All ticket sales in aid of CENTREPOINT young homeless charity. 70 top crime authors. Celeb TV guests. Saturday 7th October 2023, 9am-11pm, Gerrards Cross, 20 mins from Marylebone. Thanks to sponsors Sacla’, BP Collins & Fairweather Insurance.

Frederick Forsyth · Ruth Ware · Mark Billingham · Sarah Pinborough · Elly Griffiths · CL Taylor · Laura Shepherd Robinson · Claire Mackintosh · Jane Casey · Fiona Cummins · Kate London · Neil Lancaster · Gytha Lodge · Tony Kent · Paul Waters · Denise Beddows · Vaseem Khan · Will Carver · Imran Mahmood · Rachael Blok · Steve Mosby · Alex North · Mason Cross · Alex Knight · William Shaw · Cass Green · Helen Fields · SJ Bennett · Barnaby Jameson KC · Martina Cole · Amen Alonge · Stevyn Colgan · JA Marley · Ed James · Kat Diamond · Neil Broadfoot · CD Major · Luca Veste · Rob Parker · Judith O’Reilly · Leye Adenle · Mark Edwards · Michelle Davies · Kia Abdullah · Barnaby Jameson KC · His Honour Judge Nigel Lithman KC · Marnie Riches · Anna Mazolla · Tariq Ashkanani · Julia Couch · Rachel Ward · Helen Fry · Laura Marshall · Susi Holliday · Claire Douglas · Sarah Hilary · Steph Broadribb · Claire Seeber · Lucy Dawson · Cate Quinn · Caroline Frear · Howard Linskey · Erin Kelly · Amanda Jennings · Tammy Cohen · Amanda Ross · Olivia Kiernan · Derek Farrell · Robert Scragg

Chiltern Kills, 7th October 2023, Gerrards Cross, doors open 9am-11pm, 20 mins from Marylebone

The single most intense one day of crime writing entertainment, with many of the biggest names in UK crime writing & celeb moderators, all joining together with @centrepointuk to help homeless young people.

Tickets £40 (including booking fee) – ALL proceeds to Centrepoint. (Our costs are covered by our generous sponsors & all authors are appearing for free.) Our ticket platform, We Got Tickets, will also donate 20% of your booking fee directly to Centrepoint. If you want to donate even more, you can when you buy your ticket. NB: Your ticket gets you all-day access to both stages, the signing bookshop, the bar, the food court & mingling areas, but each panel event is first-come-first-seated, & NOT everyone will fit into each panel. Both stages will be running panels at the same time, the bookshop will be hosting signings & crime authors will be pulling pints behind the bar – so plenty to enjoy.

  • 70 Authors.
  • Celebrity Moderators from TV.
  • Law and Order professionals.
  • 20 panels across 2 stages.
  • A specially written play performed by crime writers – Murder Guaranteed!
  • Unique karaoke – How to Murder a Song – led by crime writing legend Mark Edwards
  • And a food selection to make Borough Market blush.
  • 1-2-1 interviews with crime writing legends.
  • The Windsor & Eton beer tent to end all beer tents – with bar staff in crime-themed costumes.
  • Pick up signed books from your favourite authors at the festival Chiltern Bookshop.
  • Swag galore in your festival tote bag with every ticket.

Please use public transport. We’re only 20 minutes from Marylebone by train, with free shuttle bus or a short walk from the station. Unmissable.

Chiltern Kills crime writing fest, Gerrards Cross, 7th October 2023

Chiltern Kills is at historic Colston Hall, (GXCA Memorial Centre), 8 East Common, Gerrards Cross, Bucks, SL9 7AD.

  • By train: 20 mins from London Marylebone via Chiltern Railways, then 11 mins walk to the venue.
  • By car: 5 miles from Junction 2, M40 – free parking.

Get the last train home or stay at one of our lovely local hotels – the Bull Hotel, The Crowne Plaza Gerrards Cross, the Ethorpe Hotel, the Greyhound Inn, the RIOSHOUSE George-Inn, or the ibis budget Beaconsfield.

