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.

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PIPPA VOSPER'S ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO BABY LOSS SNAPPED UP AT AUCTION

Headline Home has won UK & Commonwealth rights for Pippa Vosper’s BEYOND GRIEF: Navigating the Journey of Pregnancy and Baby Loss, after a hotly-contested auction.

Senior Commissioning Editor Anna Steadman acquired UK and Commonwealth rights at auction from Juliet Pickering for publication in hardback, ebook and audio edition in summer 2022, and the book can be pre-ordered here.

Pippa Vosper, who tragically lost her son Axel in 2017 when she was five months pregnant, has written about baby loss online and in a series of pieces for British Vogue. BEYOND GRIEF promises to be the book she wishes had been available when her son died. It will cover every aspect of pregnancy and baby loss, from the practical to the emotional, and offer both an inclusive perspective and a guiding hand to anyone experiencing a loss of their own, as well as those who are trying to support them through it.

The book will also contain interviews, advice and stories from a number of experts and people with personal experience of baby loss. Confirmed contributors include Elizabeth Day, Funmi Fetto and Jools Oliver.

Pippa Vosper is a writer, presenter and brand consultant. Most noted for her honest series of written features for Vogue, Pippa is frequently requested as a public speaker on issues ranging from fertility to fashion and her own life experiences. Previously a fashion editor, Pippa has contributed to Harper’s Bazaar American Vogue, Grazia, Interview and W magazine.

Anna Steadman says: “I have been looking for a book about baby loss for some time, a subject that is sadly relevant to so many women and those around them. As soon as I spoke with Pippa I knew that I wanted to publish BEYOND GRIEF. This is a book that is going to both resonate with and provide comfort to so many people, and I’m very proud to be publishing it next year.”

Pippa Vosper says: “When I experienced pregnancy loss at five months, I urgently needed to know there was life beyond my grief. My book brings together everything I wish I had known about pregnancy loss, at any stage, and the years that follow. I want to give others' the hope and encouragement that life will not always feel as painful as it does soon after pregnancy loss. In Headline Home I have found a publisher who perfectly understands the importance of bringing further awareness to this often-silenced subject.”

Juliet Pickering says: “When Pippa’s proposal first arrived in my inbox, I wrote back to her within 12 minutes to tell her I’d love to discuss it: so many women experience baby loss, it’s still hugely under-discussed in public spaces, and I was thrilled to at last have found the book I can recommend to friends and mothers who’ve experienced this devastating event. We’ve found the perfect publishing home with Anna, and I’m so pleased that this book will exist for those who need it.”

WATCH RAVE SCOTLAND DOCUMENTARY STARRING GRAEME ARMSTRONG ON THE BBC

Graeme Armstrong is set to star in and present SCOTLAND THE RAVE, which is currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

The documentary follows Graeme on an intensely personal and honest journey through his passion for rave and the lifestyle that comes with it. He meets some of the superstar DJs and hardcore party people who created the vibrant and little-explored world of the Scottish rave scene, including Gary Mcf, Ricky McGowan, DJ Rankin, and DJ Zitkus. The documentary reminisces about everything from the 00s rave scene, from the crazy clothing to the euphoric atmosphere, but they also explore the occasionally dark side of the scene.

THE YOUNG TEAM, Graeme’s bestselling novel based on his own experiences of growing up in Scotland, was published in 2020 by Macmillan.

Watch the documentary here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000z4dn

SCARLETT BRADE’S ‘EXPLOSIVE’ FEMINIST REVENGE THRILLER DEBUT SNAPPED UP BY ZAFFRE

Scarlett Brade’s debut novel, THE HIVE,  has been bought by Zaffre, the flagship fiction imprint of Bonnier Books UK. Senior Editor Kelly Smith acquired world English language rights at auction in her first acquisition for the imprint from Kate Burke at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency.

THE HIVE  is a feminist revenge thriller which opens powerfully with the protagonist confessing to killing her ex-boyfriend’s new partner via Instagram Live and inviting viewers, and by extension the reader, to vote on whether he should live or die. The novel celebrates sisterhood and raises important questions about the relationship between social media and mental health, and child loss, whether by choice, chance or circumstance.

Kelly Smith said: ‘Scarlett is a breath of fresh air in the genre. She writes of matters usually considered taboo, but which in reality are just part of the day-to-day female experience. THE HIVE is by turns compelling and thought-provoking, while Scarlett’s portrayal of four friends, supporting each other through their individual troubles, is uplifting.’

