Also nominated in the category are KILL ALL YOUR DARLINGS by David Bell, THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES by C.J. Cooke, THE ALBUM OF DR. MOREAU by Daryl Gregory, STARR SIGN by C.S. O’Cinneide, and THE SHAPE OF DARKNESS by Laura Purcell.

BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER is the third book in the Harry McCoy series. It was published by Canongate in the UK in March 2020, and by Europa in the US in April 2021. It was followed by THE APRIL DEAD, which was shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2021. The fifth book in the Harry McCoy series, MAY GOD FORGIVE, will be released in the UK on 28th April 2022, with a US edition to follow. The series is sold in more than ten countries.

The 2022 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, now in its 76th year, seeks to honour the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television published or produced in 2021. They are awarded by the Mystery Writers of America, which encompasses some 3,000 members including authors of fiction and non-fiction books, screen and television writers, as well as publishers, editors, and literary agents. This year’s Awards will be celebrated on 28th April 2022 at the New York Marriott Marquis Times Square and online.

BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER by Alan Parks

The papers want blood.

The force wants results.

The law must be served, whatever the cost.

July 1973. The Glasgow drugs trade is booming and Bobby March, the city's own rock-star hero, has just overdosed in a central hotel.

Alice Kelly is thirteen years old, lonely. And missing.

Meanwhile the niece of McCoy's boss has fallen in with a bad crowd and when she goes AWOL, McCoy is asked – off the books – to find her.

McCoy has a hunch. But does he have enough time?

Praise for the Harry McCoy series

‘The meticulously described setting is so suggestive readers may even catch whiffs of stale cigarette smoke and patchouli. Fans of Scottish noir will be satisfied.’ – Publishers Weekly

‘Parks’ sprawling plot offers not tidy whodunit puzzles but a wide-angle view of a gritty city in the grip of crime, home to an entertaining cross section of characters. Broad-shouldered McCoy is suitably unflappable as he walks Glasgow’s mean streets.’ – Kirkus Reviews

‘Parks captures the feel of a city long vanished in a breathless and tense retro crime caper.’ – The Sun

‘A series that no crime fan should miss: dangerous, thrilling, but with a kind voice to cut through the darkness.’ – Scotsman

‘Pitch-black tartan noir, set in 70s Glasgow ... Compelling ... with an emotional heart that’s hard to ignore.’ – Daily Mail

About Alan Parks

Alan Parks was Creative Director at London Records in the mid 1990’s, then at Warner Music, where he created ground-breaking campaigns for artists including All Saints, New Order, The Streets, Gnarls Barclay and Cee Lo Green. He was also Managing Director of 679 Recordings, a joint venture with Warner Music. His debut novel BLOODY JANUARY propelled him onto the international literary crime fiction scene immediately and his work has been hailed by contemporary writers and critics alike.

BLOODY JANUARY was shortlisted for the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière, FEBRUARY’S SON was nominated for an Edgar Award, BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER was picked as a Times Best Book of the Year and THE APRIL DEAD was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year. The Harry McCoy series is optioned for television.

Alan was born in Scotland and attended The University of Glasgow where he was awarded a M.A. in Moral Philosophy. He still lives and works in the city that is so vividly depicted in the 1970s setting of his Harry McCoy thrillers.

More Accolades for Harry McCoy Series by Alan Parks

BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER, the third title in the 1970s Glasgow-set Detective Harry McCoy series by Alan Parks, has been picked as a Times Crime Book of the Month. FEBRUARY’S SON meanwhile, just out in paperback, has been nominated for an Edgar Award in the category of Best Paperback Original.

The Edgar Awards honour the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television, and will be presented on 30 April 2020 in New York. FEBRUARY’S SON, the second in the Harry McCoy series, was published in the US by Europa Editions and in the UK by Canongate in 2019. Translation rights have been sold in six languages so far: German (Heyne), French (Editions Rivages), Italian (Bompiani), Spanish (Tusquets), Catalan (La Galera), and Swedish (Modernista). 

BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER, will be published in hardback by Canongate on 5 March and was picked as a NetGalley UK Book of the Month, as well as garnering a second Times Crime Book of the Month accolade.

‘BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER is even better than its predecessors,’ writes Mark Sanderson in The Times: ‘As its plot twists and turns, provoking laughter and tears, it highlights the sexism and corruption of the period. Glasgow, reeking of “hot asphalt and drains and bins gone over in the heat”, is as fascinating and dangerous as Harry’s best pal, the gangster Stevie Cooper. Alan Parks has clearly studied the masters of tartan noir (William McIlvanney, Denise Mina, Ian Rankin), but has his own voice. He shows how, among the welter of violence, a spontaneous act of kindness can have just as great an impact.’

Alan Parks is now writing the fourth Harry McCoy title. See more on the series here.


Praise for the Harry McCoy series

‘McCoy is so noir he makes most other Scottish cops seem light grey.’ — The Times

‘A riveting book, begging to be read in as few sittings as possible… The macabre and morally ambivalent FEBRUARY’S SON is not one that will be quickly or easily forgotten.’ — The National

‘A riveting journey through the grim and gritty dark side of 1970s Glasgow… A powerful slab of tartan noir.’ — Herald

‘Pitch-black tartan noir, set in Seventies Glasgow… Compelling… With an emotional heart that's hard to ignore.’ — Daily Mail

‘Excellent… Full of surprises, streaked with compassion… McCoy and Cooper… make one hell of a damaged duo. Their fascinating relationship provides the real intrigue.’ — Evening Standard

‘The no-holds-barred action and dialogue smack you in the face like a Glasgow kiss. Cracking.’ — The Sun


Alan Parks has worked in the music industry for over twenty years. His debut novel BLOODY JANUARY was shortlisted for the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière. He lives and works in Glasgow.

Follow Alan on Twitter