MORNING

TIMEPOIROT STAGE PANELSPOIROT STAGE
PANELISTS
10:00amTHE STARTER’S PISTOL
(Roads to Publication)
CAZ FREAR, AMANDA JENNINGS,
CLAIRE SEEBER, TARIQ ASHKANANI & ROBERT SCRAGG
11:15amLAW VERSUS ORDER – Sponsored by BP CollinsTONY KENT, NEIL LANCASTER, IMRAN MAHMOOD, KATE LONDON &
HHJ NIGEL LITHMAN KC (CHAIR)
12:30pmCOMMITTED OR CASUAL
(Series v Standalone)
CALLY TAYLOR, ELLY GRIFFITHS, OLIVIA KIERNAN AND NEIL BROADFOOT
TIMEMARPLE STAGE PANELSMARPLE STAGE
PANELISTS
10:00amCROSSING THE STREAMS
(Genre-Busters)
WILLIAM SHAW, HOWARD LINSKEY, CASS GREEN, HELEN FIELDS &
ALEXANDRA BENEDICT
11:15amTOO CLOSE TO HOME
(Domestic Noir) – Sponsored by Fairweather Insurance
MARK EDWARDS, CLAIRE DOUGLAS, JULIA CROUCH, TAMMY COHEN & LUCY DAWSON
12:30pmSTAR SPANGLED BANGERS
(USA-set & US Bestsellers)
RUTH WARE, ALEX NORTH, STEPH BROADRIBB,
C D MAJOR & MASON CROSS

AFTERNOON

TIMEPOIROT STAGE PANELSPOIROT STAGE
PANELISTS
1:45pmFIRST PERSON IMPERFECT
(Art of the Anti-Hero)
AMEN ALONGE, JOHN MARLEY, KAT DIAMOND, MARNIE RICHES & ROB PARKER
3:00pmNOW WE’RE SUCKING DIESEL
(Procedural)
CLARE MACKINTOSH, JANE CASEY,
ED JAMES, FIONA CUMMINS &
GYTHA LODGE
4:15pmEYE-SPY WITH MY LITTLE LIES
(Espionage)
DENISE BEDDOWS, BARNABY JAMESON KC, DR HELEN FRY, JUDE O’REILLY & TOM WOOD
TIMEMARPLE STAGE PANELSMARPLE STAGE
PANELISTS
1:45pmTHIS IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE, RIGHT?
(Far-Flung Crime)
PAUL WATERS, LAURA MARSHALL, CATE QUINN, LEYE ADENLE & SUSI HOLLIDAY
3:00pmTHE ROAD TO BESTSELLER – Moderated by NATASHA KNIGHT of Magic FMSARAH PINBOROUGH & HARRIET TYCE & WILL CARVER
4:15pmTRUE CRIME INTERVIEW
PENNY BELL MURDER
MICHELLE DAVIES w/ PENNY BELL’S DAUGHTER LAUREN

EVENING

TIMEPOIROT STAGE PANELSPOIROT STAGE
PANELISTS
5:30pmONE-ON-ONE – Sponsored by Fairweather InsuranceFREDERICK FORSYTH w/CELEB MODERATOR
6:45pmIN OLD BLOOD
(Historical)
LAURA SHEPHERD-ROBINSON,
VASEEM KHAN, ANNA MAZZOLA,
BARNABY JAMESON KC & PAUL WATERS
8:00pmBESTSELLERS PODCAST
LIVE Sponsored by Sacla’
Radio & Podcast Stars: PHIL WILLIAMS & NATALIE JAMIESON
 
GUESTS TO BE ANNOUNCED
9:15pmMURDER A PLAY w/GYTHA LODGE – Sponsored by BP CollinsA Whodunnit that Goes Wrong, with a cast of Bestselling Authors
TIMEMARPLE STAGE PANELSMARPLE STAGE
PANELISTS
5:30pmFIRESIDE HOMICIDE
(Cosy Crime)
Sponsored by Sacla’
DEREK FARRELL, RACHEL WARD, STEVE COLGAN, S J BENNETT &
J L BLACKHURST
6:45pmONE-ON-ONE Sponsored by Cactus TVMARK BILLINGHAM w/AMANDA ROSS (CACTUS TV)
8:00pmMINDED TO KILL
(Psych Thrillers)
ERIN KELLY, LUCA VESTE, RACHEL BLOK, SARAH HILARY & KIA ABDULLAH
9:15pmMURDER A SONG
w/ MARK EDWARDS
2-hour Karaoke party hosted by the 4 million-selling crime writing phenomenon

