LAUNCH OF NEW BOOK: 16th FEBRUARY9th December 2011
The latest novel in the Shaw & Valentine series is launched in Ely - the event will be organised by Toppings - the wonderful bookshop on High Street. The venue will be announced closer to the day - so far we've managed to launch in the shopo itself, the Hayward Theatre, St Mary's Church, St Etheldreda's, and St Peter's Broadstreet - and the Long Gallery at the Bishop's Palace. Who knows where we'll be this year. The book itself - Death's Door - is out on January 26th.
NEXT EVENT: DECEMBER 328th November 2011
Wisbech Library. A day of tea, mince pies and books. I'll be there from noon til one available for a chat or a signing. If you have never been before Wisbech is a real gem - don't miss Peckover House. It usually has some wonderful touring art on the walls - last time it was Atkinson Grimshaw.
DEATH WATCH WINS NEW ANGLE PRIZE: Sept 78th September 2011
The second of the Shaw and Valentine series picked up the prestigious New Angle Prize. The award - and £2,000 in prize money - came as a big surprise on the evening. The short list was a formidable one - including Blake Morrison's The Last Weekend, Jeremy Page's The Wake, and the mammoth A Flora of Suffolk - by Sanford and Fisk - the result of not one, but two lifetimes of study. In second place was the legendary Ronald Blythe - author of Akenfield - with a collection of his life's writings called Aftermath. A special Reader's Choice award went to the artist Maggie Hambling for The Aldeburgh Scallop. For details see the BLOG.
US REVIEW RAVES OVER DEATH TOLL: July 18th18th July 2011
From the Richmond Times-Dispatch of Virginia: "Dark and dismal, 'Death Toll' is the product of a master at work. With prose that puts the reader squarely at the scene of the crimes, a solution at once shocking and sadly inevitable, characters drawn with such care and generosity that they could be people the reader knows - and issues capable of destroying real lives - Kelly has written the best in a superior series." writes Jay Strafford. More US reviews to come....
ITALIAN TRANSLATION3rd May 2011
Death Wore White - the first of the Shaw and Valentine series - is to be published in Italy by Giunti. The book will be out in two years time - a long wait, but great to out in a country which in many ways has set the pace for modern crime writing. We can now add the Italian edition to translations of the Shaw and Valentine and Dryden novels in Norweigan, Dutch, German, and Japanese - plus the US editions.
NEW ANGLE PRIZE: latest April 34th April 2011
Death Watch has been short-lsited for the prestigious New Angle Prize for Literature. It is this book's third nomination for a prize - so let's hope it is third time lucky. But the competition is terrific - other short-listed authors include Blake Morrison, Maggie Hambling and Ronald Blythe. Dates for the diary: all the authors will be in Ipswich to read from their work and answer questions on July 5th. The award itself - worth £2,000 - will be announced on September 7th. Details at library@ipswichinstitute.org.uk.
KING'S LYNN SIGNING30th January 2011
I shall be in Waterstone's in King's Lynn from 11.00am on Tuesday February 1 until noon. I'll be signing Death Toll - and indeed any other book you might care to buy ! Last time we had a tremendous turn out thanks to my good friend and bookseller David Learner - who runs the event. Later I'll be doing an interview with the Eastern Daily Press on the new book. Hope to see some of you there.
THANKS FOR VOTING Dec 19. 19th December 2010
The Water Clock did very well in the poll for Cambridgeshire Book of the Decade - but not as well as The Cambridge Curry Club by Saumya Balsari, which turned out to be an excellent winner. But thanks toall who voted so that we gave the field a run for its money. Saumya - in an excellent speech on the night - pointed out that the real heroes are the librarians who make sure all our books are so well read. Our libraries are a fantastic resource, and part of a great British tradition, which will be verylucky indeed to survive the current tightening of the government finances. It may only be in retrospect we realise just how important they are to our literary lives.
VOTE NOW FOR THE WATER CLOCK31st October 2010
The first of the Philip Dryden mysteries - The Water Clock - has been nominated for the short list for the Cambridgeshire Book of the Decade. It is up against some wonderful books - such as Kate Atkinson's Case Histories and Rebecca Stott's Ghostwalk. If you'd like to vote then you can do so online at www.cambridegshire.gov.uk/leisure/libraries/news/cbob.htm or text 80166 with the word BOOK followed by the key words for each of the runners. If you want to vote for The Water Clock text WATER. Please vote ! Deadline is December 13th. And do tell your friends/family or book club colleagues.
SHORT-LISTED: Sept 2929th September 2010
A welcome autumnal surprise to offset the grey skies of the Fens - Death Watch has been short-listed for the prestigious Eastern Daily Press literary awards. The winners are announced on October 20 at the Assembly House, Norwich, at an evening dinner. Tickets still available - details on the EDP website. I'm up for the fiction award against The Last Weekend, by Blake Morrison and The Widow's Taile, by Mick Jackson. The award is supported by Writers' Centre Norwich and the CUE East. Its the third annual East Anglian Book Awards. Fingers crossed but it's just great to get a nomination in a 'literary' category - so often crime is put in its own box and ignored by all but the fans.
