Quercus Publicity 31/5/11
A new series by the well-known Scottish columnist, Anna Smith, was published at the end of this month and reviews for The Dead Don’t Sleep are already flooding in. We begin with an interview with Anna about the book in the Scottish News of the World, followed by a 5-star review in the London edition of the News of the World:
“ … expertly unveils Glasgow’s seedy underbelly in this grisly page-turner. Her knowledge of the city’s underclass and the characters that fill the newsrooms shines out on every page. Scotland has a budding new crime talent.”
A recommendation by Lorraine Kelly in her Sunday Post column:
“The Dead Won’t Sleep is a cracking crime thriller … every single word rings true and it so cinematic, I’d be amazed if movie and TV companies aren’t falling over themselves to get it on the large or small screen … I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one.”
And the launch for Anna’s book at Waterstone’s of Glasgow last Thursday was a smashing success with over 200 books sold and rave mention in the Glasgow Evening Times and another on the allmediascotland website:
“One that most authors and their PRs can only dream about. The guests were a Who’s Who of Scottish journalism … Anna’s style of writing as a journalist has won her many awards, and she has infused that gritty prose style into her fiction, bringing alive the exciting places, gripping situations and colourful characters in her books.”
The Dinosaur Feather, by Danish author Sissel-Jo Gazan, has been mentioned in some influential circles, including Metro, Mumsnet and by Joan Smith in a piece about Scandinavian crime fiction in her Independent On Sunday column.
And Island of Wings by Karin Altenberg has been reviewed in Intelligent Life – the Economist’s quarterly supplement:
“Karin Altenberg combines scrupulous research with psychological acuity in exploring the marital and pastoral struggles of Reverend Neil Mackenzie.”
On the non-fiction side of things, the Daily Express ran a two-page extract from Camp Z including a generaous off-the-page offer and there was a news piece about the book in Scotland on Sunday.
At the Hay Festival this weekend the authors of The King’s Speech, Mark Logue and Peter Conradi’s, event was sold out and The Sunday Telegraph picked it out as a highlight of the festival. Lucky Mark Logue was also interviewed on the Sky Books programme by Mariella Frostrup whilst at the festival, and Choice, the retirement magazine, also ran an interview with Mark Logue over the weekend.
And for those of you not familiar with the London Glossy Magazine, grab your copy now to read more on their review of The King’s Speech:
“An astonishing insight into a private world … never before has there been such a personal portrait of the British monarchy.”
Back to the Hay Festival and Nicholas Humphrey’s event for his book Soul Dust, which went down extremely well which was followed by a review of Soul Dust in the International Herald Tribune:
“Nicholas Humphrey’s new book about consciousness is seductive – early 1960s Mad Men seductive . His writing is as elegant, and hypnotic, as that cool jazz stacked on the record player. His argument feels as crystalline and bracing as that double martini going down … his tone is as warm and inviting as that big, crackling fire … his book is not only thoroughly enjoyable but genuinely instructive too … he has some really interesting and original ideas about consciousness.”
Children’s author, Kevin Crossley-Holland’s event at Hay this afternoon is also sold out and his latest book, Bracelet of Bones was reviewed in the Guardian, comparing Kevin to both Rosemary Sutcliff and Henry Treece:
“ … superb new novel … Crossley-Holland knows the period – and the Vikings – so well that I’m sure were Dr Who to whisk him back to 11th century Scandinavia in the Tardis, he would be perfectly at home … Crossley-Holland writes prose with a poet’s eye and love of words, painting a vivid picture of the world his characters move through … it (the prose) almost sounds like a line from an Icelandic saga or a retelling of a Norse myth, which is no surprise from a writer so deeply imbues with the spirit of the north.”
An Epic Swindle was the Sports Book of the Week in the Independent on Sunday:
“ … passionate account … his facts stand up to scrutiny … offers a valuable insight into why the players didn’t feel they could speak out … Reade has a keen eye for the more ridiculous aspects of the affair … A valuable primer for fans of other clubs in future peril.”
And it was also reviewed in Tribune, the Labour party newspaper, with a succinct description of the book.
Toploader was reviewed in the Times Literary Supplement:
“No element of conflict zones escapes O’Loughlin’s anger, and he uses his book to explicitly attack both the construction of walls all over the world and the news media that feeds off their construction. The absurdist elements that drive the plot are both ridiculous and believable … at times the satire is reminiscent of Joseph Heller or Thomas Pynchon in the way it embraces the sheer stupidity of the situation it describes, but unlike those authors, O’Loughlin adds eloquent and thoughtful political discussions, which do not disrupt his fast-paced narrative.”
There was an interview with Lex author, James Mylet, in the Irish Post, the newspaper for expats in the UK:
“His enthusiasm for the world we live in and the kind of culture we consume, and natural story-telling ability definitely make him a new author to watch out for.”
Lex has also been reviewed in U, the Irish monthly magazine: “… Hilarious story.”
And Christopher Brookmyre mentions it in an interview in the Glasgow Herald.
And last, but by no means least, The Thing on the Shore by Tom Fletcher was reviewed on the Bookmunch website:
“The Thing on the Shore is assured, chilling and heartbreaking and Fletcher’s star is very much on the ascent. Fletcher’s characterization is flawless, he populates his story with a tantalizing cast of characters, his prose is bewitching, and the story is a melting pot of SF, fantasy and grim horror and the writer will keep you guessing. One thing is certain in Fletcher’s novel, you’ll never see anything coming.”