AUTHORS

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Frederick Forsyth - Author
Former RAF pilot & investigative journalist, the legendary Frederick Forsyth defined the modern thriller when he wrote The Day of The Jackal, described by Lee Child as ‘the book that broke the mould’, with its lightning-paced storytelling, effortlessly cool reality & unique insider information. Since then he has written 13 novels which have been global bestsellers: The Odessa File, The Dogs of War, The Devil’s Alternative, The Fourth Protocol, The Negotiator, The Deceiver, The Fist of God, Icon, Avenger, The Afghan, The Cobra, The Kill List, & The Fox
Sarah Pinborough- Author
Sarah Pinborough is a New York Times bestselling & Sunday Times Number one & Internationally bestselling author & screenwriter who is published in 30+ territories. Having published 25+ novels across various genres, her recent books include Behind Her Eyes, now a smash hit Netflix limited series, Dead To Her, in development with Amazon Studios, & The Death House in development with Compelling Pictures. Sarah lives with her dog Ted & has just adapted her most recent novel INSOMNIA for Left Bank Pictures, filming Summer 2023.
Mark Billingham - Author
Mark Billingham is one of the UK’s most acclaimed & popular crime writers. His series of novels featuring DI Tom Thorne has twice won him the Crime Novel of the Year Award. Every one of his 23 novels has been a Sunday Times top ten bestseller & his debut novel, Sleepyhead was chosen by the Sunday Times as one of the 100 books that had shaped the decade. In 2021 he received the award for Outstanding Contribution To Crime Fiction at the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival. His latest novel is The Last Dance – the first in a new series featuring DS Declan Miller.  A Sky television series based on the Thorne novels starred David Morrissey as Tom Thorne & a series based on In The Dark & Time Of Death was broadcast on the BBC in 2017.  Mark lives out rock-star fantasies as a member of the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers band. Website: markbillingham.com  Twitter: @MarkBillingham
Vaseem Khan - Author
Vaseem Khan is the author of two award-winning crime series set in India. His debut, The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra, was a Sunday Times 40 best crime novels published 2015-2020 pick. In 2021, Midnight at Malabar House, the first in the Malabar House novels set in 1950s Bombay, won the Crime Writers Association Historical Dagger. 
Leye Adenle - Author
Leye Adenle is a Nigerian-born crime thriller author, known for his gripping & suspenseful stories that explore the darker side of human nature. His debut novel, “Easy Motion Tourist,” won the prestigious Prix Marianne in France in 2016. Adenle’s writing is characterised by its vivid descriptions of Nigerian society, which he portrays with a gritty realism that captures the complexity of life in a country that is often misunderstood by outsiders. His novels delve into issues such as corruption, inequality, & violence, while also exploring the humanity of his characters & the choices they make in the face of adversity. He is also an advocate for gender equality, & his writing often explores the experiences of women in Nigerian society.
Gytha Lodge - Author
Gytha Lodge is a multi-award-winning playwright, novelist & writer for video games & screen. She’s also a single parent who blogs about the ridiculousness of bringing up a mega-nerd small boy. She has a profound addiction to tea, crosswords and awful puns. She studied English at Cambridge, where she became known quite quickly for her brand of twisty, dark yet entertaining drama. She took the Creative Writing MA at UEA. Her debut crime novel, She Lies in Wait, has been published by Penguin Random House in the US & UK, & been translated into 12 other languages. It was an international bestseller in 2019, a Richard & Judy book club pick,& a Sunday Times & New York Times crime pick. Little Sister, her fourth novel, was released in 2022 & A Killer in the Family, her fifth, in 2023. 
Laura Shepherd-Robinson
Laura Shepherd-Robinson worked in politics for 20 years before re-entering normal life to do a Creative Writing MA at City University. Her debut novel, Blood & Sugar, was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month, & won the Historical Writers’ Association Debut Crown & the Specsavers/Crimefest Best Debut Novel prize. Her second novel, Daughters of Night, was shortlisted for the Theakstons Crime Book of the Year, the Goldsboro Glass Bell Award, & the HWA Gold Crown. The Square of Sevens is her third novel. She lives in London. Her website is https://www.laurashepherdrobinson.com/ 
Tony Kent - Author
Tony Kent is a leading criminal barrister, a former champion heavyweight boxer & a bestselling author of political & legal thrillers. Since the release of his 2018 debut novel Killer Intent, Tony’s books have been selected for the Zoe Ball Book Club on ITV & the Richard & Judy Book Club, as well as being Thriller of the Month selection picks in both The Times & The Sunday Times. Tony appears as a criminal law expert on TV, radio & in the national press, including in hit Netflix true crime documentary series ‘Meet Marry Murder’, ‘My Lover My Killer’ & ‘Kill Thy Neighbour’. Tony is co-founder & co-organiser of the Chiltern Kills crime-writing festival.
