THE TUMBLING GIRL by Bridget Walsh has been longlisted for the 2024 ILP John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger.
One of the annual, much sought after Crime Writers’ Association prizes, The 2024 ILP John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger is awarded to the best UK-published crime novel by a first-time author of any nationality. Previous winners include THE APPEAL by Janice Hallett, SHARP OBJECTS by Gillian Flynn and DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS by Walter Mosley.
The other titles in contention this year are: A MOST UNUSUAL DEMISE by Kathryn Black, IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE by Jo Callaghan, THE GOLDEN GATE by Amy Chua, SCORCHED GRACE by Margot Douaihy, MURDER BY NATURAL CAUSES by Helen Erichsen, THE MAIDEN by Kate Foster, THE GOLDEN SPOON by Jessa Maxwell, WEST HEART KILL by Dann McDorman, OBSESSED by Liza North, GO SEEK by Michelle Teahan, and THE OTHER HALF by Charlotte Vassell.
The shortlist will be announced on 10th May at the CrimeFest convention in Bristol, and the winners will be revealed at the CWA gala dinner on 4th July.
Photo credit: Isobel Dixon
The first of the sharp, witty Variety Palace Mysteries, THE TUMBLING GIRL sees an unlikely duo team up to solve a grisly spate of murders in Victorian London. It won the UEA Little, Brown Award for Crime Fiction in 2019, and was first published by Gallic Books in May 2023, garnering starred reviews in Publishers Weekly (where it was also a ‘Book of the Week’ pick) and the Library Journal. It also reached No. 1 in the US Amazon Kindle Historical Thriller chart, and was a ‘Best Historical Fiction’ pick for May 2023 in The Times.
The second in the series, THE INNOCENTS, was published earlier this month to excellent reviews from publications such as The Guardian and The Financial Times – with the latter including it in their ‘Best New Crime Books’ list and describing it as ‘historical crime fiction at its most beguiling’. Gallic Books held a lively publication launch at Stanford’s Travel and you can read about Bridget’s inspiration for the novel in her article in The Scotsman here.
Bridget is currently working on the next in the series, THE SPIRIT GUIDE, which sees Minnie and Albert uncovering the dark secrets behind a female-only spiritualist group that purports to help its members commune with deceased loved ones. It will be published by Gallic Books in Spring 2025.
You can catch Bridget at Leicester Library on World Book Night (Tuesday 23rd April, 7pm) in conversation with Tom Benn, ahead of her taking part in the programme at Crimefest in May and Harrogate Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in July.
About Bridget Walsh
Bridget Walsh lives in Norwich. She has a PhD in ‘Murder in the Victorian Domestic Sphere’ and an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia.
Praise for THE TUMBLING GIRL
‘Bridget Walsh’s THE TUMBLING GIRL is the first in what promises to be an entertaining series of historical mysteries… a narrative that neatly weds historical detail and quiet wit.’ – Nick Rennison, The Sunday Times, ‘The best historical fiction books of May 2023’
‘Ms. Walsh does a splendid job depicting Minnie’s flea-bitten yet appealing theatrical world and Albert’s monied yet treacherous milieu.’ – Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal
‘Walsh impresses in this series launch featuring an unlikely pair of investigators in 1876 London… diligent research pays off in spades here, and her rich and nuanced portrayal of the period will leave readers feeling like they’re on the soggy streets of London. Imogen Robertson readers will be eager for a sequel to this un-put-downable mystery.’ – Publishers Weekly, starred review and a ‘Books of the Week’ pick
‘A brilliantly written page-turner. A bravura performance tumbling us into a compelling mystery in a vivid, richly imagined world. You can smell the greasepaint and hear the roar of the crowd on every page.’ – Imogen Robertson
‘Smart, funny and expertly plotted, THE TUMBLING GIRL cartwheels off the page. I loved my time with these characters. A cracking start to a charismatic and distinctive series.’ – Emma Styles
‘Walsh resurrects the culture and crimes of Victoriana without cliché or condescension, but with warmth, wit, remarkable texture and rare authority.’ – Tom Benn
Visit Bridget’s website.