Sept 2007

Val has been nominated as Writer of the Year!

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-5503.html

July 2007

For those of you who were unlucky enough to miss this year's Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival at Harrogate last weekend, there's a chance to get a taster of what went on. Tomorrow, BBC Radio 4's Front Row programme will be a Harroage special, featuring interviews and conversations with several of the participating writers. Among other elements, Mark Billingham and David Roberts debate whether there's still a place for Snobbery With Violence, while I have a wide-ranging chat with Lee Child, Laura Lippman and Natasha Cooper. It's all under the command of the unflappable Mark Lawson, who demonstrated over the weekend a remarkable wit and erudtion.
It goes out live at 7.15 on Wednesday 25th July. It's a half hour programme, so you'll still have time for dinner before Wire in the Blood at 9pm on ITV.
If you can't pick up Radio 4, you can also listen live via the internet on www.bbc.co.uk/radio, or you can use the Listen Again feature which can be accessed from the main radio page. Listen Again is available for a week after transmission.
Enjoy!
Val

July 2007

And still the rain pours down...
The good thing about our British monsoon summer is that it provides me with no excuse to avoid getting on with the new book. It's always exciting, the start of a fresh project. So many possibilities stretch before me and I haven't yet closed off any fascinating avenues. I still have some bits and pieces of research to do -- a few people to talk to, a couple of landscapes that need to be refreshed in the memory, a few more CDs to transfer to my computer so I have the proper period soundtrack. But A DARKER DOMAIN is officially under way.

The big drawback with the weather is that it's hard to get motivated for the training for our charity walk in New York in November. Thanks to all of you who have donated so generously to our fundraising for The Children's Society. If you visit our site at: www.justgiving.com/valmcdermid, you can check out our progress so far.

In the meantime, a few more dates for your diary.

For viewers in the UK, the first episode in the fifth series of WIRE IN THE BLOOD will be unveiled on ITV at 9pm. Eerily topical -- and remember, this script was written last autumn -- it's a horrifying and gripping tale that will have you on the edge of your seats. I know I'm biased, but I truly think WITB gets better with every series. Which is good for me, because it stimulates me to write about Tony Hill and Carol Jordan more often.

Which brings me seamlessly to a reminder that BENEATH THE BLEEDING, the fifth Tony & Carol novel, will be on sale in the UK on August 6th. There will be a launch party for the book at the Alnwick Garden on Thursday August 9th at 6.30pm. It's an amazing venue -- the garden is the brainchild of the Duchess of Northumberland who has worked closely with her garden designers to come up with a magnificent showpiece that blends the best of contemporary garden design with traditional English country house gardens. And of course, it contains a Poison Garden...
There is an extract from BENEATH THE BLEEDING on the website; check it out now if you can't wait any longer!

Harrogate is almost upon us. The Crime Writing Festival runs from Thursday 19th through to Sunday 21st. I'm being interviewed by Woman's Hour's Jenni Murray on Friday 20th at 9am, and I'm appearing on a panel on Sunday morning. According to the programme, it's called What Really Gets Me Going. (At 10am on a Sunday, that would be a very large latte...) Apparently, it will be, "A great opportunity to find out what authors love and hate about the genre in which they spend their working lives. This noisy and opinionated foursome certainly won‚t miss this chance to tell us exactly what they think. Don‚t miss Mark Billingham, Christopher Brookmyre, Natasha Cooper and Val McDermid; as they chat, discuss, rant and fight amongst themselves! Peter Guttridge will attempt to make sure no blood is spilled." Noisy? Opinionated? Moi? You want to take this outside, pal?

And now for something completely different. I really hope you can make Saturday 28th July in Salford at the Lowry Theatre 7:30 pm - a benefit show which, according to its organiser, features, "a show of outstanding acclaim with drama, music and commentary from outstanding women from north of the border. There are only 140 seats and the proceeds are going a remarkable charity.
The show features
Val Mc Dermid ˆ our host ˆ Many of you will know of Val‚s work and the themes of her writing ˆ She is an international best-selling author with 20 novels which have won awards in several countries and been translated into over 35 languages. The successful TV show Wire In The Blood, currently in its 5th series on ITV, is based on her Tony Hill and Carol Jordan novels. A former journalist, Val believes in the power of fiction to shine a light on the world we live in.
Sandra Brown OBE - After the award winning success of her one woman show at last year‚s Edinburgh Festival, Sandra Brown has been convinced to bring her 'Talking Heads' style production, ONE OF OUR AIN‚ to Manchester. In this devastating drama, Sandra tells the story of secrets and lies which have been part of her family history and our national history for over 50 years.
In setting up the Moira Anderson Foundation to work with children and families affected by abuse, Sandra has kept alive the name of the little girl her father abducted, abused and murdered. Her book ˆ Where there is Evil‚ was in the top 3 best sellers this year and has also been subject of a number of TV productions.
Carol Laula - Carol's reputation has also grown internationally over the years, having performed at New York's famous Carnegie Hall alongside Mary Chapin Carpenter and Sarah McLachlan at the very first all female singer/songwriter concert. Carol first captured the attention of the media, when in 1990 her independent single, "Standing Proud" was chosen to represent Glasgow in its year as European City of Culture. Since then all five of her albums ˆ "Still", "Precious Little Victories", "Naked", "First Disciple" and "To Let" ˆ have been released to high critical acclaim, as well as propelling her to the forefront of the Scottish music industry. This will be her debut in Manchester.
A night of talented Scottish women not to be missed with the added benefit of knowing we are contributing to an amazing charity."
So if you fancy a moving and stimulating night out, please come along.
For tickets, contact the Lowry Box office soon - on The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays, M50 3AZ Telephone: 0870 787 5780 Fax: 0161 876 2001 eMail: info@thelowry.com. Tickets are £20 each and there‚s only 140 seats so book early