Paul Waters - Author
Paul Waters is the author of the historical crime thriller Blackwatertown, & a co-founder & co-organiser of Chiltern Kills. He’s also co-host of the We’d Like A Word books & authors podcast, & an award-winning BBC producer. Look out for him in the new Taking Liberties short story anthology, & a new series mystery series coming soon set in India. Twitter: @paulwaters99 Website: paulwatersauthor.com
Denise Beddows - Author
Denise Beddows is an award-winning writer of True Crime & Crime/Espionage fiction. She has a background in research, investigation & intelligence analysis. A keen linguist with 30 years of government service, she has lived, worked & played in 20+ countries.  
Imran Mahmood - Author
Imran Mahmood is a practising criminal barrister in England & Wales with 30+ years’ experience fighting cases. His debut novel You Don’t Know Me was chosen by Simon Mayo as a BBC Radio 2 Book Club Choice for 2017 & longlisted for the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year & the CWA Gold Dagger Award, The Glass Bell Award & was made into a hugely successful BBC1 adaptation in association with Netflix. In the Netflix charts it reached no.3 in the World & in the UK received a BAFTA nomination for best actor. His second novel I Know What I Saw was chosen as a Sunday Times crime novel of the month & reached no. 2 on the Audible charts. It was also long-listed for both the CWA Gold Dagger Award & Theakstons Crime Novel of the year. His third novel ALL I SAID WAS TRUE was released in HB (audio & e-Book) in July 2022 & the PB is out this year. He’s been commissioned to write two screenplays by film & TV producers, & has just secured a two book deal for a major publisher in the USA. (Photo by Bill Waters.)
Kia Abdullah - Author
Kia Abdullah is a novelist & travel writer from London. Her last novel, Next of Kin, was longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award & won the Adult Diverse Book Award 2022. Her new novel, Those People Next Door, was the Times Thriller of the Month & a Guardian best new thriller. Kia has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, The Financial Times, The Times & the BBC, & runs Asian Booklist, a site that helps readers discover new books by British-Asian authors.
John Marley - Author
J.A.Marley was born in Belfast, & with a 30 year career inTV, made the leap to crime writing with his Danny Felix thrillers, centring on the exploits of a master thief. ‘London Interrupted’ published this year, will soon be followed by the sequel ‘The Ungodly Hours’ & a yet to be announced third book in early 2024. Aside from writing, John likes films, dogs & good whisky… not necessarily in that order.
Olivia Kiernan - author
Olivia Kiernan was born in Ireland. She writes crime thrillers & suspense fiction, & holds an MA in Creative Writing. THE END OF US is her first standalone novel after the critically acclaimed Detective Frankie Sheehan series. She lives in Oxford.
Cesca Major - Author
Cesca Major is a novelist & screenwriter. She’s written 14 novels under different names & been published in 12+ countries. She’s been nominated for the RNA’s Romantic Comedy Award, HWA Gold Crown & CWA Gold Dagger Award. She has TV & films in development with Monumental Television, Hello Sunshine, Apple, Sky Studios & the BBC. She runs writing retreats, is a writing mentor for the Black Girl Writers & lives in Berkshire.
Alexandra Benedict
Alexandra (A K) Benedict is a bestselling, award winning author of novels, stories & scripts. As A K Benedict, she writes high concept novels such as the eDunnit nominated ‘The Beauty of Murder’ & the forthcoming ‘Little Red Death’, out in 2025 from Simon & Schuster. AK also writes for radio, including Scribe Award winning Doctor Who scripts & horror adaptations like the BBC Audio Award nominated ‘The Children of the Stones’. As Alexandra Benedict she writes Golden Age inspired crime with a modern darkness. ‘The Christmas Murder Game’ was an Amazon Fiction Bestseller & longlisted for the Gold Dagger. ‘Murder on the Christmas Express’ was in the Heatseeker charts for 7 weeks. The Christmas Jigsaw Murders is out October 2023. 
Michelle Davis
Michelle Davies is a Buckinghamshire native. She began her writing career as a reporter on the Bucks Free Press newspaper then moved to London to work on magazines. Her 2016 first novel, Gone Astray, features detective Maggie Neville as a Family Liaison Officer solving a missing persons case in the fictional Buckinghamshire town of Mansell (loosely based on High Wycombe). Michelle has written three more novels in the series and two psychological thriller standalones. She’s serialising her latest novel – a spinoff from her Maggie Neville series – every week on the Substack newsletter platform. 
Luca Veste is the author of eight novels – including You Never Said Goodbye & Trust In Me – the host of the hit podcast Two Crime Writers and a Microphone, & co-founder of the Locked Up Festival, which has raised over £25,000 for the Trussell Trust charity. He studied psychology & criminology at the University of Liverpool, & lives on Merseyside.
Helen Fry - Author
