Alan Parks’ WW2 trilogy curtain-opener GUNNER longlisted 2025 McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year

Ahead of its debut later this month, plaudits are already ringing out for Alan Parks’ new novel GUNNER – the first in a new World War Two-set trilogy – which has made the longlist for this year’s prestigious McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year. The book will be out in hardback, eBook and audio from Baskerville from 17 July 2025, supported by an array of events in both Scotland and England.

Already a winner of the prize, having scooped the 2022 award for his acclaimed Harry McCoy novel MAY GOD FORGIVE, this year’s longlist recognises Alan’s first foray into wartime Glasgow with wounded cop Joseph Gunner, as he is drawn into an investigation which threatens to bring the frontline much, much closer to home. He is nominated alongside fellow writers Lin Anderson, Tariq Ashkanani, Daniel Aubrey, D.V. Bishop, Heather Critchlow, Allan Gaw, Liam McIlvanney, Callum McSorley, Denise Mina, Ambrose Parry, Ian Rankin and Douglas Skelton.

The shortlist will be revealed in September, with the overall winner to be announced at the opening ceremony of the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival in Stirling, on Friday 12 September. Other recent winners of the prize include Chris Brookmyre, Callum McSorley, Craig Russell and Francine Toon.

Yassine Belkacemi, Editorial Director at John Murray and Baskerville, acquired UK and Commonwealth Rights (excluding Canada) for the trilogy last year, with translation rights quickly snapped up in France (Editions Payot & Rivages), Italy (Bompiani), Spain (Tusquets) and the Netherlands (House of Books). The multi-award winning Harry McCoy series – including McIlvanney winner MAY GOD FORGIVE – is published by Canongate in the UK and in the US by Europa, with translations available in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and Sweden, and the Film/TV rights under option.

Congratulations Alan!

About GUNNER

March, 1941. Joseph Gunner is back on the streets of Glasgow after being wounded on the front lines in France.

Keeping the pain in his leg at bay with the help of morphine, Gunner, a former detective, is hoping to keep his head down as the Luftwaffe begin bombing Glasgow.

But when he runs into his old boss Drummond, he is persuaded to help examine a body found in the wreckage. When the body turns out to be that of a German, mutilated to disguise his identity, Gunner reluctantly agrees to investigate.

As Gunner begins to hunt for the truth he runs into old flames, bitter enemies, before finding himself embroiled in a high-level conspiracy that reaches far beyond his hometown of Glasgow.

Partly inspired by the true story of Rudolph Hess's secret mission to broker appeasement with Britain during WWII, GUNNER is an atmospheric and addictive new thriller from one of Britain's best-loved writers.

Credit: Kevin Thomson

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. TO DIE IN JUNE, the sixth entry in the series, was published by Canongate in 2023, and longlisted for the 2025 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. 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 GUNNER

‘Great storytelling… I loved it’ – Peter James

‘Great stuff… a vivid sense of place and time and what a main character!’ – Ian Rankin

‘A lean, mean and ruthlessly readable thriller.’ – Vaseem Khan

‘A brilliant milieu, fantastic characters, an exciting story – in other words another typically great Alan Parks novel.’ – Adrian McKinty

‘A superb thriller with a gripping, constantly surprising plot.’ – Andrew Taylor

‘Transports you to the streets of war-torn Glasgow. A gritty, immersive, genuine page-turner.’ – Bridget Walsh, author of the Variety Palace Mystery Series

‘Pulls the reader in from page one. Wonderful, gutsy writing.’ – David Gilman

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)

‘Manoeuvring 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)

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Alan Parks wins McIlvanney Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2022 for MAY GOD FORGIVE

Alan Parks has triumphed at Bloody Scotland’s 2022 International Crime Writing Festival, winning the much sought after McIlvanney Scottish Crime Book of the Year Prize for his latest novel, MAY GOD FORGIVE.

The McIlvanney Prize recognises excellence in Scottish crime writing and includes a prize of £1,000 and nationwide promotion in Waterstones. The other finalists for this year’s prize were: THE HERETIC by Liam McIlvanney, A CORRUPTION OF BLOOD by Ambrose Parry and THE SECOND CUT by Louise Welsh.

Alan was announced as winner on the 15th of September at the Albert Halls in Stirling after all finalists led a torchlit procession there from Stirling Castle.

Ayo Onatade, chair of the McIlvanney Prize judges, described MAY GOD FORGIVE as: ‘A terrific continuation of Alan Parks’ police procedural ‘month’ series. MAY GOD FORGIVE is every bit as entertaining, gritty, darkly humorous and steeped in the grimy underbelly of Glasgow as the previous books.

