Tag Archives: Quercus Publicity
Congratulations to Stef Penney (The Invisible Ones), Isabelle Grey (Out of Sight) and Lynda Hilburn (The Vampire Shrink) who all have great new books published today…
Also, huge congrats to Colin Cotterill (Killed at the Whim of a Hat), Thomas H Cook (Moral Memory) and K.M. Grant (Hartslove) who also have great books out today…
We’re very excited to announce that Peter May’s brilliant The Blackhouse has been announced as a Richard & Judy title this title this Autumn.
The Blackhouse is out in paperback today, and really is a must-read. This is going to be the crime book of the season…
Jaimy Gordon’s Lord of Misrule is also out today. Jane Smiley said it is, ‘Such a beautifully written novel… Remarkable’ – and she aint wrong!
Peter Spiegelman’s Thick as Thieves has been described as ‘Slick, sophisticated and satisfying … this is thriller fiction at its best’ by none other than Lee Child. Lee Child! People, you have to read this!
Daniel Kehlmann’s Fame was described as ‘A real beauty of a book, farcical, satiric, melancholic, and humane’ by the masterful Jonathan Franzen, author of Freedom. If Franzen thinks it’s great, believe me, it’s great!
Born Liars by Ian Leslie is once again all over the weekend papers. The Daily Mail finds it a:
“Consistently startling and fascinating book … It is erudite yet wears its learning lightly and is full of terrific stories.”
And the Sunday Times believes it’s:
“Teeming with anecdotes and digressions, Born Liars is a lucid and entertaining celebration of our capacity for self-deception.”
Plus John Rentoul mentions the book in his Comment column in the Independent on Sunday: “… fascinating book”
Island of Wings was reviewed in the Scottish Review of Books:
“… a setting both rich and bleak, and that apparent contradiction is mirrored in her charactersiation of her protagonists … she has a feel for the landscape and sympathy for the islander’s way of life.”
The Economist reviews Bloodmoney by David Ignatius:
“This book has such a contemporary ring that you expect to come upon a description of Osama bin Laden living in a safe house in Abbottabad … Ignatius is the master of small details that give spy novels a ring of truth … more of a John le Carre than a Tom Clancy. Far from offering a tub-thumping celebration of America’s war on terror – or a tut-tutting condemnation of Pakistan’s duplicity – he serves up a supper of nuance and self-doubt.”
There was a two-page interview with Ed O’Loughlin for Toploader in the Irish World:
“Ed O’Loughlin manages to give his readers the cold facts accompanied by a slick of dark humour which makes for easy reading …. Dark, humorous and ironic.”
Mark Logue and Peter Conradi did an excellent event for The King’s Speech at the Charleston Festival, with many books sold. It was picked out as a highlight in the books pages of the Sunday Times. Mark Logue also squeezed in a large interview in the Brighton Evening Argus to preview the event.
Foodie legend Prue Leith’s latest novel, The Gardener, was reviewed in Image magazine in Ireland:
“A sweet story, probably most enjoyed by readers with green fingers.”
And they also reviewed Memoirs of a Bitch by Francesca Petrizzo:
“It’s a brave undertaking from a previously unpublished teenager, but an admirable one, and it makes for addictive reading. You’ll find yourself thinking twice about the face that launched a thousand ships”
The paperback of Miss Shirley Bassey was reviewed in the New Welsh Review:
“ … a vivid and enthralling portrait of both person and era. Unlike many biographies where the world is shrunk down to the subject and their immediate universe, in Williams’ biography, context – historical, political and, in particular, social – is at lease as important as his subject.”
Gautama Buddha has been reviewed in the latest issue of The Historical Novels Review:
“This fascinating book pieces together what little is known about Gautama, the historical Buddha … This compelling account evaluates the elusive historical figure and his impact using the techniques of the elephant tracker “who knows the dimensions of the beast he is following from the size of the footprint it leaves behind.”
The reading of Lennox by Craig Russell on BBC Four Extra (formerly BBC 7) began on Saturday night and will continue for another four weeks. Do try to catch it if you can…
I’d like to thank all 300 correct entries for the Shotsmag, Colin Cotterill: Killed At The Whim Of A Hat competition and CONGRATULATE the 5 winners: Mr. P Green, Mrs. J M Beale, Mr. T Loader, Ms I Smith and Ms C Moulton!