Historian Dr Helen Fry has written many books on the Second World War, particularly about the 10,000 Germans who fought for Britain, British intelligence & espionage. Her latest bestseller is Women in Intelligence: The Hidden History of Two World Wars. She’s written over 25 books, including The Walls have Ears: The Greatest Intelligence Operation of WWII; Spymaster: The Man who Saved MI6; The London Cage about a secret interrogation centre in WWII; & MI9: A History of the British Secret Service for escape and evasion in World War Two. She is an ambassador for the National Centre for Military Intelligence. 
Caz Freare
Caz Freare’s crime novel Sweet Little Lies won 2017 Richard & Judy ‘Search for a Bestseller’ competition. It also reached on Amazon, selling 250,000 copies, & was the first in the series featuring DC Cat Kinsella, a young detective with the Met Police. It was followed by Stone Cold Heart in 2019 & Shed No Tears in 2020. Caz’s first standalone thriller, Five Bad Deeds,will be published by Simon & Schuster in 2024. 
Will Carver - Author
Will Carver is the bestselling author of the January Series – Girl 4 (2011), The Two (2012), The Killer Inside (2013), Dead Set (2013) – & critically acclaimed Detective Pace series, including Good Samaritans (2018), Nothing Important Happened Today (2019) & Hinton Hollow Death Trip (2020), which have been selected as books of the year, & longlisted/shortlisted for the Amazon Readers Independent Voice Award, Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award, Not The Booker Prize & Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year Award. Will studied theatre & TV at King Alfred’s Winchester, where he set up a successful theatre company. He currently runs his own fitness & nutrition business. 
Jude O'Reilly
Jude O’Reilly is the author of three action adventure thrillers featuring her all-action hero, government spy & ex-assassin, Michael North. The Financial Times described her latest thriller,  Sleep When You’re Dead, as one of the ‘Best Books of 2022’.  O’Reilly is also the author of two memoirs including the UK & German bestseller Wife in the North (a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week) & A Year of Doing Good (during which she tried – & failed – to become a better person).  She is a former journalist with the Sunday Times, Channel 4 News & Newsnight. 
Tariq Ashkanani - Author
Tariq Ashkanani is a solicitor based in Edinburgh, whose debut novel Welcome to Cooper was shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger & won the Bloody Scotland Debut Award. He also helps run Write Gear, a company that sells high-quality bespoke notebooks for writers, & co-hosts Write Gear’s podcast Page One.
Claire Seeber - Author
After a stab at being a (bad) actress, Claire Seeber directed factual TV for years before writing the first of nine psychological thrillers in 2006, including the best-selling Never Tell & The Stepmother; her latest, out in 2023, is The Birthday Reunion.  She’s been CWA-Dagger nominated, also writes for stage & screen, as well as features for newspapers such as The Guardian & The Independent.
Stevyn Colgan - Author
Stevyn Colgan is an award-winning writer, artist, & public speaker. He is the author of 11 books & was, for a decade, one of the senior researchers & scriptwriters for the multi award-winning BBC TV show QI. He was also on the writing team that won the Rose D’Or for Radio 4’s The Museum of Curiosity. In 2019 he was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, & was voted onto the committee of the Eccentric Club of Great Britain (est. 1781). A keen folklorist & forager, he lives in the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty & is a senior lecturer at a number of UK universities.
Elly Griffiths - Author
Elly Griffiths is the author of the bestselling Dr Ruth Galloway series, the Brighton Mysteries & three stand-alone crime novels. She won the 2020 Edgar Award for The Stranger Diaries & the 2016 CWA Dagger in The Library. The 15th Ruth book, The Last Remains, published in January 2023, was a Sunday Times Number 1 bestseller. Elly also writes the Justice Jones series for children. She lives near Brighton with her archaeologist husband & has two grown-up children & a cat.  
Amen Alonge - Author
Amen Alonge is the author of gangland thrillers A Good Day to Die & A Good Night to Kill. He was born in Lagos & moved to London as a teenager. He worked as an engineer, took a screenwriting course & ran the family business, a sports media company that owned the global licensing rights for the Nigerian Football League. He is currently training to become a solicitor. You can follow him on Twitter & Instagram: @amenalonge 
Anna Mazzola - Author
Anna is the award-winning author of four Gothic historical crime novels. Her first legal thriller will be published in 2024. Her debut novel, The Unseeing, won an Edgar Allen Poe award. Her third novel, The Clockwork Girl, set in 18th century Paris, reached number 11 in the Sunday Times Chart & was a 2022 Sunday Times historical fiction pick. Her fourth novel, The House of Whispers, is set in Fascist Italy. Anna is also a writing coach at The Novelry & a human rights & criminal justice solicitor providing training to other advocates. https://annamazzola.com Twitter: Anna_Mazz 
Rachel Ward - Author
