Ted Allbeury’s Spy Classic THE TWENTIETH DAY OF JANUARY Republished Today

Hodder & Stoughton are publishing a new edition of Ted Allbeury’s Cold War conspiracy thriller THE TWENTIETH DAY OF JANUARY today in paperback, as well as the first unabridged audiobook of the novel. First published in 1980, the period in which the spy classic is set, THE TWENTHIETH DAY OF JANUARY explores the consequences of a presidential campaign influenced by Russian forces. Its reissue is set 'to coincide with the current political climate'.

What if the Soviet Union gained control over the US Presidency?

SIS agent James Mackay fears that this may already be happening when he realises the newly elected president's press secretary is a former communist radical with links to the KGB.

When the witnesses who support his suspicions are systematically eliminated, MacKay must race against time to prove that the President-Elect is not his own man before Inauguration Day and avoid a national catastrophe.

THE TWENTIETH DAY was re-published in the US last year by Dover Editions.

Ted Allbeury was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the UK Intelligence Corps during World War II, and later an executive in marketing, advertising and radio. He began his writing career in the early 1970s and became well known for his espionage novels, but also published one general novel, THE CHOICE, and a short story collection, OTHER KINDS OF TREASON. His novels have been published in twenty-three languages, including Russian. He died in 2005. 

Praise for Ted Allbeury

‘No one since le Carré has mapped the lonely lunar landscape of espionage better than Allbeury.’ – Observer

'The doyen of contemporary spy writers.' – Daily Telegraph

‘The most consistently inventive of our novelists of espionage, the one that other thriller writers point to as the finest craftsman among them.’ – The Guardian

'Certain things are constants, and Ted Allbeury is one. Book after book, the prolific British writer of espionage tales has maintained a superior level.' – New York Times

‘No one picks through the intelligence maze with more authority or humanity than Allbeury.’ – The Sunday Times

SENSATIONAL DEBUT, BLOODY JANUARY BY ALAN PARKS, PUBLISHED TODAY

Published by Canongate today in hardback and ebook, Alan Parks’ debut is Tartan Noir at its best. BLOODY JANUARY is the first in a new crime series set in 1970s Glasgow, revealing the dark underbelly of the city and the people who control it. Fans of Ian Rankin, Louise Welsh and William McIlvanney will be riveted by this gritty crime novel and its hard-edged detective.

When a teenage boy shoots a young woman dead in the middle of a busy Glasgow street and then commits suicide, Detective Harry McCoy is sure of one thing. It wasn’t a random act of violence.

With his new partner in tow, McCoy uses his underworld network to lead the investigation but soon runs up against a secret society led by Glasgow’s wealthiest family, the Dunlops.

McCoy’s boss doesn’t want him to investigate. The Dunlops seem untouchable. But McCoy has other ideas …

In the lead up to its publication, an extraordinary amount of praise has flooded in for BLOODY JANUARY from the likes of Ian Rankin, Peter May, Louise Welsh, Alex Gray and many more. Lesley Kelly (author of THE HEALTH OF STRANGERS) pronounced it as ‘a deliciously dark read’ and Ian Rankin described it as ‘an old-school cop novel written with wit and economy . . . Think McIlvanney or Get Carter.’

After a packed out event at Edinburgh literary festival, Alan was featured in a Bookseller double-page interview, with BLOODY JANUARY a pick of the month for the December Fiction preview. The novel also featured on Netgalley’s Cream of Crime newsletter, and Pigeonhole began to serialise the book in the two weeks leading to its official release.

There will be more appearances from Alan in 2018, with panels booked for several writing festivals, a Glasgow book launch, and several national radio interviews planned.

The excitement surrounding this phenomenal debut has led to deals with Euromedia in Czech, Ikar in Slovakia and Nemesis in Turkey. In the US, Europa Editions will publish BLOODY JANUARY as a lead title for their crime-list relaunch.

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.

Follow Alan on Twitter

 

Praise for BLOODY JANUARY

‘An old-school cop novel written with wit and economy… Think McIlvanney or Get Carter’ – Ian Rankin

‘Vivid and evocative. 1970s Glasgow hewn from flesh and drawn in blood.’ – Peter May

‘Bloody and brilliant. This smasher from Alan Parks is a reminder of how dark Glasgow used to be’ – Louise Welsh

‘BLOODY JANUARY firmly sets Alan Parks in the same league as
Ian Rankin and Louise Welsh’ – Sarah Pinborough

‘A brilliant debut. Taut, violent and as close as you'll get to 1970s Glasgow without a TARDIS. Parks is a natural successor to William McIIvanney’ – John Niven

‘A deliciously dark read. One to be read with the lights on and the doors locked, this book is a must-have for lovers of McIlvanney and all things noir’ – Lesley Kelly

‘An authentic freefall through Glasgow’s criminal underworld from a great, intriguing new Scottish voice’ – Jenni Fagan

‘BLOODY JANUARY is seriously good’ – Alex Gray

‘So well written I couldn’t believe it was a debut’ – Russel McLean

‘A gripping and well crafted debut’ – Quintin Jardine

THE MISSING WIFE hits #6 on Amazon’s bestselling ebooks of 2017 and CHRISTMAS WITH YOU reaches #2 on the Irish bestseller charts!

