Phillipa Ashley's new novel A Perfect Cornish Summer has hit No.13 in the charts and sold 10,000 copies of both eBook and paperback since its release in April and May respectively.

The cover for Ashley Croft's (the alter ego of Phillipa Ashley) forthcoming book, The Love Solution, has been revealed and it's a beauty. 

Sisters Sarah and Molly are close, but they couldn’t be more different. Sarah runs a craft business and is obsessed with all things shiny and glam, whilst Molly is much more at home in her white coat and goggles, working in a science lab.

When Molly is put onto a new assignment, she’s over the moon. It’s a high-profile, top secret project – and she has a handsome new boss to ogle at when she’s not bending over a petri dish...

But when Sarah finds herself on the painful end of a disastrous break-up, no amount of Ben & Jerry’s or trashy rom-coms can cheer her up. She wants to take a more drastic approach to dealing with her heartbreak, and one that only her sister – and perhaps a sprinkle of science – can help with...

Father's Day might have been yesterday, but there are still some brilliant deals to be had courtesy of Kobo until the 19th June.

Adrian Magson's Rocco and the Price of Lies and Smart Moves are only 99p, as is R.C. Bridgestock's Poetic Justice, the prequel to the incredibly popular DI Jack Dylan series.

Congratulations to Chris McGeorge, whose new novel Now You See Me was published last week. Chris is the author of the fabulously twisty Guess Who. 

Introducing Standedge Tunnel: the longest canal tunnel in England.

Last year six students went in, and two and a half hours later, the boat reappeared on the other side with only one of the students, unconscious, and the dog.

The case of the Standedge Six was largely kept from the national media. The police investigation concluded that the only remaining student, Matthew, killed his friends, hid the bodies on the boat and returned later to move them to an undisclosed location.
​
Matthew is in prison . . . but maintains he is innocent.

Robert Ferringham is grieving for his missing wife, Sam. So when Matthew contacts him for help with his case, promising information on Sam, Robert has no choice but to help. But can he trust Matthew?
​
And how will he solve the insolvable case?

We are thrilled that two of clients' books have been longlisted for two different prizes in the last week:

• Luke Turner's debut non-fiction memoir, Out of the Woods for the Polari Prize
• Kate Mallinder's debut YA Summer of No Regrets​ for the Bristol Teen Book Award

​Congratulations, both!

We're rounding this week off with some lovely rights deals for M.W. Craven's second Washington Poe book, Black Summer, which has been sold to 2020 Editora in Portugal, and Modernista in Sweden. This brilliant sequel is out this week!

​Abi Elphinstone’s new book, Rumblestar, was chosen by the Sunday Times as their Children’s Book of the Week. This magical book is the start of a new series, The Unmapped Chronicles. Follow Casper Tock (who is, compulsively allergic to adventure) as he, Utterly Thankless and Arlo, Utterly’s miniature dragon, embark on an adventure full of cloud giants, storm ogres and drizzle hags.
 
Rumblestar was also confirmed as being the bestselling children’s book in new releases, last week.

​It has been announced that M.W. Craven (author of The Puppet Show  and Black Summer) will be a part of the line-up at this year’s Bloody Scotland. Mike will be appearing with crime stalwarts Mari Hannah and Peter Robinson on the We Are Detectives panel, Saturday 21st September at 5pm. To book your tickets, click here. 

We’d like to extend a warm welcome to new DHH clients, Peter Curran, joining Natalie Galustian’s list; and Maddie Please, who will add to Broo Doherty’s roster of clients.
 
Peter is a publisher, radio producer, writer, documentary maker and broadcaster. He is currently working on his memoir about growing up in the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
 
Maddie is the author of four books, all published by Avon HarperCollins. All her stories are uplifting, romantic comedies with a steep learning curve for her characters. 

Congratulations to Sara MacDonald, whose new book In A Kingdom By the Sea was published in eBook; Jo Thomas for the eBook publication of her new book My Lemon Grove Summer, and Sarah Simpson who saw the publication of her third book, I Know You’re There. These three reads are the absolute *perfect* accompaniment to your summer reading TBR list. Stock up, and lose yourself in these three fantastic reads.

Sarah Simpson’s debut book, Her Greatest Mistake, is currently free on Amazon Prime for a limited time only. Grab your copy here.
 
Claire Dyer’s poignant and moving The Last Day was published in audiobook last week. Beautifully read by Lucy Scott, you can download your copy here.