Next on my programme is the Edinburgh International Book Festival, where I will be appearing in the Chambers Dictionary Quiz at 5pm, and in conversation with Denise Mina at 6.30pm, both on Tuesday 14th August. I love the EIBF -- I think it is my favourite of all festivals, though my recent trip to the crime fiction festival in Frontignan in the south of France threatens to come a close second!

If you can't make it to the EIBF and you live in the UK and have access to a digital TV, you can still get a dose of McDermid on 14th August. At 11pm on BBC4 TV, I will be appearing on an edition of a new show, THE BOOK QUIZ. If enough of you watch, they might just commission the show for BBC2!

Then on Thursday 16th August, I will be in Bath, attending a literary dinner organised by Topping Books. I don't have any more details at present, but I'm looking forward to the evening because it's hosted by one of my favourite booksellers, the inimitable Robert Topping, formerly of Waterstone's Deansgate branch. A fervent supporter of crime fiction, Robert has always been a strong advocate of hand-selling books by enthusiastic booksellers. If you're in the area, do check out his new shop in Bath.

Finally, for now, a reminder of the St Hilda's Crime and Mystery Weekend from the 17th to the 19th of August. The most intimate and sociable of events, this is always a weekend where I learn much more about the genre I've worked in for almost 20 years now.

Oh yes, I should just mention that September 17th sees the 20th anniversary of the publication of REPORT FOR MURDER. I will be raising a glass to all of you who have made it possible for me to earn my living doing the one thing in the world I ever wanted to do. Thank you, one and all. I hope I've given a fraction of the pleasure I've experienced along the way.

Have a great summer, whatever the weather.

All the best
Val

June 2007

Val says...

Here is a nice pic from the Polar a la Plage festival in Le Havre, me singing my parody of Mac the Knife with the band...

Update: November 2007

They Did It. Val says

" Here's a pic to prove we did it!
 
left to right behind the banner: me, playwright Shelley Silas, publisher Kelly Smith, writer Stella Duffy. On Brooklyn Bridge."

Val will expand on her walk when she has time to sit down and put pen to paper....

Even though they have now completed the walk you can still pledge money via www.justgiving.com

June 2007

Val says...

Every child deserves a good childhood. That's the motto of The Children's Society, and that's why I'm going to walk a half marathon in New York in November.

Most of you will know that I had two major orthopaedic surgeries last year. I now have two replacement knees and that has transformed my life. For years, I'd been crippled with chronic arthritic pain. When I got the new knees, I was determined to make the most of the freedom from pain and the mechanical benefit of being able to walk properly again. It's been a real joy to me to be able to go walking for pleasure once more, and I decided that I wanted somehow to spread that joy. Walking for the benefit of other people seemed the perfect answer.
So my wife Kelly and I are walking thirteen miles on the streets of New York to raise money to support the work of The Children's Society. To find out more about the excellent work they do, check them out at: http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/

Now I'm asking you all to support our efforts by sponsoring us. If everyone who receives this newsletter donated as little as £1, we would more than reach our personal sponsorship target of £5000. Me, I'd like to crash that target and raise a lot more. So please, donate what you can afford.

Giving couldn't be easier. All you have to do is have your credit or debit card to hand and visit http://www.justgiving.com/valmcdermid. Then follow the on-screen instructions. And just to make it even more enticing, everyone who makes a donation will be entered into a prize draw for a signed first edition of the new book, Beneath the Bleeding.
So please, help us to build a better future by helping children to a better life.

Thanks in anticipation
Val

Note: No problem if you don't live in the UK - just state the amount in pounds and it comes off your credit card in your currency.

May 2007

Val on being academically pushed at a young age
'They told us "E" stood for Early. But everybody else thought it stood for Experiment, and that is how they treated us. Our parents were told that this would be a remarkable opportunity for us; back then, you didn’t question the authorities. Certainly, nobody asked me. Jerked out of our peer group, we were marked out from our first morning at Kirkcaldy High School.'