Your signed copies should be arriving shortly!
reviewingtheevidence has finally picked up on Tooth and Claw by Nigel McCrery – perhaps because he was recently at CrimeFest:
“This is a brilliant book … The atmosphere that McCrery creates is perfect for a tense thriller, the narrative tightly controlled and the plot expertly handled … This is a finely crafted, beautifully executed novel.”
Speaking of CrimeFest, Colin Cotterill, Shona MacLean and Nigel McCrery had a wonderful 4 days and met loads of people – so thanks to all those who came up and introduced themselves!
The CWA Dagger Award announcements were made at a cocktail party on the Friday night and it turns out that Quercus and MacLehose Press are going head-to-head with each other for the CWA International Dagger awards as books by both imprints have been shortlisted: Three Seconds by Roslund and Hellstrom (Quercus) and River of Shadows by Valerio Varese (MacLehose Press)
Plus Philip Kerr has been shortlisted for the CWA Dagger in the Library for the Bernie Gunther novels and won the CrimeFest eDUNNIT Award for best Ebook for Field Grey.
CWA Dagger winners will be announced on the 22nd July at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, where Quercus once again have many authors participating in panels about how to achieve and solve the perfect crimes…
Details to follow so WATCH THIS SPACE!
Well, it’s been a heady week and it certainly ain’t over yet!
Tomorrow, some of us are headed to Bristol for CrimeFest. If you’re going, please do come up and say ‘Hello’ and we’re really hoping that some of you will even be sitting in the audience for one or two of our panels. There’ll be more details at the bottom of this round-up, so try read all the way to the end…
First up, the brilliantly funny, coming-of-age novel, Lex by James Mylet, has been gathering reviews like … well, not like a rolling stone. This time the Daily Mail adds their review to the … oh never mind:
“ … immensely likeable debut. Full of toe-curling mishaps, it’s wise beyond its protagonist’s years”
The Watermen, the thrillingly authentic historical crime novel set in and around the London Docks in the late 18th century, has also been reviewed in the Daily Mail
“Patrick Easter’s compelling debut is overflowing with atmosphere”
Laura Wilson’s latest novel, A Capital Crime, was reviewed in the Guardian:
“Wilson evokes the shades of Reginald Christie and Timothy Evans to powerful effect in her third Stratton novel as she probes a society irrevocably altered by war, and raging madness hidden behind dull window panes”
The Mail on Sunday has run an extract from Born Liars by Ian Leslie, warning us about teaching our children to lie from a very early age. It’s a fascinating article, particularly for new parents…
“The number of lies told by children-tends to spike among those aged four as they exercise their amazing new powers, but it usually declines during their first school years, as the child receives social feedback. They learn that the benefits of lying (self-defence or getting something they want) come at a hefty price. They find that if they lie too much, teachers and friends lose faith in their credibility and they become unpopular.”
In Prospect magazine, philosopher, Julian Baggini, takes Ian Leslie’s point in Born Liars that ‘lying is deeply connected to what makes us human’ and expounds on the role of lying in maintaining a healthy society. That’s right folks, not only is it okay for our politicians to lie to us, in some instances it’s positively essential!
“Even when it comes to matters that truly belong in the public domain, we should ask ourselves whether we would really prefer politicians to simply speak the truth. Would it really be wise for a prime minister to announce, when a crisis breaks, that no one really knows what’s going on yet or has a clue what to do next? Leadership in a crisis may require projecting more calm and control than one really has behind closed doors. More honesty in politics would certainly be a good thing; complete honesty most probably disastrous.”
And The Big Issue in Scotland highly recommends it to its readers.
The Spectator has reviewed the highly controversial book by Telegraph journalist, Toby Harnden, Dead Men Risen:
“Harnden’s fine book made me thankful I never joined the army …. Dead Men Risen is a serious work, far removed from the blood and thrills of Bravo Two Zero school of military literary campaigning. Such books may grip but they do not engage. Harnden’s does both.”
Plus, BBC Radio Wales interviewed Toby Harnden for the second time last week on the Sunday Supplement news programme.