​The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was selected by the Zoella Book Club as their next read. You can join in the discussion, on Twitter, on Wednesday 3rd July.
 
The author of Seven Deaths, Stuart Turton, will be taking part in a Reddit AMA on Friday 28th June. More information here.

​Client Jennifer Lucy Allan presented an episode of BBC’s Late Junction on Tuesday 4th June. Catch up here.

​Phillipa Ashley’s new book, A Perfect Cornish Summer was standing strong at No.1 on the Heatseekers chart last week. 

​Paul E. Hardisty’s new book, Turbulent Wake, has received high praise from Paul Johnston, author of the Quint Dalrymple series: “Paul E. Hardisty, known for his superlative thrillers, has bravely moved into the challenging field of literary fiction, with a son trying to understand his dead father and thus himself. There is much superb writing, as well as memorable episodes set all over the world. The author has imbued his story with deep feeling and hard-won self-knowledge.”

​Finally, congratulations to Luke Turner, whose debut non-fiction memoir Out of the Woods, has been longlisted for the Wainwright Prize 2019. The £5,000 prize celebrates the best books about nature, the outdoors and UK travel and is awarded annually to the book which most successfully reflects the ethos of renowned nature writer Alfred Wainwright’s work. The longlist was announced to coincide with World Environment Day. The shortlist will be announced on Tuesday 2nd July, and the winner on the 15th August. 

Luke Turner's debut non-fiction memoir Out of the Woods has been longlisted for the 2019 Wainwright Prize.

The £5,000 prize celebrates the best books about nature, the outdoors and UK travel and is awarded annually to the book which most successfully reflects the ethos of renowned nature writer Alfred Wainwright's work, with the longlist revealed today (Wednesday 5th June) to coincide with World Environment Day. 

The judging panel for the 2019 prize will be chaired, for the third year running, by TV presenter Julia Bradbury. Waterstones non-fiction buyer Clement Knox, National Trust publisher Katie Bond, Unbound publisher John Mitchinson, The Urban Birder David Lindo and creative partner for agency And Rising Anna Arnell make up the judging panel. 

The prize shortlist will be announced on Tuesday 2nd July at an event at Waterstones Piccadilly. The winner will be announced on 15th August at an event in the National Trust Arena at the BBC Countryfile Live at Castle Howard, Yorkshire.

Phillipa Ashley’s gorgeous new book A Perfect Cornish Summer hit No. 1 on the Heatseekers chart last week, and we couldn’t be happier for this incredibly deserving author.

​We love a good book deal, and we’ve got a veritable (virtual) library’s worth of them for you:

• The Cliff House by Amanda Jennings is only £1.49 in the June Kindle Deal
• Deadly Focus by R.C. Bridgestock is also included in the June Kindle Deal at a staggering 99p
• A Store at War by Joanna Toye, Sleeper by JD Fennell & Deadly Focus by R.C. Bridgestock are all included in Kobo’s ‘First In A Series’ promo for a fraction of their usual price
• Claire Dyer’s beautiful and poignant The Last Day is £1.99 for a limited time only on eBook across all platforms
• Books one and two in Adam Hamdy’s gripping Pendulum series, Pendulum & Freefall are only £3.99 on Kindle for both books - that’s right: £3.99 for both books!

 
The perfect time to get your summer reading sorted! Click the titles to go straight to their promotions. 

​Congratulations to Abi Elphinstone, whose new book Rumblestar, the first in the highly-anticipated Unmapped Chronicles series was published last week.
 
The Daily Mail has given it a glowing review, saying “As ever, Elphinstone’s control of her complex universe is faultless and the thrilling plot is underpinned by a touching, emotional backstory.”
 
To celebrate Waterstones stocking an exclusive edition of Rumblestar (hello, blue sprayed edges & extra chapter), Abi has filmed one of their ‘Shelfie’ videos for Waterstones’ YouTube channel, where she discusses both the book, and her inspiration for it. Fancy a watch for yourself? Click here.
 
Abi was also interviewed by online children’s magazine, Books For Keeps. Here, you can read Abi talk about all her books and her life as a writer. 

​The cover for Sara MacDonald’s upcoming sweeping love story, In A Kingdom By the SeaIn A Kingdom By the Sea, was revealed and it couldn’t be more perfect.

- -
 
When Gabby’s husband accepts a transfer to Pakistan, she discovers a new world of heat and colour, of exotic bazaars and trips to the breath-taking Kashmiri mountains. It is an escape she didn’t know she was looking for.
 