Scarlett Brade said: ‘I’m over the moon that Zaffre, Bonnier Books, has decided to publish my first book, THE HIVE. It’s a dream come true and an honour to join a list of authors whose books have been a powerful influence on my own writing. I have been harbouring this idea for three years and wanted to tell a story that provokes discussions on subjects we deem unmentionable. One of the things I love about this novel is how it tests our moral compass, leaving the reader with the burning question ‘What would you do?’ long after the pages have ended. THE HIVE is my take on Sex and the City meets GONE GIRL, and I cannot wait to share it with the world.’

Kate Burke said: ‘Scarlett is such an exciting new voice for the thriller genre, and I’m delighted that Zaffre will be launching THE HIVE in such a big way next year. This is an explosive book that will get everyone talking!’

THE HIVE will be published in hardback, audio and eBook in July 2022, with the paperback following in summer 2023.

For more information, translation and dramatic rights please contact Kate Burke, Blake Friedmann: kate@blakefriedmann.co.uk

For media enquiries please contact Jenna Petts, Press Officer, Bonnier Books UK: jenna.petts@bonnierbooks.co.uk

For world English rights information please contact Ruth Logan, Rights Director, Bonnier Books UK: ruth.logan@bonnierbooks.co.uk

About the Author
Scarlett Brade is the daughter of parents who migrated from the Caribbean to England in the early 1970s. She was born and educated in London, though as a child she spent her summers in Canada, where she developed her love affair with reading. THE HIVE is her first psychological thriller novel and was inspired by the author’s own relationship with a high-profile sportsman where social media interfered.

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Gallic Books acquire two novels by Charles Lambert

Photo: Patrizia Casamirra

We are thrilled that Gallic Books will publish two novels by Charles Lambert. Emily Boyce acquired world English language rights from Isobel Dixon in a two-book deal. THE BONE FLOWER will be published in September 2022 and BIRTHRIGHT will follow in May 2023.

Set in London in the 1880s, THE BONE FLOWER is a deliciously gothic and atmospheric novel. It is a story of love and guilt, of friendship and betrayal, where the boundary between the living and the dead becomes ever less certain.

BIRTHRIGHT is a gripping literary novel with the plot elements of a psychological thriller, and the beautiful prose nuance and depth of Edward St Aubyn, Graham Greene or Ian McEwan.

Boyce said: ‘A particularly gloomy January was brightened for us when Charles Lambert delivered the manuscripts of not one but two fantastic new novels, written during last year’s lockdowns. Charles is an immensely versatile writer, and these are two very different novels – one a Victorian gothic ghost story, the other a contemporary drama set between the UK and Italy – but both are characteristically dark, gripping, and beautifully realised.’

Lambert commented: ‘I am thrilled to be working once again with the wonderful team at Gallic on these two novels, confident that they are in the best and most professional of hands. Thank you for your faith in me and in my work. It’s a joy to have you on my side.’

Isobel Dixon said: ‘Charles Lambert is a master of both psychological realism and the literary uncanny and I’m delighted that Gallic Books will publish THE BONE FLOWER and BIRTHRIGHT, embracing the range of his talents, and continuing a very happy publishing relationship.’

About Charles Lambert

Charles Lambert is the author of several novels, short stories, and the memoir WITH A ZERO AT ITS HEART, which was voted one of THE GUARDIAN readers’ Ten Best Books of the Year in 2014.

In 2007, he won an O.Henry Award for his short story THE SCENT OF CINNAMON. His first novel, LITTLE MONSTERS, was longlisted for the 2010 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. His novel PRODIGAL was shortlisted for the Polari Prize for LGBTQ writing in 2019. Born in England, Charles Lambert has lived in central Italy since 1980.

Praise for Charles Lambert

‘Honest, sharp and beautifully written – rare, truthful writing.’ – Ann Cleeves

‘Charles Lambert is a terrific, devious storyteller.’ – Owen King

‘Charles Lambert writes as if his life depends on it. He takes risks at every turn.’ – Hannah Tinti

‘Charles Lambert is writer who could one day attain classic status.' – Maggie Gee

‘A writer who never ceases to surprise.’ – Jenny Offill

‘A seriously good writer.’ – Beryl Bainbridge

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