Sheila O’Flanagan’s THE MISSING WIFE has made its mark on the ebook charts this year. After hitting #1 on the Kindle list in June the novel, which the Irish Independent praised as ‘insightful, witty and full of fun’ has reached #6 n Amazon’s bestselling ebooks of 2017. THE MISSING WIFE enjoyed similar success in print, reaching the top spot on Ireland’s bestseller list and #4 on The Sunday Times bestseller list.

When Imogen Naughton vanishes, everyone who knows her is shocked. She has a perfect marriage. Her handsome husband treats her like a princess. She’s always said how lucky she is. So why has she left? And how will she survive without Vince?

What goes on behind closed doors is often a surprise, and Imogen surprises herself by taking the leap she knows she must. But as she begins her journey to find the woman she once was, Imogen’s past is right behind her…

Will it catch up with her? And will she be ready to face it if it does?

US readers have much to look forward to as THE MISSING WIFE will be published by Grand Central in February 2018, and all Sheila’s books are being made available across the Atlantic. Her new novel THE HIDEAWAY will be published by Headline in June 2018.

Sheila O’Flanagan is the award-winning author of over twenty novels and bestselling short story collections. This month CHRISTMAS WITH YOU, Sheila’s festive collection of inter-linked short stories, climbed the Irish bestseller lists, reaching #2 in the run-up to Christmas. Earlier this year WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT, a tale of two fateful nights in the lives of a mother and daughter, also reached #2 on the Irish bestseller lists and was recently selected by Eason as one of their favourite books of 2017.

Sheila was awarded the prestigious Irish Tatler Woman of the Year Award in 2003 and currently lives in Dublin with her husband. Her books have sold over 6.5 million copies in English alone.

See more on Sheila’s website.

Follow Sheila on Twitter

Praise for THE MISSING WIFE:

‘Another first class bestseller. I read the book in one sitting as it was so enjoyable, full of romance and kept you riveted until the last page. A must for all Sheila's fans.’ – Woman's Way

‘A lovely book that will keep you guessing right up until the end.’ – Bella

‘Insightful, witty and full of fun... This is touching, tense and clever writing.’ – Irish Independent

‘This GONE GIRL-esque novel will have you gripped until the very end ****.’ – Look

‘A wife runs away from her marriage in this smart and twisty yarn ***** (5 stars)’ – Heat

‘Must-read’ - Express

Praise for WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT

‘The novel revolves around disasters and triumphs in the characters’ lives and the mother/daughter relationship is particularly well evoked’ – Sunday Express

‘This warm family story of mother and daughter takes us from an Irish farm to a glittering family jewellery business in Dublin, where all that glistens is not gold, and certain people need to learn that there are things in life more valuable than gold and diamonds’ – My Weekly

‘See the aftermath as this family tries to put right their mistakes. You’ll be rooting for them’ – Take A Break

Bestseller Peter James’ Backlist Coming to Audio for the First Time from Orion Audio!

Orion Audio have acquired world audio rights from Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann for 10 of Peter James’ chilling suspense novels and will be bringing the titles to an audio audience for the first time. Peter has secured 12 consecutive Sunday Times No.1s, and his novels have won numerous awards, most recently the coveted 2016 CWA Diamond Dagger for sustained excellence.

THE TRUTH is the first of the classic backlist titles to be released on audio, read by Matt Addis, with a new introduction recorded by Peter James himself. Released this December for listeners, the audio edition will be followed in February 2018 by a 20th Anniversary Edition paperback. THE TRUTH kicks off a series of 10 releases over three years to bring the whole of Peter’s classic backlist into audio unabridged, including SWEETHEART, FAITH, HOST, TWILIGHT, DREAMER, ALCHEMIST, POSSESSION, DENIAL and PROPHECY.

Paul Stark, Senior Audio Manager at Orion, said that ‘Peter’s such a big bestseller in audio, it’s long been an ambition of mine to work with him. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to release these titles in audio for the first time.’

Peter James said: ‘There is something magical about listening to an audio book: it takes you back to the very roots of storytelling – the oral tradition – long before the printed word existed.  Listening to the spoken words can sometimes give us an even stronger connection to the author than reading them.  I’m thrilled at Orion’s initiative in making these ten backlist titles available in this medium for the very first time.  And I loved reading and recording the new introduction to THE TRUTH!’

About Peter James: Peter James is an international bestselling thriller writer. He is a New York Times bestseller, as well achieving multiple Sunday Times No 1s, and his work is published in 37 languages. His DS Roy Grace crime novels have sold 19 million copies worldwide. In 1994 Penguin published his novel, HOST, on two floppy discs as the world's first electronic novel. He has won numerous awards, most recently the coveted 2016 CWA Diamond Dagger for sustained excellence, and he was publicly voted by WH Smith – Britain's biggest book selling chain – The Best Crime Author of All Time.