But then a shocking letter from her sister reveals a devastating secret. Gabby is transported back to her home on the Cornish coast, and as memories unravel, so too does her new life in Karachi.
 
Will Gabby find the courage to face the dark secrets and embrace a different future?

​- -
 
Perfect for readers who love Santa Montefiore, Rosanna Ley and Dinah Jefferies, this gorgeous book will be published in eBook in June, and paperback in July, from HarperCollins. 

​Finally, we’re thrilled to be able to reveal that Noel O’Reilly’s dark and atmospheric debut novel Wrecker, has been shortlisted for the WHSmith Thumping Good Reads Award.
 
For the 2019 prize, the judges are Peter James and 2018 winner Laura Purcell, and their votes will be combined with a public vote to decide a winner. All you have to do to cast your vote, is tweet the name of the title using the hashtag #ThumpingGoodRead. You can also buy the full shortlist here. 

Liberation, the co-written novel by Imogen Robertson and Imogen Kealey has sold its audio rights to Isis Publishing. The film for this fascinating book, inspired by the incredible true story of World War II’s “greatest heroine” Nancy Wake, is set to star Oscar winner Anne Hathaway.

Polish rights for the thrilling new book by G.S. Locke, Neon, have been snapped up by Proszynski.

Paul Hardisty’s new standalone book, Turbulent Wake, was picked as Love Reading’s Pick of the Week. It also received a wonderful review from Hair Past A Freckle blog: “If you like literary fiction with heart then you MUST read the stunning Turbulent Wake – powerful, evocative, profound; I savoured every word.” To read the whole review, click here.

Metro News featured an interview with client Samantha Baines this week, regarding hearing aids. Samantha discovered at the age of 30 that she needed to wear a hearing aid, and put it off as long as she could, admitting she had an outdated view of them. However, wearing a hearing aid has completely changed her life, and inspired her first children’s book, Harriet!, due to be published by Knights Of, in October 2019. 

A Perfect Cornish Summer, the first in “queen of Cornish romance” Phillipa Ashley’s new series hit No.2 on the Heatskeers chart this week.

It was in the news this week, that vandals broke in to, and destroyed, a local model train exhibition. Luke Turner wrote a piece for the Guardian on the importance of model trains helping mental health. “Not just for anoraks: model railways are a joyful escape from the pressures of masculinity”. Luke’s debut non-fiction novel Out of the Woods was published by W&N in January 2019. To read the full article, click here.

Luke Turner has also been confirmed for an appearance at Glastonbury, where he will be discussing his book with Emam Warren, on the Friday of the festival (28th June).

Two French covers for our clients’ books were revealed this week: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (or Les Sept Morts d’Evelyn Hardcastle) by Stuart Turton and Life's A Drag (or Les Copines d’Abord) by Janie Millman. 

The cover for the EIGHTH in LC Tyler’s Elsie and Ethelred series, The Maltese HerringThe Maltese Herring, was also revealed this week. Join Ethelred Tressider and Elsie Thirkettle as they attempt to solve the murder of Dr Hilary Joyce, who was “neither liked nor respected among his academic peers” and at the time of his death, working to uncover the truth behind a local Sussex legend: the ‘buried treasure story’.

Phyllida Shrimpton’s debut YA novel Sunflowers In February won the Falkirk Schools Red 13 Awards. Since 2006, hundreds of 13 and 14-year-olds from the Falkirk area have voted for their favourite books and had the chance to meet acclaimed authors from across the UK.

Finally, proofs for Anita Frank’s debut novel The Lost Ones, have landed and we are hopping with excitement! This is a haunting novel, weaving a spell-binding tale of family tragedy, loss and redemption. The book is available to pre-order now and will be released on Hallowe’en 2019!

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton was discussed by Sarah Han on the Today Show, as her pick of ‘Mystery/Thriller’ in their segment on the best new books to check out this summer. Of course, we heartily agree with this endorsement and you can see the clip for yourself by clicking on this link.
 
There were huge celebrations in the DHH office this week when we learnt that Seven Deaths has, to date, sold over 100,000 paperback copies in the UK! We are completely thrilled for Stuart and his publisher Bloomsbury Raven. This mind-bending, extraordinarily clever book is a must for any bookshelf. You can grab your copy right here.