‘A fantastic book with an intriguing cast of characters that not only keeps to a tight timeframe, but is fast, hard, edgy and thought-provoking; 1970s Glasgow has never been so thoroughly invoked. A truly gripping read.’

MAY GOD FORGIVE is the fifth in Alan Parks’ highly acclaimed Harry McCoy series and sees a desperate search for two kidnapped boys in an unruly Glasgow. It was published in the UK by Canongate earlier this year, and by Europa in the United States. The series is sold in more than ten countries around the world, and Alan is currently working on the sixth instalment.

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, won an Edgar Award and has been 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.

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.

Praise for MAY GOD FORGIVE

‘MAY GOD FORGIVE is the fifth instalment in a remarkable series that began with BLOODY JANUARY. The novels, as someone once said, can be read in any order; the important thing is to read them all.’ – Mark Sanderson, The Times, ‘The Best New Crime Fiction for May 2022’

‘MAY GOD FORGIVE is a bleak and violent book, full of grisly details not for the squeamish, but also tenderness, poignance and hard-earned wisdom.’ – Tom Nolan, The Wall Street Journal

‘Noir has long been the dominant colour in the palette of such Scottish writers as Ian Rankin and Denise Mina, but Parks manages to find a deeper shade of black, only slightly attenuated by Harry's willingness to go far off the grid to extract a wee bit of justice. A must for those who take their noir straight, no chaser; others should keep the Pepto handy.’ – Bill Ott, Booklist

‘Enjoyably readable… Parks is a gifted story-teller’ – Allan Massie, The Scotsman

‘Harry McCoy is the brightest dark star on the Tartan Noir scene for some time and in future critics of Scottish crime fiction will surely be referring to the triumvirate of Laidlaw, Rebus and McCoy … MAY GOD FORGIVE is crime fiction which pulls no punches, powerfully told and, at times, heartbreakingly poignant. One of the crime novels of 2022.’ – Mike Ripley, Getting Away With Murder

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MAY GOD FORGIVE by Alan Parks longlisted for 2022 McIlvanney Prize

We’re delighted that MAY GOD FORGIVE by Edgar Award-winning author Alan Parks has been longlisted for the Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2022.

The McIlvanney Prize is Bloody Scotland’s annual prize awarded to the best Scottish crime book of the year and aims to raise the profile and prestige of the genre as a whole.

Also longlisted this year are:  A MATTER OF TIME by Claire Askew, THE SOUND OF SIRENS by Ewan Gault, THE BLOOD TIDE by Neil Lancaster, FROM THE ASHES by Deborah Masson, THE HERETIC by Liam McIlvanney, RIZZIO by Denise Mina, A CORRUPTION OF BLOOD by Ambrose Parry, A RATTLE OF BONES by Douglas Skelton and THE SECOND CUT by Louise Welsh.

Bob McDevitt, Director of Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival, said:

‘I'm so pleased to see such an excellent longlist of books in the running for this year's McIlvanney prize. Police procedurals dominate this year, set all around Scotland and from the 1970s to the present day, along with a few striking historical novels (set before the 1970s!) and some contemporary Glasgow noir. Once again, the judges have their work cut out for them!’

The shortlist for the McIlvanney Prize will be revealed at the beginning of September, with the winner announced in Stirling on Thursday 15th September.

MAY GOD FORGIVE is the fifth in the highly acclaimed Harry McCoy series and was published in the UK by Canongate in April, and in the US by Europa in May.

Rights to the series have been sold in more than ten countries around the world and have also been optioned for television. The fourth book in the series, THE APRIL DEAD, was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize in 2021. The third book, BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER, recently won the Best Paperback Original category at the 2022 Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Awards.

MAY GOD FORGIVE by Alan Parks

Glasgow is a city in mourning. An arson attack on a hairdresser's has left five dead. Tempers are frayed and sentiments running high.

When three youths are charged the city goes wild. A crowd gathers outside the courthouse but as the police drive the young men to prison, the van is rammed by a truck, and the men are grabbed and bundled into a car. The next day, the body of one of them is dumped in the city centre. A note has been sent to the newspaper: one down, two to go.

Detective Harry McCoy has twenty-four hours to find the kidnapped boys before they all turn up dead, and it is going to mean taking down some of Glasgow's most powerful people to do it…

Praise for MAY GOD FORGIVE

‘MAY GOD FORGIVE is the fifth instalment in a remarkable series that began with BLOODY JANUARY. The novels, as someone once said, can be read in any order; the important thing is to read them all.’ – Mark Sanderson, The Times

‘MAY GOD FORGIVE is a bleak and violent book, full of grisly details not for the squeamish, but also tenderness, poignance and hard-earned wisdom.’ – Tom Nolan, The Wall Street Journal

‘Enjoyably readable… Parks is a gifted story-teller’ – Allan Massie, The Scotsman

‘MAY GOD FORGIVE is crime fiction which pulls no punches, powerfully told and, at times, heartbreakingly poignant. One of the crime novels of 2022.’ – Mike Ripley, Getting Away With Murder

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.