More...> (external link)

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/

May 2007

Val says...

"A picture of me with my pitchside advertising at Raith Rovers"

May 2007

Val's next book... More...>

Not so long to wait now - Publisher: HarperCollins - out in the UK 6 Aug 2007
Listen to Val talking about Tony & Carol and a bit about the new book. http://www.meettheauthor.co.uk/bookbites/1437.html

Synopsis
Tony Hill, criminal profiler and hero of TV's Wire in the Blood, is back in a terrifying psychological thriller from bestselling author Val McDermid. A city is mourning. Bradfield Victoria's star midfielder has been murdered, bizarrely poisoned in an apparently motiveless killing. Then a bomb blast rips through the football stadium. Dozens lie dead, many more injured. Is it a terrorist attack or a vendetta against the Vics? Or something even more sinister? As he lies in a hospital bed, psychologist and profiler Dr Tony Hill struggles to make sense of the fragments of information he manages to gather. But his customary ally, DCI Carol Jordan, is being pushed to the margins of the investigation by intelligence services determined to prove themselves indispensable. It wouldn't be so bad if Tony and Carol could agree about who they're looking for. But even their relationship has its dislocations and dark places. Beneath the Bleeding sets Tony and Carol at odds as they have never been before, forcing them to ask questions of themselves they would never have imagined possible.

Feb 2007

What could be more fun on a winter Sunday afternoon than to gather round the wireless with the family to listen to the BBC? Especially when it's Radio 4 Book Club featuring our very own Val McDermid? Yes, at 4pm on Sunday February 4th (repeated on Thursday February 6th at 4pm) Val will be talking to host Jim Naughtie and an audience in Manchester about her landmark Gold Dagger-winning novel, The Mermaids Singing. If you can't pick up Radio 4, you can listen live at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/. And if you want to listen to it at a later date, it's available for a month via the Listen Again facility at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/bookclub/.
Val said, 'I was thrilled to be asked to take part in Book Club. I'm a great admirer of the show and of James Naughtie as an interviewer. I was a bit nervous beforehand, because you never know what sort of questions a live audience will throw at you. But we had great fun on the day, and I found it very interesting to revisit a book I wrote a dozen years ago. I hope you get the chance to listen to it, and that you will enjoy it.'

November 2006

On Wednesday (8 Nov. 06) evening, Val was awarded the Portico Prize for Fiction for The Grave Tattoo. This is a particularly notable victory, since the Portico Prize embraces fiction in its entirety. Announcing the result, author Melyvn Burgess praised The Grave Tattoo both for the quality of its storytelling and its prose style. The prize is awarded by the Portico Library in Manchester (http://www.theportico.org.uk) and is awarded to a book about the North West of England or set primarily in that region. Like the Whitbread, it is split into categories -- fiction and non-fiction. The winner of the non-fiction prize and the overall winner was Andrew Biswell with The Real Life of Anthony Burgess.

Val said, 'I'm particularly proud to have won this prize because of its association with the Portico, which is one of the hidden gems of Manchester. It's also very gratifying that the judges were willing to consider a genre novel for a prestigious literary prize. Let's hope this is the start of a new trend!'

If you're interested in hearing a discussion of The Grave Tattoo, it will be featured on Wednesday November 15th at around 11.00am on the Radio Manchester Book Club. Presented by Eamonn O'Neill and Dianne Oxberry, it can be found at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/. Click on the 'Launch BBC radio player', then click on 'local stations' then click on 'Radio Manchester'. You can listen live or via the 'listen again' feature on the site.

November 2006

Val sings The Long Black Veil

Val performing The Long Black Veil at the launch party for A Merry Band of Murderers at Bouchercon in Madison Wisconsin, accompanied by Don Bruns on guitar.

October 2006

Val sings with Giles Blunt

"Hard to be a rock star when you need your reading glasses... This is me and Canadian author Giles Blunt performing live in cabaret before 1300 booksellers at the Droemer Knaur party at the Frankfurt Book Fair..."
 
Val

October 2006

God and Gordon persuade Andrews to choose Raith

By Nick Harris
Published: 05 October 2006
Gordon Brown may be embroiled in a battle for control of the Labour party and a quest to become Prime Minister but it was revealed last night that he has spent hours of his valuable time in the past week guaranteeing that the football club he supports bagged themselves a new defender.

Raith Rovers, wallowing near the foot of the Scottish Second Division, announced yesterday that they had signed Marvin Andrews, a Trinidad & Tobago World Cup defender who was playing Champions' League football last season with Rangers. Brown is a lifelong Raith fan, and a club shareholder, and personally met Andrews to persuade him of the club's ambition.

"Gordon Brown has shown a lot of drive and determination to make this deal work," said Raith's manager, Craig Levein. "Gordon probably doesn't want a mention but his involvement was important to show the commitment at board level."