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SHERLOCK HOLMES - NFN. Sept 1816th September 2010
I am currently involved in some jolly correspondence with Red Herrings - the excellent magazine of the Crime Writers' Association. Sherlock Holmes is in the news thanks to the BBC's imaginative and entertaining new drama series. I wrote to RH after they published the story of how Arthur Conan Doyle is supposed to have got the idea for the Hound of the Baskervilles - apparently he was told the story by a fellow golfer while playing a round at Cromer. I suggested a slightly different story - that he was told the story of Black Shuck, the Fen's own ghostly hound, while trapped in the clubhouse at Cromer as the rain fell outside. I think I'm in a minority of one on this at the moment. So if any of my readers have any more to offer on Sherlock Holmes (Normal For Norfolk) I'd like to hear from them. A good starting point on Black Shuck, for those interested, is Enid Porter's wonderful Cambridgeshire Folklore and Legend.
CRIME WEEK EVENTS: JUNE 14-1822nd March 2010
This national initiative by the Crime Writers' Association deserves all our support. Members of the CWA will be involved in community events across Britain. I'm hoping to be popping up around Norfolk and Cambridgeshire - just ask at your local library for details. At the moment I'm booked in at Hunstanton on June 17, and Lynn on the same day, but in the evening. Details to follow on this site.
NORWICH NEXT6th March 2010
MARCH 11. The next event in this launch-season is at the Millennium Library in Norwich. I shall be talking, answering questions, and signing books alongside fellow crime writer Patrick Lennon. Details to be posted soon on this site. Meanwhile Topping's of Ely still have stock of signed copies from the very successful event this last Thursday.
ELY LAUNCH FOR NEW BOOK29th January 2010
Death Watch, the second in the Shaw and Valentine series of North Norfolk crime mysteries, will be launched on March 4 in Ely. I'll be talking about the subject of 'Where Crime Lives', answering questions, and signing books at St Mary's parish church, just across Palace Green from the cathedral in the heart of the town. Tickets on sale from Toppings Bookshop on High Street.
NORWICH EVENT19th January 2010
I shall be talking with fellow writer Patrick Lennon about East Anglia and the crime genre at an event at the Millennium Library, Norwich, between 6.30 and 8.00pm on Thursday 11th March.
Tickets cost £2 and can be purchased from the Library by calling 01603 774707 or from Waterstone's Norwich Castle Street on 01603 767292. The event is in conjunction with Waterstone's.
TICKETS ON SALE9th January 2010
Toppings Bookshop in Ely are now selling tickets for the laucnh of the next book - Death Watch - which will be on the evening of March 4 and hopefully in the magnificent venue that is St Mary's church - just across Palace Green, in front of Ely Cathedral. The following week there will be an event at the Millennium Library in Norwich - a oint event with fellow Fen writer Patrick Lennon. His website contains plenty about him and his excellent books. Detail son tickets from toppings website.
BOOK LAUNCH 201031st December 2009
We expect to launch Death Watch, the latest in the Shaw and Valentien series, in February. Toppings Book Shop in Ely have kindly agreed to organise a launch event. I will post details as soon as I have them. The third in the series - Death Toll - should be with us in February 2011. But let's not wish our lives away ! Happy New Year.
APOLOGIES22nd October 2009
Due to a rotten winter bug I could not make Audley End - I hope anyone who did go along enjoyed the other Penguin authors. Sorry again.
NEXT EVENT14th October 2009
Some tickets still left for a three-author Penguin panel organised as part of the Saffron Walden Literature Festival. The event is October 22, at 8pm, at the Baptist Chapel, Audley Road, Saffron Walden. Tickets through hartsevents.co.uk or 01799 523456.
NEXT EVENT14th October 2009
I shall be speaking at the Baptist's Chapel, Audley Road, Saffron Walden on October 22nd at 8.00pm. See organisers for tickets.
Essex Event in October10th September 2009
I shall speaking with two other Penguin authors at The Baptists Church, Audley Road, Saffron Walden, Essex. CB11 3HD. Details and ticket advice soon. Anyone hoping to identify me before the event from the picture (right) of me as a reporter in the 1970s will be sorely disappoointed.
Next event10th September 2009
I shall be one of three Penguin authors speaking at a special event at Audley End on October 22. It will begin at 8.00pm at The Baptists Chapel, Audley Road, Saffron Walden. CB 11 3HD. Details soon on format and tickets. About 170 seats available.
Fulbourn Arts Festival, Cambridge18th June 2009
I'm talking on the evening of July 8th at a festival event. My title is "Reinventing the Locked Room Mystery". Entrance is free but you should book using 01223 881254, or you can pop into the library is you live locally. Hope to see you there.
Winchester Festival29th May 2009
Tickets still available for this crime panel event on June 17. The evnt will be stageed at the Winchester Discovery Centre and tickets are available. Peter Lovesey, Andrew taylor and I will be talking about our lives and crimes. You may have questions for me - so why not come along ? I certainly have questiosn for the other pannellists, whose work has doen so much to raise the quality of modern cirme writing. Hope to see you there. Tickets from www3.hants.gov.uk
Talk dates announced for 201021st March 2009
Why not come along to one of this year's talks and ask a question, or get a book signed ? I'm in Ely at the central library on April 9, and a week later at St Ives' library. Tickets and times are available at the libraries. Then I'm at the Winchester Festival on June 17, and the Fulbourne Arts Festival on July 7. On December 9 I'm talking to the University of the Third Age - date and place to be announced. Hope to see you there.
Testing news item20th March 2009
this is a news item
Death wore white release date.25th January 2009
The new book - Death Wore White - is out on February 1. Here's a picture of how I set out the central core mystery: a line of cars, trapped in the snow (toy ones in this case, and no snow) The cars are trapped on a lonely road, a man is found dead in the truck at the front. No footsteps, in or out. The impossible crime. Now read on...