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.

Follow Alan on Twitter

Visit Alan’s website

THE APRIL DEAD BY Alan Parks shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2021

We are thrilled that Alan Parks’ THE APRIL DEAD, the fourth book in the Harry McCoy series, has been shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2021, with judges praising its ‘well-drawn characters and cliffhanger ending’ and that Parks ‘continues to innovate’.

Also shortlisted are HYDE by Craig Russell, THE COFFIN MAKER’S GARDEN by Stuart MacBride, THE SILENT DAUGHTER by Emma Christie and EDGE OF THE GRAVE by Robbie Morrison.

The winner of the £1,000 prize will be revealed at the Albert Halls in Stirling and online at 5.15pm on 17th September during the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival.

THE APRIL DEAD was published by Canongate in hardback in March 2021 and was a chosen as a Times Crime Book of the Month and was a Sunday Times Crime Club Star Pick. Europa publish in the US and the Harry McCoy series has been translated into 9 languages.

In a grimy flat in Glasgow, a homemade bomb explodes, leaving few remains to identify its maker.

Detective Harry McCoy knows in his gut that there'll be more to follow. The hunt for a missing sailor from the local US naval base leads him to the secretive group behind the bomb, and their disturbing, dominating leader.

On top of that, McCoy thinks he's doing an old friend a favour when he passes on a warning, but instead he's pulled into a vicious gang feud. And in the meantime, there's word another bigger explosion is coming Glasgow's way – so if the city is to survive, it'll take everything McCoy's got…

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

Photo: Euan Robertson

About Alan Parks

Alan was born in Scotland and attended The University of Glasgow where he was awarded a M.A. in Moral Philosophy. He has worked in the music industry for over twenty years. His debut novel BLOODY JANUARY was shortlisted for the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière in France and FEBRUARY’S SON was nominated for an Edgar Award in the US.  He still lives and works in the city that is so vividly depicted in the 1970s setting of his Harry McCoy thrillers.

Visit Alan’s website

Follow Alan on Twitter

THE APRIL DEAD by Alan Parks Longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2021

We are thrilled that Alan Parks’ THE APRIL DEAD, the fourth book in the Harry McCoy series, has been longlisted for the Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2021.

Also longlisted are THE CUT by Chris Brookmyre, THE SILENT DAUGHTER by Emma Christie, BEFORE THE STORM by Alex Gray, DEAD MAN’S GRAVE by Neil Lancaster, THE COFFIN MAKER’S GARDEN by Stuart MacBride, STILL LIFE by Val McDermid, BAD DEBT by William McIntyre, THE LESS DEAD by Denise Mina, HOW TO SURVIVE EVERYTHING by Ewan Morrison, THE EDGE OF THE GRAVE by Robbie Morrison, HYDE by Craig Russell and WAKING THE TIGER by Mark Wightman.

The winner of the £1,000 prize will be revealed in Stirling and online on 17th September during the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival.

THE APRIL DEAD was published by Canongate in hardback in March 2021 and was a chosen as a Times Crime Book of the Month and was a Sunday Times Crime Club Star Pick. Europa publish in the US and the Harry McCoy series has been translated into 9 languages.

In a grimy flat in Glasgow, a homemade bomb explodes, leaving few remains to identify its maker.

Detective Harry McCoy knows in his gut that there'll be more to follow. The hunt for a missing sailor from the local US naval base leads him to the secretive group behind the bomb, and their disturbing, dominating leader.

On top of that, McCoy thinks he's doing an old friend a favour when he passes on a warning, but instead he's pulled into a vicious gang feud. And in the meantime, there's word another bigger explosion is coming Glasgow's way – so if the city is to survive, it'll take everything McCoy's got…

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

Photo: Euan Robertson

About Alan Parks

Alan was born in Scotland and attended The University of Glasgow where he was awarded a M.A. in Moral Philosophy. He has worked in the music industry for over twenty years. His debut novel BLOODY JANUARY was shortlisted for the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière in France and FEBRUARY’S SON was nominated for an Edgar Award in the US.  He still lives and works in the city that is so vividly depicted in the 1970s setting of his Harry McCoy thrillers.

Visit Alan’s website

Follow Alan on Twitter