Andrews, a devout Christian, was released by Rangers in the summer, and had offers from several clubs, including Reading. He turned them down because Reading is too far from his church. Raith are based in the Fife town of Kirkcaldy, where Andrews preaches at the Zion Praise International Church.

"It was a pleasure for me to talk to [him]. He is a very nice and generous man," said Andrews of Brown

Andrews added that his decision to sign was ultimately influenced by an altogether more exulted figure than the Chancellor of the Exchequer. "My main decision was what God told me. I am back here [he played for Raith between 1997 and 2000] because God wants me here. It is simple. Many clubs came in for me but God never said anything to me. This is the place God wants me to be."

October 2006

Val sings Long Black Veil

Val has contributed to unique anthology called A Merry Band of Murderers, published by Poisoned Pen Press. The idea of the collection is that each writer involved in the project chose a song as the hook for a short story. As well as writing the short story, they each recorded their own versions of the songs, which appear on a CD that accompanies the anthology. more...>>

See more pictures ...>>

You can find out more about it at www.merryband.com, where you can also order the book.

Photo: Gary Warren Niebuhr

Sept. 2006

This is Val's latest newsletter sent out to everyone who has signed up via the 'subscribe' form at the bottom of most pages on this site.

• Val's recording debut
• Wire in the Blood series 4 hits the screens
• UK release of Wire in the Blood series 3 DVD
• Val becomes a publisher with Bloody Brits Press
• Australian tour
• New knees = Scottish country dancing at my wedding!
• Harrogate
• Bouchercon
• German tour
  

Val's recording debut
Yes, no sooner does the BBC cancel Top of the Pops than I make my debut as a recording artiste. Gone are my dreams of lip-synching to the rhythm of the gyrating hips of Pan's People while some ageing DJ abjures the pop-pickers to rush out and buy my debut track. However, you can still rush out and buy said debut track... It features in a unique anthology called A Merry Band of Murderers, published by Poisoned Pen Press. The idea of the collection is that each writer involved in the project chose a song as the hook for a short story. As well as writing the short story, we each recorded our own versions of the songs, which appear on a CD that accompanies the anthology. You can find out more about it at www.merryband.com, where you can also order the book.
My own choice of track was Long Black Veil. I remember first encountering Joan Baez's version back when I was a teenager learning to play guitar. From the first, I was intrigued. I wondered about the back story to the song; who the real killer might be; and what happened to the people caught up in the tragedy. So when this project was suggested to me, it provided an opportunity to move from idle speculation to useful conjecture. Plus I knew I could actually play the song.
Then came the question of how to record it. Most of my colleagues in the project are either professional or semi-professional musicians with access to proper studios in North America. I didn't want my track to sound like it had been taped in a teenager's bedroom, so I turned to my buddy Phil Smith. Phil runs a major entertainment venue in the North West of England but he's also managed the post-punk band Slaughter and the Dogs for years. And he's a keen musician with a mean collection of guitars. And I knew the spare room in his family home doubled as the computer room and the music room. Luckily, I caught him in a weak moment and he agreed that what he had always wanted to do was to arrange, play, mix and produce my debut track. We recorded the vocal track over a couple of evenings, with a duvet hanging over the door to improve the acoustic, then Phil put it all together. We're pretty pleased with the result, and now I am even more determined that the Songs of Love and Murder CD dream must become a reality...

Wire in the Blood series 4 hits the screens
Another departure from my usual work can be seen in the new series of Wire In The Blood, the first episode of which aired last night. (Six million people watched, earning us 29 per cent of the audience - nobody at ITV can remember the last time they scored 29 per cent with a drama series launch!) The fourth series of the award-winning TV drama provides me with a cameo role once again. In Episode 4, I reprise my role as a journalist in a dramatic skirmish. Sadly, most of my lines died on the cutting room floor, but as Tony Hill opens his door on the besieging journos, you can just about hear me say, "Good morning, Dr Hill." Don't blink, or you'll miss me passing across your screen in the general hurly burly.
But more importantly, the reaction to the new series has been remarkable. The real journalists at the press screening raved about the stylish images, the terrific scripts and the brilliant central performances. We were all a little anxious about the reception for the new character, DI Alex Fielding. Even though we knew Simone Lahbib had delivered a first-rate performance, we knew that fans would be resistant to anyone replacing Carol Jordan at Tony's side. But the reaction so far has been wonderful, with journalists and viewers alike rating this the best series yet. With new sets and cutting edge direction, WITB4 is, I think, among the best contemporary drama hitting our screens. Look out for it!

UK release of Wire in the Blood series 3 DVD
Something else to look out for if you live in the UK or Europe is the release of the DVD of WITB3. I know from the number of enquiries we get via email or the website forum that there are a lot of you out there who are eager to get your hands on this and who have felt very frustrated by the length of time it has taken for this release to happen. There were various reasons for the delay, but thankfully they have all now been resolved, so you can finally get your hands on it and wallow!