Rachel Ward worked in local government for years before writing full-time. Her debut YA thriller, Numbers, won many UK & European regional awards, was released in 26 countries & is optioned for film. She has written two psychological thrillers for HQ Digital, Safe With You & The Girl Who Vanished. Her cosy crime series, The Supermarket Mysteries, published by Joffe, (formerly the Ant & Bea Mysteries, Sandstone Press) is set in & around a supermarket in a small English town. The Missing Checkout Girl hit the top 10 in the cosy mystery chart.
Mark Edwards - Author
Mark Edwards writes psychological thrillers in which scary things happen to ordinary people. He has sold over 4 million books since his first solo novel, The Magpies, in 2013 & has topped the bestseller lists numerous times. His other novels include Follow You Home, Here To Stay & The Hollows. He has also published six books co-authored with Louise Voss. His latest book is Keep Her Secret.  
Derek Farrell
Derek Farrell is the author of 5 Danny Bird Mystery novels & a novella. He grew up near the Guinness Brewery in Dublin but can’t stand the stuff. He’s lived & worked all over the world & was David Bowie’s paperboy. derekfarrell.co.uk 
Julia Crouch - Author
Julia Couch is the author of seven internationally published crime novels: Cuckoo, Every Vow You Break, Tarnished, The Long Fall, Her Husband’s Lover, The New Mother & The Daughters. She has written 11 plays & is developing a screenplay. She teaches for UEA, Faber Academy & the National Centre for Writing.
Jane Casey, Author
Jane Casey has written 12 novels for adults & three for teenagers. Her books have been international bestsellers & the Maeve Kerrigan series has won many awards including Crime Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards on two occasions. The Killing Kind was a 2021 Richard & Judy Book Club pick & is being filmed for TV. Her most recent book is The Close.
Ed James - Author
Ed James is a Scottish author who writes crime fiction novels across multiple series & in multiple locations. His latest series is set in the Scottish Borders, where Ed now lives, starring DI Rob Marshall – a criminal profiler turned detective, investigating serial murders in a beautiful landscape. Set 400 miles south on the gritty streets of East London, his bestselling DI Fenchurch series features a cop with little to lose & a kidnapped daughter to find. His Police Scotland books are fronted by multiple detectives based in Edinburgh, & putting Dundee on the tartan noir map, the DS Vicky Dodds novels feature a driven female detective struggling to combine her complex home life with a heavy caseload. edjames.co.uk | @edjamesauthor
Erin Kelly - Author
Erin Kelly is the Sunday Times Bestselling Author of nine psychological thrillers. Her work has been translated into 35 languages & adapted for TV. Her latest novel is The Skeleton Key.
Nigel Lithman - Author
His Honour Nigel Lithman KC has spent a lifetime in crime first as Junior Barrister & then in silk as Queen’s Counsel & now King’s Counsel. He sat as a Recorder at the Old Bailey & then as Crown Court Judge. At the Bar his work included 100+ murder trials. As Chairman of the Criminal Bar Association in 2014 he led the Bar in its first strike against the Government in 400 years. In 2021 Nigel’s memoir “Nothing Like the Truth – The Trials and Tribulations of a Criminal Judge” was a no holds barred look at the Judicial system & his part in it. Nigel also paints, acts as a trustee of a charity for underprivileged children & supports Leyton Orient in their never ending quest to gain promotion to League 1.
Alex North - Author
Alex North’s first novel, The Whisper Man, was a Sunday Times, New York Times & international bestseller. It’s been published in 30+ languages & is being adapted for film. It was followed by The Shadow Friend, & his most recent thriller is The Half Burnt House. Alex is the pseudonym for a previously award-winning crime novelist, & he lives in Leeds with his wife & son.
Mason Cross - Author
Mason Cross is the author of the Carter Blake thriller series published by Orion. The first book, The Killing Season, was published in 2014, & was followed by The Samaritan, The Time to Kill (titled Winterlong in the USA), Don’t Look For Me & Presumed Dead. What She Saw Last Night, his first standalone novel, was published in 2019. The Killing Season was longlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award, & The Samaritan was selected for the Richard & Judy Book Club. Most recently, Presumed Dead was longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize. He also writes standalone thrillers as Alex Knight, including Hunted & Darkness Falls. 
Claire Douglas - Author
Claire Douglas is the number one Sunday Times Bestselling author of eight thrillers including her most recent The Girls Who Disappeared. Her books have sold over a million copies in the UK & are published in 25+ languages. She lives in Bath with her husband & two children. 
Sarah Hilary - Author
Sarah Hilary’s debut, Someone Else’s Skin, won the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year & was a World Book Night selection, a Richard & Judy Book Club pick, & a Silver Falchion & Macavity Award finalist in the US. Her first standalone, Fragile, was published in 2021. Her new book, Black Thorn, came out in July 2023. Sarah also teaches & mentors crime fiction’s rising stars. She is Programme Committee Chair for St Hilda’s Crime Fiction Weekend, & co-founder of Ledburied, a crime fiction festival in her home town. Sarah’s short stories have won the Fish Criminally Short Histories Prize, the Cheshire Prize for Literature & the SENSE Prize. www.sarahhilary.com
