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.

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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.

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MORNING

TIME	POIROT STAGE PANELS	POIROT STAGE PANELISTS
10:00am	THE STARTER’S PISTOL (Roads to Publication)	CAZ FREAR, AMANDA JENNINGS, CLAIRE SEEBER, TARIQ ASHKANANI & ROBERT SCRAGG
11:15am	LAW VERSUS ORDER – Sponsored by BP Collins	TONY KENT, NEIL LANCASTER, IMRAN MAHMOOD, KATE LONDON & HHJ NIGEL LITHMAN KC (CHAIR)
12:30pm	COMMITTED OR CASUAL (Series v Standalone)	CALLY TAYLOR, ELLY GRIFFITHS, OLIVIA KIERNAN AND NEIL BROADFOOT

TIME	MARPLE STAGE PANELS	MARPLE STAGE PANELISTS
10:00am	CROSSING THE STREAMS (Genre-Busters)	WILLIAM SHAW, HOWARD LINSKEY, CASS GREEN, HELEN FIELDS & ALEXANDRA BENEDICT
11:15am	TOO CLOSE TO HOME (Domestic Noir) – Sponsored by Fairweather Insurance	MARK EDWARDS, CLAIRE DOUGLAS, JULIA CROUCH, TAMMY COHEN & LUCY DAWSON
12:30pm	STAR SPANGLED BANGERS (USA-set & US Bestsellers)	RUTH WARE, ALEX NORTH, STEPH BROADRIBB, C D MAJOR & MASON CROSS

AFTERNOON

TIME	POIROT STAGE PANELS	POIROT STAGE PANELISTS
1:45pm	FIRST PERSON IMPERFECT (Art of the Anti-Hero)	AMEN ALONGE, JOHN MARLEY, KAT DIAMOND, MARNIE RICHES & ROB PARKER
3:00pm	NOW WE’RE SUCKING DIESEL (Procedural)	CLARE MACKINTOSH, JANE CASEY, ED JAMES, FIONA CUMMINS & GYTHA LODGE
4:15pm	EYE-SPY WITH MY LITTLE LIES (Espionage)	DENISE BEDDOWS, BARNABY JAMESON KC, DR HELEN FRY, JUDE O’REILLY & TOM WOOD

TIME	MARPLE STAGE PANELS	MARPLE STAGE PANELISTS
1:45pm	THIS IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE, RIGHT? (Far-Flung Crime)	PAUL WATERS, LAURA MARSHALL, CATE QUINN, LEYE ADENLE & SUSI HOLLIDAY
3:00pm	THE ROAD TO BESTSELLER – Moderated by NATASHA KNIGHT of Magic FM	SARAH PINBOROUGH & HARRIET TYCE & WILL CARVER
4:15pm	TRUE CRIME INTERVIEW PENNY BELL MURDER	MICHELLE DAVIES w/ PENNY BELL’S DAUGHTER LAUREN

EVENING

TIME	POIROT STAGE PANELS	POIROT STAGE PANELISTS
5:30pm	ONE-ON-ONE – Sponsored by Fairweather Insurance	FREDERICK FORSYTH w/CELEB MODERATOR
6:45pm	IN OLD BLOOD (Historical)	LAURA SHEPHERD-ROBINSON, VASEEM KHAN, ANNA MAZZOLA, BARNABY JAMESON KC & PAUL WATERS
8:00pm	BESTSELLERS PODCAST LIVE Sponsored by Sacla’	Radio & Podcast Stars: PHIL WILLIAMS & NATALIE JAMIESON GUESTS TO BE ANNOUNCED
9:15pm	MURDER A PLAY w/GYTHA LODGE – Sponsored by BP Collins	A Whodunnit that Goes Wrong, with a cast of Bestselling Authors

TIME	MARPLE STAGE PANELS	MARPLE STAGE PANELISTS
5:30pm	FIRESIDE HOMICIDE (Cosy Crime) Sponsored by Sacla’	DEREK FARRELL, RACHEL WARD, STEVE COLGAN, S J BENNETT & J L BLACKHURST
6:45pm	ONE-ON-ONE Sponsored by Cactus TV	MARK BILLINGHAM w/AMANDA ROSS (CACTUS TV)
8:00pm	MINDED TO KILL (Psych Thrillers)	ERIN KELLY, LUCA VESTE, RACHEL BLOK, SARAH HILARY & KIA ABDULLAH
9:15pm	MURDER A SONG w/ MARK EDWARDS	2-hour Karaoke party hosted by the 4 million-selling crime writing phenomenon

AUTHORS

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 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 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 (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’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 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 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.