Val becomes a publisher with Bloody Brits Press
Yet another hat I've started wearing is that of publisher. I'm a glutton for punishment, I know. I have become the Editorial Director of Bloody Brits Press, a new American imprint specialising in bringing the work of British writers across the Atlantic. The imprint is the brainchild of my partner, American publisher Kelly Smith, who moved to England last year. "I've always loved mysteries," she said. "But when I arrived in the UK, I was surprised to discover that the British mysteries that are already published in the US are just the tip of the iceberg. Many writers of quality mystery fiction are still unknown to American readers, and I decided it was time to change that. Our list will present the US trade and the public with some of the finest British authors writing today, hand-picked for style and excellence. Psychological thrillers, police procedurals and cozies are all represented in our list. What unites them is the gold standard of quality." And my job is to pick those titles. Which seems to me to be about as good a job as it's possible to have.
Bloody Brits Press will be officially launched during Bouchercon 2006, the World Mystery Convention in Madison WI. We're holding our launch party on Thursday October 28th at 8pm at the Booked for Murder bookstore on University Avenue. If you're around, please join us. And check us out on www.bloodybritspress.com.
BBP will publish writers new to the US, but we'll also be bringing back into print books that we think should be available to US readers. The first BBP original title will be Bleak Water, by Danuta Reah, published in September, followed by Outside the White Lines, by Chris Simms. The first reprints will be my own six Kate Brannigan titles - yes, it's true, the only way I can get my books published is to do it myself!

There are more treats coming later in Bloody Brits Press first season:

• Shelter, an unsettling novel of love, death and loyalty from Chaz Brenchey, a remarkable storyteller who has been nominated for CWA Daggers several times.
• The Spider‚s House, a dark suspense novel from bright new talent Sarah Diamond; a novel where the horrors of an old murder case rise up again.
• Payment Deferred, the debut novel of the irrepressible and irreverent Joyce Holms, who reveals an Edinburgh tourists should be grateful they never see.
• Material Evidence, which introduces Detective Chief Inspector Carston who is confronted with a mysterious and brutal murder in the Scottish Highlands
• Set in France, The Burning Ground reveals the blend of banking and art that has made John Malcolm‚s intricate and fascinating mysteries so popular with readers.
  Read and enjoy!
  

Australian tour
So, what else have I been up to since I last wrote to you? In March, I returned to Australia for another entertaining tour. Well, I was entertained... I started in Adelaide, where I took part in their Book Week. When I left the UK, it was snowing. When I got to Adelaide, they were having a heat wave. The only way the British writers could cope was to sneak off to the hotel pool every afternoon and drink sparkling wine while up to our necks in water. Amazingly enough, we actually found ourselves talking about writing. Picture, if you will, Minette Walters, Patrick Gale, Andrew Taylor and me leaning on the side of the pool discussing the correct use of the semi-colon.
The trip got off to a slightly spooky start, however. South Australia is the serial killer capital of Oz, supposedly because it abounds in first rate body dumps. Anyway, the driver who picked me up at the airport insisted on telling me all about their epidemic of serial killers. Some of you may remember the case where police discovered lots of bodies and body parts stuffed in barrels in a bank in a remote township. He told me all about it with great relish, then finished up with, "Mind you, most of them were homosexuals, so it doesn't really count, does it?" I've never exited a taxi faster.
In spite of the strange taxi driver, we all thought Adelaide was a very pretty city, aided and abetted by a tram connection to the nearby shore where you can eat fish and chips while you watch the sun go down very tastefully. And the audiences were enthusiastic, although being told at least 15 times a day that the locals are not descended from convict stock did get old very quickly.
Oh, and thanks to Minette and me, it is now possible for UK drinkers to buy what is probably the best rose wine I have ever drunk. Made by Geoff Hardy at the K1 winery in the Adelaide Hills, his UK importer had been unwilling to add the rose to his list. But we insisted that we had to have it, so they finally agreed to take a chance on it, just in time for the best summer weather for years. Perfect! (http://www.stratfordwine.co.uk/)
I also revisited Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, catching up with old friends, returning to familiar bookstores and radio stations and generally having fun. I discovered Canberra, where I was delighted to find a packed lecture theatre of devoted readers. I wish the bar staff in our hotel had had half their enthusiasm. It took so long to get my first drink that I ordered the second one as the first one arrived. I couldn't credit it, not in a town packed with politicians and diplomats!
I ended up in Melbourne, co-hosting an event with Scotland's First Minister, Jack McConnell, showcasing Scotland's role as a centre of literary excellence as part of Glasgow's bid to stage the 2014 Commonwealth games. I was very proud to be asked to take part - the more people are encouraged to explore the rich diversity of Scottish writing the better. Sadly, I didn't have the chance to stick around for the games. Bad planning meant my plane took off just as the opening ceremonies began. But I did have the chance to see the amazing floating sculptures that snaked down the middle of the Yarra river on pontoons, which was one of the more amazing displays of public art I've ever seen.