Amanda Jennings - Author
Amanda Jennings writes dark psychological dramas set in Cornwall. She has been published in the UK & internationally, & is writing her seventh book. She has taught writing workshops, judged writing competitions, & contributed to BBC Radio Berkshire’s Book Club. She lives just outside Henley-on-Thames & has three daughters. When not writing you can find her out with her dogs & horses, or dreaming of mountains & the sea
Marnie Riches - Author
Marnie Riches has been a punk, a trainee rock star, a pretend artist & professional fundraiser. Her Amsterdam- & Cambridge-set, best-selling George McKenzie crime thrillers, tackling the subject of trans-national trafficking, were inspired by her own time spent in The Netherlands. Her debut – The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die – won a Dead Good Reader Award in 2015. Dubbed the Martina Cole of the North, Marnie has also authored three mini-series, all set in Manchester: her Manchester gangland thrillers, her PI Bev Saunders mysteries & her DS Jackson Cooke police procedurals. She has sold over 300,000 books. Marnie also writes historical sagas as Maggie Campbell, & is the author of the first six books in HarperCollins Children’s historical adventure series, Time-Hunters, penned as Chris Blake. She teaches both academic & creative writing. She has been the Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Cambridge University’s post-graduate researcher unit, & is a course tutor for Cambridge University’s Masters in Crime- & Thriller-Writing. www.marnieriches.com
Lucy Dawson - Author
Lucy Dawson edited a national magazine for 6-12 year old girls before swapping sparkles & pop stars for suspense thrillers. Her first bestselling novel – His Other Lover – was published in 2008. She’s since published 11 more books. She writes about the challenges women of all ages face & overcome when the perfect storm hits, tackling universal themes like adultery, toxic friendships & complex family dynamics. She’s never happier than when she’s just had a new book idea but hasn’t actually had to write it yet.
Rachael Blok - Author
Rachael Blok is the author of the DCI Maarten Jansen crime series, set in the cathedral city of St Albans. Here, Jansen struggles against his plain-speaking Dutch upbringing when faced with the seemingly polite world of the picturesque city. The novels include Under the Ice, The Scorched Earth, Into The Fire & The Fall.
Clare Mackintosh - Author
Clare Mackintosh is a police officer turned crime writer, & the multi-award-winning author of six Sunday Times bestselling novels. Translated into 40 languages, her books have sold more than two million copies worldwide & have spent a combined total of 64 weeks in the Sunday Times bestseller chart. (Photo by Heledd Roberts Photography)
Neil Lancaster - Author
Neil Lancaster is the No.1 digital bestselling author of both the Tom Novak & Max Craigie series. His first Craigie novel, Dead Man’s Grave, was longlisted for the 2021 McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book of the Year. The second Craigie novel, The Blood Tide, topped several ebook & audio charts. It was also longlisted for the 2022 McIlvanney Prize & shortlisted for Best New Series at the Dead Good Reader Awards. Neil’s served as a military policeman & worked for the Metropolitan Police as a detective, investigating serious crimes in the capital & beyond. As a covert policing specialist, he used all manner of techniques to investigate & disrupt major crime & criminals. He now lives in the Scottish Highlands, writes crime & thriller novels, & works as a broadcaster & commentator on true crime documentaries.
Tammy Cohen - Author
Tammy Cohen is the author of seven bestselling psychological thrillers, the latest of which is The Wedding Party, recently optioned for TV. Previously she also wrote three dark women’s fiction novels as Tamar Cohen debuting with The Mistress’s Revenge which was translated all round the world. In addition, she has written three historical novels under the pseudonym of Rachel Rhys. The first, Dangerous Crossing, was a Richard & Judy book club pick in Autumn 2017. 
Caroline Green - Author
Caroline Green is an award-winning writer for young people & a Sunday Times/ USA Today bestselling adult author. She has published 12 books; under her own name, as Cass Green & as CS Green. She is the Writer in Residence at East Barnet School & Pentonville Prison, & runs courses for City University & Writers and Artists Yearbook. https://carolinegreenwriter.co.uk
Howard Linskey - Author
Howard Linskey is the best-selling author of ten crime fiction novels set in the north-east of England, including the David Blake series for No Exit & the Tom Carney series for Penguin Random House. He also writes historical fiction, as well as non-fiction & his books have been published in nine countries. Howard was featured in an episode of CBS Reality’s true crime TV Series, ‘Written In Blood’. “Howard Linskey does for Newcastle what Ian Rankin has done for Edinburgh” New York Review of Books.
Helen Fields - Author