Ed O’Loughlin’s darkly comic debut novel, Toploader, is finding fans far and wide with this review in the Irish Mail on Sunday:
“ … a thriller, a political satire, a powerful indictment of 21st century warfare and media coverage of war – it is also very funny …. The plot is a lively caper … as the plot unfolds, twists and turns that might seem almost silly against any other backdrop seem to work, simply because the fictional world O’Loughlin has created seems so believable and compelling. For all its apparent outlandishness, Toploader has a convincing ring of truth, no doubt the result of the author’s long experience as a Middle East correspondent. An enjoyable and thought-provoking read.”
And another in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle:
“You have all the ingredients for a fast-paced and fun fiction which will also prick at your conscience as you sit reading in a comfortable armchair, divorced from a life that for some is more real than this novel.”
If you haven’t already cottoned on to the fact that Denmark is the new Sweden, you’d better take note! Danish author, Sissel-Jo Gazan, paid us a visit last week and crime reviewers from the Independent, The Times, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Times, the Daily Express and the Spectator all turned up to her event at the Danish Embassy for The Dinosaur Feather. If you’ve not read it yet, you’d best get cracking!
Andrew Nicoll’s event at Blackwells in Edinburgh last week was a raging success and Allan Massie shares his admiration for The Love and Death of Caterina in his review in The Scotsman:
“The narrative is compelling but what most distinguishes this novel is the assurance of tone, the depth of understanding and the range of the author’s sympathies”
Field Grey, the latest book in the increasingly popular ‘Bernie Gunther’ thriller series by Philip Kerr, has been succinctly reviewed in the International Herald Tribune:
“Bernie’s cynical, completely twisted idea of payback is brilliantly in character”
On a totally different track, debut chick-lit author, Hazel Osmond has been working extremely hard to promote her fabulous novel, Who’s Afraid of Mr Wolfe.
Not only was she interviewed on The Racy Writer but she’s also managed to publicize her book to British Romance Fiction Yahoo Group – only you have to be a member to see what she says…
Hazel’s short story has finally appeared in My Weekly, which is out now and plugs the book, plus Hazel managed to squeeze in her talk at the Hexham Book Festival where she was interviewed by Sally Vickers and did a reading from Who’s Afraid of Mr Wolfe.
In fact, she’s done so well so far that she’s been asked to do a guest blog on Abouthappybooks (which featured a review of Who’s Afraid of Mr Wolfe last week) and will also be doing a blog interview on the Roman Romance Fiction Yahoo Group site on 7th June.
PLUS there’s an interview with Hazel in the Newcastle Journal with a snappy line about the book:
“A funny, sexy romance with heart-wrenching bits”
Emma Smith of Waterstone’s in Cheltenham has been the first person to review Blossoms and Shadows for the Book Monkey web-site:
“This novel is definitely suited for anyone with an interest in Japanese history. There is a beautiful story in there … It is beautifully told, and elegantly written, and I did thoroughly enjoy it, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to those who enjoyed The Tales of the Otori. Blossoms and Shadows is something entirely different.”
Reader, Jean Marshall, has done a review of The Legacy for the New Books website and has given it a 5-star rating which is now live online:
“To describe the pace as slow is in no way a criticism – quite the reverse, in fact. I relished the detail of this richly atmospheric novel; the account of the destruction of the Twin Towers moved me to tears … When I came to the final page, I felt I was leaving something very special. I was utterly captivated by this exquisitely written book.”
And finally, an interesting review of A Fair Maiden has been sent to us by The Gothic Imagination, which is affiliated to the University of Stirling:
“Katya is the ideal candidate for female gothic. As a nanny she symbolises the domestic realm (as well as absent mothers); she is practically an orphan, with a verging on sexual longing for her missing father and a neglectful mother; she is on the cusp of adulthood; she is a curious combination of promiscuity and innocence; and she’s just a little bit annoying. In Mr Kidder we have both the gothic villain and the chivalrous lover. This, combined with the fact that he is a little bit camp provides a highly entertaining Gothic dynamic for any feminist/gender/queer theory enthusiast. It is perhaps a little disappointing that Katya isn’t a strong feminist character; nonetheless she does lend herself to some interesting feminist analysis … Overall, I thought this was a very, very interesting read, recalling on a more subtle level the sadistic world of Angela Carter’s work. I would certainly recommend this to anyone interested in the contemporary gothic and gender.”