New knees = Scottish country dancing at my wedding!
I had my second knee surgery in May, which ate up another chunk of the year. The result of the second surgery is, I think, even better mechanically, though I felt as if it took me longer to recover from the surgery itself. I guess having two major doses of general anaesthetic within six months of each other is not a recipe for health and well-being!. So now I have matching scars, though the December one has already faded almost to nothing for half its length. Having robot knees earns me respect from small children, though going through airport security is a nuisance. But that's a small price to pay for the absence of constant pain and the restoration of mobility that allows me to walk on the beach, play with my kid and perform Scottish country dancing at my wedding. Oh yes, I should mention that Kelly and I took advantage of the new laws and entered into a civil partnership this month. Ever the romantic, I took her on a whirlwind honeymoon in Barcelona where she saw the sights and I did publicity and promotion with my lovely Spanish publishers, RBA and Circulo Lectores!

Harrogate
Harrogate was a runaway success again this year, with PD James and George Pelecanos among the highlights of a star-studded programme. It was particularly special for me since The Torment of Others was awarded the Theakston's Old Peculier Award for Crime Novel of the Year. To win a prize voted for by readers is particularly heartwarming because you are the people who actually buy the books. You don't have any axes to grind, you vote for the books you've loved. So I'm doubly proud of this award.
Harrogate has grown into the best festival of its kind anywhere in the world, I think. Now that I'm no longer programming chair, I can say that the programming is terrific - though I suppose I shouldn't say too much about that since they have invited me back next year as one of the special guests! However, Harrogate does have a unique atmosphere, and it just keeps getting better and better. (check it out at: www.harrogate-festival.org.uk/crime/) For those of you living abroad, I'd heartily recommend it as the centrepiece of a holiday in the UK, much as my friend Piers is doing with Bouchercon and his US holiday this autumn.

Bouchercon
Which brings me seamlessly to Bouchercon, which takes place next week in Madison, WI. (http://www.bouchercon2006.com/)For those of you unfamiliar with Bouchercon, it's the World Mystery Convention. It moves from city to city, mostly in the US but occasionally in Canada or the UK. Readers, writers, publishers and booksellers converge to share their love of the genre, and every writer who registers by the cut-off date is placed on a panel so they can strut their stuff. It can be overwhelming to the newcomer, but once you relax, it's a fabulous weekend. I first attended at Seattle in 1994 and I've only missed a couple since then. It's a great chance to meet writers and readers and to discover new authors. I've got a couple of great panels this year. Dana Stabenow, Laurie King, Nevada Barr and I will be talking about series vs standalones and we intend to be as anarchic as is humanly possible. Giles Blunt, Carl Brookins, John Lutz, Denise Mina and I will be discussing how to create thrilling villains, and I will be appearing with others of the Merry Band of Murderers at various events throughout the weekend.

German tour
Following Bouchercon, I am off to Germany for the Frankfurt Book Fair and a subsequent tour to promote The Grave Tattoo. At the book fair, Canadian writer Giles Blunt will be performing a cabaret at a party hosted by our German publisher, Droemer Knaur. We are both deeply nervous about this "it's hard to rehearse with an ocean between us...
Here are the dates for the German tour. Do come up and say hello if you're able to make it to any of the events.

9 - 13. October 2006: Reading Tour
  • 9th of October: Thalia Book Shop, Berlin
  • 10th of October: Book Shop Weiland, Hannover
  • 11th of October: Boulevard Book Shop, Bielefeld
  • 12th of October: "Mord am Hellweg" Crime Festival, Unna
  • 13th of October: Book Shop Ganghofer, Ingolstadt

And then it's head down to get Beneath the Bleeding finished on time. So far, it's going well. Tony and Carol are having their usual grim time... But please keep your fingers crossed for me!

I hope you all have a wonderful autumn with piles of terrific reading material!

All the best
VAL

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September 2006

Wire in the Blood - ITV1 (UK)
Wednesday 20th September 2006 - 21:00 to 22:30

Val Says...
Yes, for those of you living in the UK. it's the TV event you've all been waiting for. Tomorrow night at 9pm on ITV1, series 4 of Wire in the Blood is finally unveiled. With Simone Lahbib of Bad Girls fame making her debut as DI Alex Fielding, it's an exciting evening for all of us involved in the making of the show. We've got our fingers crossed that you're going to love her as much as we do. For me, seeing the finished episodes, it was impressive to see how Robson Green continues to grow into the role. I couldn't see how he could improve on his previous performances, but I think he's excelled himself in the four episodes of series 4, one of which is based on The Torment of Others. Oh, and I have a small cameo role in Episode 4. See if you can spot me and my line!

It is, of course, a different beast from the books. But it's great TV. Ihope you enjoy it as much as I have.

And for those of you who like to savour past episodes, the DVD of series 3 is finally released in the UK at the end of this month. I know a lot of people have been eager to get their hands on it, and thankfully, the wait is now over. We'll be having a competition on the website soon to win copies of it.