Helen Fields is an international million copy best-selling writer whose crime novels have been translated into 20+ languages. A former criminal & family law barrister, Helen now writes full time & is best known for her D.I. Callanach “perfect” series set in Scotland. Her latest release is The Institution featuring forensic profiler Connie Woolwine. Helen is known for her “not for the faint-hearted” writing & for her tense and gripping style.
Willian Shaw - Author
Writing police crime fiction as William Shaw & adventure thrillers as GW Shaw, William has been shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger, the Barry Award, The Golden Bullet & the CWA’s Award for Historical fiction & long listed several times for the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year. His latest book, writing as GW Shaw, is The Conspirators.
Fiona Cummins - Author
Fiona Cummins is an award-winning former journalist & a graduate of the Faber Academy, where she now teaches her own Writing Crime course. She’s the internationally bestselling author of five crime thriller novels, all of which have received widespread critical acclaim from household names like Val McDermid, Lee Child, David Baldacci, Martina Cole & Ian Rankin. Her books, which include Rattle & When I Was Ten, have been translated into several languages & three have been optioned for TV. Her latest novel, Into The Dark, the first in a series featuring DC Saul Anguish, was described by the Daily Mail as ‘breathtakingly good’. Her latest book is All Of Us Are Broken.
Ruth Ware - Author
Ruth Ware is an international number one bestseller. Her thrillers In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game, The Death of Mrs Westaway, The Turn of the Key, One by One & The It Girl have appeared on bestseller lists around the world, including the Sunday Times & New York Times. Her books have been optioned for both film & TV, & she is published in 40+ languages. Visit www.ruthware.com to find out more. (Photo by Gemma Day.)
Neil Broadfoot - Author
Neil Broadfoot was a journalist for 15 years before moving into communications. He’s the author of eight books across two series, one set in Edinburgh, featuring journalist Doug McGregor & cop Susie Drummond, & his current one in Stirling, focused on protection specialist Connor Fraser. The first book in each series, Falling Fast & No Man’s Land respectively, was longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year. 
Steph Broadribb - Author
Steph Broadribb is the bestselling author of the Retired Detectives Club series & has also written the Lori Anderson bounty hunter series & the Starke/Bell psychological police procedural novels (as Stephanie Marland). She has an MA in Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) & trained as a bounty hunter in California. Her books have been shortlisted for the eDunnit eBook of the year award, the ITW Best First Novel award, & the Dead Good Reader Awards. 
SJ Bennett - Author
Born in Yorkshire, SJ Bennett had a varied career before her first novel was published when she was 42. Since then her books have won the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year, been optioned for TV & translated into 20+ languages. She now writes an international crime series featuring the Queen as a secret detective. She lives in London, where she haunts palaces, museums, galleries & libraries. She’s on Instagram @sophiabennett_writer & at her website, www.sjbennettbooks.com.
Rob Parker - Author
Rob Parker is the author of the Ben Bracken thrillers, the Thirty Miles Trilogy & the standalones Crook’s Hollow & Blackstoke. ​Rob writes full time, as well as organising & attending author events across the UK. He spends a lot of time in schools across the North West, encouraging literacy, storytelling & creative-writing. ​He’s also co-host of the For Your Reconsideration film podcast, & a regular voice on both the Blood Brothers crime book podcast & the Really, 007! podcast.
CL Taylor - Author
C.L. Taylor is a Sunday Times bestselling author. Her psychological thrillers have sold nearly two million copies in the UK alone, been translated into 20+ languages, & optioned for TV. Her 2019 novel, Sleep, was a Richard & Judy pick.
Laura Marshall - Author
Laura Marshall is the Sunday Times top ten & Kindle No. 1 bestselling author of four psychological thrillers. Her books FRIEND REQUEST, THREE LITTLE LIES, THE ANNIVERSARY & MY HUSBAND’S KILLER have sold over half a million copies in the UK & been translated into 25 languages. 
Barnaby Jameson - Author
Barnaby Jameson is a London-based barrister. He’s been involved in some of the most notorious terrorist cases of the century including terrorist bombings, & plots to overthrow governments & assassinate politicians. His work has brought him into contact with clandestine agencies around the globe. CODENAME: MADELEINE is based on real life agents of the most clandestine agency of WW2 set up in 1940 to carry out hazardous espionage & sabotage operations in Nazi-occupied Europe.
Susi Holliday - Author
Susi Holliday grew up near Edinburgh & worked in the pharmaceutical industry before she started writing. A lifelong fan of crime & horror, she was shortlisted for the inaugural CWA Margery Allingham Prize. She’s the bestselling author of ten novels & a novella. A film adaptation of her Trans-Siberian-set thriller, Violet, is in development. Her website & links are at www.linktr.ee/susiholliday.
Mystery Victim Vanished from sight, leaving only a chalk outline.

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