The second book in Abi Elphinstone’s Unmapped Chronicles series has been revealed… JUNGLEDROP! Following from the first in the series, Rumblestar, Jungledrop is a story about glow-in-the-dark rainforests, gobblequick trees and golden panthers, but it’s also a story about being kind – to others, to our planet and, perhaps hardest of all, to ourselves. Jungledrop will be out from Simon & Schuster Kids in Spring 2020. 

Other very exciting award news, it was announced this week that JD Fennell’s Sleeper: the Red Storm has been shortlisted for the Wilbur and Niso Smith Adventure Writing Prize. The winner will be announced at a ceremony on the 12th September 2019, at London’s Stationers’ Hall. In the meantime, you can hear four of the six authors shortlisted in conversation, including JD Fennell, at Stanfords bookshop in Covent Garden, on Thursday 23rd May, 7pm. For more information, and to book your tickets, click here.

It might seem like an absolute age away until the next Bank Holiday, but on the bright side, that's plenty of time to stock up your eReader with as many quality reads as you can and luckily, a number of DHH books are on offer for your literary pleasure!

Three of the books in Anna Jacobs' Rivenshaw saga are just 99p throughout May, A Time For Renewal and A Time To Rejoice, as part of the May Madness Kindle Deal, and Gifts For Our Time in the Kindle Monthly Deal. 

Rocco and the Price of Lies by Adrian Magson and White Lilies and Poetic Justice by R.C. Bridgestock are all below £2.99 in Kobo's Cheap Reads Sale.

You've got just a few days left to take advantage of the crazy-low prices for both J.D. Fennell's books, Sleeper and Sleeper: The Red Storm, in celebration of the latter being long listed for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. Sleeper is only 95p on Kindle and 99p on Kobo and Sleeper: The Red Storm is £1.89 on Kindle and £1.99 on Kobo. 

​A very exciting event was announced this week: Empowering Teens In YA. DHH client Kate Mallinder will be appearing on a panel alongside fellow YA authors Lucy Powrie, Alexandra Sheppard and Gill Stewart, at Foyle's on Charing Cross Road, on Thursday 25th July. Sitting down with award-winning book blogger Michelle Toy, the panel will explore the topic of "empowering teens in YA", focusing on characterization, storytelling and representation as means of encouraging young peoples' creative expression through reading. Tickets are £5 and you can book yours here. Kate's debut YA novel Summer of No Regrets was released earlier this month.

Client Luke Turner has written a piece for BBC Three's online blog centered around the "LGBT groups changing the face of football fandom". A fascinating article and one you will be glad you read, and you can do so right here.

Congratulations to DHH client M.W. Craven who has been nominated for a CWA Gold Dagger Award for his novel The Puppet Show, the first in the Washington Poe series and Mike's debut. To celebrate, Amazon has lowered the price of the paperback to just £2.00. No, your eyes are not​ deceiving you - only £2.00! The second in the series, Black Summer is published in June so now is the perfect time to snap up the first one. 

​Some very exciting news... Adam Hamdy has recently signed up to co-write a book with James Patterson in the PRIVATE series. Due for publication in 2020 we’ll have more details soon so watch this space!

​We're jumping the gun slightly with the next two pieces of news, but they're too blooming' fabulous not to share asap!

Ragnar Jónasson's The Darkness was featured in the Sunday Times feature, 'The 100 Best Crime Novels Since 1945'. While we can totally believe it, no big deal and all that (insert ironic emoji) it's still rather exceptional and pride-inducing to see the first in the Hulda Hermansdóttir 'Hidden Iceland' series listed alongside the likes of Georges Simenon and Agatha Christie - and speaking of the Queen of Crime, if you love a Christie novel then you are 100% guaranteed to fall head over heels for any and all of Ragnar's books. We can't recommend them enough. 

​Finally, our lovely Paul Burston saw in the eBook publication of his new book The Closer I Get, a twisty, psychological tale of obsession caught up in the tangled wires of social media. It's a heart-stopper and available right here. 

Delighted for Abi Elphinstone and her forthcoming middle-grade book Rumblestar, as it was revealed last week that Waterstones are going to be doing an exclusive limited edition, complete with blue sprayed edges and a bonus chapter. It’s available to pre-order now, so what are you waiting for?
 
A trailer for Rumblestar has also been released. Casper Tock hates risks and is allergic to adventures, so it comes as a nasty shock to him when he accidentally stumbles into Rumblestar… To watch the trailer, click here.

​J.D. Fennell’s second book Sleeper: The Red Storm has been longlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize 2019 for Best Published Novel. We are so excited for J.D., whose first book Sleeper was nominated for a number of awards and The Red Storm is in some fabulous company.
 