So sit back and enjoy a double dose of the best crime drama on British TV!

Happy viewing!

Val

More about Wire in the Blood TV series...>

September 2006

Wire in the Blood - ITV1 (UK)
Wednesday 20th September 2006 - 21:00 to 22:30

Time To Murder And Create - Series 4, episode 1.
An old case reopened catches Tony Hill out. So does the surprise news that Carol Jordan has been replaced. Combative and wily new detective Alex Fielding doesn't like Tony or his methods, but she gradually realises that he knows much more about her first major murder case than he should.

Starring: Robson Green, Simone Lahbib, Mark Letheren, Emma Handy,
Peter Sullivan and Mark Penfold.

More...>

September 2006

Based on the characters created by Val McDermid, Wire In The Blood stars Robson Green as Dr Tony Hill and Hermione Norris as detective Carol Jordan.

Clinical Psychologist, Dr Tony Hill and Detective Inspector Carol Jordan are reunited for four more dark and disturbing cases, hunting brutal killers terrorising the northern town of Bradfield.

An obsessive fascination with the fractured criminal mind, leads Dr Hill and D.I. Jordan on an intense and vivid journey into a dark world of faceless serial killers. It is a race against time as they try to anticipate the killer's very next step.

Vulnerable and lonely children are being abducted and murdered, but what is their connection to a similar case some years before? A notorious killer has been released from prison and it's not long before the brutal slayings start again, bearing all the hallmarks of the infamous "Mack The Knife". Exactly how 'safe and rehabilitated'is one Michael Thompson?

Life is imitating art in the tense case " Nothing But The Night ", as a schizophrenic killer leaves his taunting messages scrawled over walls, in his victim's blood, and what does Tony's "wife" have planned for Carol?

In " Synchronicity ", Tony is forced to confront his own mortality whilst hunting down an anonymous sniper. But is anything real anymore? Who can he trust?

Contains the episodes :

-  Case 1: Redemption

-  Case 2: Bad Seed

-  Case 3: Nothing But The Night

Special Features :

•  Free book sampler of Val McDermid's novel   'The Grave Tattoo'
 

Wire in the Blood III DVD out now in the UK.. Order Now>>>

More about Wire in the Blood TV series...>>

July 2006

We are delighted to announce that the Val has won the 2006 Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year prize with The Torment of Others, the fourth Tony Hill and Carol Jordan novel. The announcement was made on the opening night of the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival, where Val was chair of the Programming Committee for the first three years. Val said, 'I was genuinely gobsmacked. It was a great shortlist and I really didn't expect to win. It's a particular delight for me because this award is voted for by readers and also because it is awarded at this festival. It feels very special to be honoured here because of the closeness of my involvement with what has become the best crime writing festival in the world.'

Val received £3,000 and a handmade, oak beer cask at the opening ceremony of the Theakston's Old Peculier Harrogate Crime Writing Festival presented by sponsor Simon Theakston.

Visit: http://www.harrogate-festival.org.uk/crime/

July 2006

This is Val's latest newsletter sent out to everyone who has signed up via the 'subscribe' form at the bottom of most pages on this site.

We are delighted to announce that the Val has won the 2006 Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year prize with The Torment of Others, the fourth Tony Hill and Carol Jordan novel. The announcement was made on the opening night of the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival, where Val was chair of the Programming Committee for the first three years. Val said, 'I was genuinely gobsmacked. It was a great shortlist and I really didn't expect to win. It's a particular delight for me because this award is voted for by readers and also because it is awarded at this festival. It feels very special to be honoured here because of the closeness of my involvement with what has become the best crime writing festival in the world.'
Val received £3,000 and a handmade, oak beer cask at the opening ceremony of the Theakston's Old Peculier Harrogate Crime Writing Festival presented by sponsor Simon Theakston.

In a very different vein, viewers can see Val wearing another hat on BBC2 tomorrow night at 7pm in a programme called A Lot of Balls. No, not a football commentary, but an episode in a series called Lefties which deals with aspects of left-wing politics in the 80s. Val talks about her involvement with the ill-fated newspaper, News on Sunday. None of her fans will be surprised to hear that she pulls no punches...

June 2006

Val Says...

I'm thrilled to tell you that I've made the shortlist for the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award for the second year running, not least because it's the only award voted on by the people who actually buy and read books. Now it's up to readers like you to decide who gets to take home the specially-made Theakston's beer barrel at the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival in July (http://www.harrogate-festival.org.uk/crime/). This is where you go to vote for the award: http://www.ottakars.co.uk/Internet/home/harrogateForm.jsp

The presentation of the award to Mark Billingham last year was quite the occasion. Three of the short-listed authors were present to read from their books and the other three were memorably impersonated by Stella Duffy whose thespian skills let us see their work in a whole new light! It should be a great night again, whatever the outcome.

Here's the shortlist. If any of them are strangers to you, it's got to be worth taking a punt on reading them, especially since they're all in paperback.