And now for some CrimeFest info:
Friday 20th May
10:10 – 11:00am Shona MacLean on panel in Room 1
An Affair To Remember: A Walk Through History
Fellow Panellists:
Rory Clements
Carola Dunn
Steven Saylor
Janet Laurence – moderator
2:10 – 3:00pm Colin Cotterill on panel in Room 2
Monkey Business: When Mischievous Crosses Over into Deceitful Behaviour
Fellow Panellists:
Colin Bateman
Chris Ewan
L.C Tyler
Donna Moore – moderator
4:30 – 5:20pm Nigel McCrery on a panel in Room 2
Without Reservations: No Holds Barred
Fellow Panellists:
Quentin Bates
Conor Fitzgerald
Danny Miller
Matt Hilton – moderator
5:30 – 7:00pm The Crime Writers’ Association’s Dagger Shortlist Announcement reception
Saturday 21st May
7:30pm Gala Dinner: Kings Room
Sunday 22nd May
10:00 – 10:50 Colin Cotterill & Colin Bateman in Conversation with
Jake Kerridge
Hope to see you there!
From the Bookseller:
Quercus has been crowned 2011′s best publisher at The Bookseller Industry Awards, as Sainsbury’s scooped the Bookseller of the Year award.
Quercus was presented with the Bonnier Publishing Publisher of the Year Award at the black-tie event attended by around 600 people in London’s Park Lane Hilton yesterday evening (16th May) after experiencing 100% growth in the past 12 months to become the 11th largest publishing house in the UK.
One judge said: “They’ve got the numbers, the people and the energy. I admire them, and their achievements.”
Read the whole article at the Bookseller.
There was a review of Island of Wings in the Daily Mail:
‘. . . quietly compelling novel . . . while sticking close to contemporary sources, Altenberg has found a powerful storyline, limpid prose style and moral force that are all her own’
And it was reviewed in The Big Issue:
‘Her vivid depiction of its (St Kilda’s) flora, fauna and rugged coastline is gloriously rich’
Toploader was reviewed in the Sunday Telegraph:
‘Ed O’Loughlin’s first novel, Not Untrue and Not Unkind, was a pretty black satire, shot through with the same black humour that enlivens Toploader . . . wonderfully rich set-up . . . a terrific satire on the nature and organization of power . . . Toploader is plotted slide-rule accuracy as the interlocking stories of characters unite over the washing machine but among the plot’s ingenuity and the deadpan characterization, O’Loughlin spares time fo striking imagery and some rather beautiful writing . . . it deserves to sell well’
Tiny Sunbirds Far Away was reviewed in the Daily Mail:
‘. . . likeable debut . . . Religious tensions, the multiple hazards of female circumcision and the ecological toll of the oil industry are just some of the topics woven into a tale that nevertheless jangles with bittersweet laughter’
And it was reviewed in Pride, the monthly glossy for black women. Like The Voice, its very unusual for them to review a white writer. It was Book of the Month:
‘Funny, tragic and moving in all the right places. A must-read’
And Christie Watson was interviewed on Excess Baggage, Radio 4’s travel programme.
The Delta was reviewed in the Daily Mail:
‘An all-action, old-fashioned, full-on Boy’s Own romp from an author who is starting to challenge the veteran Wilbur Smith for the title of “master of the African thriller”. There’s not much sophistication in his character but there’s an energy and enthusiasm that more than makes up for it . . . break-neck in pace, with narrow escapes from death on every page, its charm is infectious’
The Demi Monde: Winter was reviewed in the Sunday Times:
‘Rod Rees provides a delectably dark addition to the growing subgenre of science fiction about virtual reality in his debut . . . a feisty and nightmarishly enjoyable debut that bodes well for the Demi Monde series.’
The School Librarian reviewed Entangled:
‘Grace’s story is told with humour, sensibility and warmth’
And Cat Clarke’s Top Ten Teens Behaving Badly appeared on the Guardian Children’s Books website
The Bookbag website reviewed Bracelet of Bones:
‘Beautifully researched historical novel with a quest theme, a strong female central character and an epic tone. Great stuff – and what else would we expect from Kevin Crossley-Holland’
They also reviewed Tomorrow When The War Began:
‘The character development is outstanding – superb’