Strange Blood - Lindsay Ashford
Megan Rhys is trying to solve the ritual killing of a woman, found with a pentagram carved on her face, but has to fight every step of the way to get her voice heard. And as she argues with her boss, the press, the police and her family, more women die...

The Coffin Trail - Martin Edwards
Edwards skilfully evokes the atmosphere of the Lake District in this 'clever psychological thriller' (Sunday Telegraph). A cold case review of a savage murder shakes up the village of Brackdale, and a murderer once again stalks the Lakes.

The Torment of Others - Val McDermid
Criminal psychologist Dr Tony Hill returns to find himself involved in one of his strangest, most dangerous cases yet. 'No one compares to McDermid when it comes to the deviant side of human nature' The Guardian

One Last Breath - Stephen Booth
Fourteen years after being jailed for murder, Mansell Quinn is released, and another body is found. But who really is the killer, and who could be the next target? Another atmospheric tale set in the Peak District

The Various Haunts of Men - Susan Hill
A young policewoman and an enigmatic Chief Inspector must unravel the mystery behind a strange sequence of disappearances in an otherwise quiet cathedral city in Hill's masterly crime debut. 'A subtle study of the mind of a psychopath' Daily Mail

Fleshmarket Close - Ian Rankin
Investigating the death of an illegal immigrant is just one of Rebus's worried - his bosses want shot of him, and aren't being too coy about letting him, know. Fifteen books in and Rankin just gets better - Fleshmarket Close is one of the best Rebus novels yet.

Don't forget: this is where you vote.
http://www.ottakars.co.uk/Internet/home/harrogateForm.jsp

April. 2006

Yes, it's that time of year again. The longlist for the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2006 has just been published and I'm proud to say I have made it to the longlist again. The award, which is presented at the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival (http://www.harrogate-festival.org.uk/crime/index.html) is the only major UK crime fiction award chosen by public acclaim. It's organised in association with Ottakar's bookshops, the official festival book retailer, and their booksellers have drawn up the longlist of their favourite 20 crime novels published in paperback last year. Now it's up to readers to whittle that down to six. You can vote for me, or for any of the other 19, at: http://www.ottakars.co.uk/Internet/home/harrogateForm.jsp.
And the great thing about a longlist like this is that you are guaranteed to find at least one writer you haven't tried before!
Happy reading.
Val

April. 2006

Val reads from her book 'The Distant Echo' and talks to Ramona Koval about her work and her early influences.

Book Show
Weekdays 10am and Sun 7.10pm
Radio National's daily book program featuring interviews with Australian and overseas authors as well as topical, thoughful and entertaining features on the best writing from Australia and overseas.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bookshow/stories/2006/1601285.htm

February. 2006

Here's the public events I'm doing in Oz. I am also doing lots of media -- print and radio interviews, so people should keep an ear/eye out for me.

Val's Dates in Australia 2nd March to 13th March 2006

• Sydney - Thursday 2 March, 7pm - Bookstore Event
  Gleebooks
  49 Glebe Point Road, Glebe
  Tel: 02 9554 7071
   
• Canberra - Friday 3 March, 5.30pm - Australian National University Event
  Lecture and book signing
  Haydon Allen Tank
  Tel: 02 6125 8983
   
• Adelaide - Sunday 5 March, 1.00 - 1.45pm - Adelaide Festival - "Meet the Author" solo session
  West Tent - Pioneer Women's Memorial Gardens
  
  For more information go to: www.adelaidefestival.com.au
   
• Adelaide - Monday 6 March, 8pm - 10pm
  Elder Hall, North Terrace, Adelaide
  Evening One with Visiting Writers
  with Val McDermid, Andrew Taylor, Minette Walters, Sarah Waters
  Chair: Julia Lester
  
  For more information go to: http://www.adelaidefestival.com.au/program/writersweekev1.aspx
   
• Adelaide - Thursday 9 March, 11.00 - 12.15pm
  West tent – Panel discussion "Too Chilling" with Gail Bell, Dorothy Johnston, Nicholas Jose, Val McDermid
  Why is the thriller a dominant popular form in our time?
  Why do contemporary readers seek out thrills, spills and chills?
  Is sensation everything?
   
• Brisbane - Friday 10 March
  • 12.30pm Literary lunch - Dymocks Brisbane
    Libby Marshall, Dymocks Brisbane
     
  • 6pm Author Event - Talk, reading & Q&A
    Venue: Avid Reader, Boundary Street, West End, Brisbane
    Tel: 07 3007 2803
     
• Perth - Monday 13 March, 6.30pm - 8pm - Author Event - Dymocks Garden City
  Venue: Bluewater Function Centre, Duncraig Road, Applecross
  Tel: 08 9364 7387

Feb. 2006

Val has written an article for The Times about the research she did for The Grave Tattoo. You can read it at:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,923-2044221,00.html

Enjoy!