The prize is given annually and this year, the focus is on the best adventure novels published between 1st May 2018 and 30th April 2019, with entries open to writers of any nationality, writing in English. From the longlist, a number of books will now be selected for the shortlist and, under guidance from an expert judging panel, the £15,000 first prize for Best Published Novel will be awarded at a ceremony on the 12th September 2019, at London’s Stationers’ Hall. 

Rocco and the Price of Lies (Adrian Magson)
“A great crime thriller that will keep you entertained and guessing throughout!” MADEUP Group
“Delighted to have discovered a new series I can enjoy and I am very much looking forward to catching up on the earlier stories. Highly recommended.”
Grab This Book
“A quality crime and investigation novel, recommended!”
Big Fat Bookworm

The Island (Ragnar Jónasson)
“[Ragnar Jónasson] demonstrates easy command of the police procedural format, and is well aware that he can take his time with the steady, methodical bringing together of key facts. Hulda Hermansdóttir is a striking character - both gloomy and tenacious - and she is a key reason for the success of this atmospheric novel.”
Barry Forshaw, EuroLit Network

Marked Men (Chris Simms)
“First class. I shall be buying the first in the series and adding Chris Simms to the list of my favourite authors.”
Breakaway Reviews
​

German rights for Phillipa Ashley’s new book A Perfect Cornish Summer have been sold to DuMont. This perfect summer read is the first in a gorgeous new series.
 
Summer is on the horizon, and the people of Porthmellow are eagerly awaiting the annual food festival. At least, most of them are…
 
The eBook for this title is out now and you can order it here. The paperback will be released next Thursday (16th May).

Finally, a very exciting cover reveal took place last week. Payback is the first in a brand new series by R.C. Bridgestock, authors of the DI Jack Dylan series. Payback stars DI Charley Mann and is set in rural Yorkshire. The Dome Press will be publishing Payback in eBook in December (pre-order here) and paperback in January 2020.

Sleeper: The Red Storm, the second book from JD Fennell has been longlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize 2019. 

The prize is given annually and this year, the focus is on the best adventure novels published between 1st May 2018 and 30th April 2019, with entries open to writers of any nationality, writing in English. 

Submissions were received by authors from across the world including the USA, Australia, Nigeria, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and many more.

The Wilbur Niso Smith Foundation worked with experienced library professionals to select the titles for the longlist. 

From the longlist, a number of books will now be selected for the shortlist and, under guidance from an expert judging panel, the £15,000 first prize for Best Published Novel will be awarded at a ceremony on the 12th September 2019, at London's Stationers' Hall. 

​We are so thrilled for JD, congratulations!

​Congratulations to clients Phillipa Ashley and Adrian Magson who both had books published this week!
 
A Perfect Cornish Summer is the first in the brand new series from the “queen of Cornish romance”, Phillipa. Set in the fictional Porthmellow Harbour, we follow Sam Lovell as she organises the annual summer festival in her hometown. All is going well, until the star guest pulls out at the last minute and a London chef, who grew up locally, steps in. But Gabe Matthias is the last person Sam was expecting to see, and his return to Porthmellow will change her quiet coastal life forever. It’s available in eBook now and you can order here.
 
Adrian Magson’s new novel Rocco and the Price of Lies is the much-anticipated sixth in this fabulous crime series, set in 1960s Picardie and starring Detective Lucas Rocco. Three government officials are all found dead by their own hands. Murder by suicide? In answering this question, Rocco uncovers top-level fraud, theft and deception, realising that he has nothing to lose by bringing the truth out into the open - whatever the risks. To buy your copy, click here.

We’re thrilled for clients Ragnar Jónasson and Ane Riel who have both been nominated for the Petrona Award, for Best Scandi Crime Novel of the Year. The Petrona Award is open to crime fiction in translation, either written by a Scandinavian author, or set in Scandinavia.
 
Ragnar’s The Darkness, the first in his news Hidden Iceland series and starring Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir has been shortlisted, along with Ane Riel’s haunting and disturbing Resin which has been described as “deliciously macabre” by the Observer and “creepy as hell” by the Daily Telegraph.
 
The winning title will be announced at the Gala Dinner on 11 May during the annual international crime fiction convention CrimeFest, held in Bristol on 9-12 May 2019. The winning author and translator of the winning title will both receive a cash prize, and the winning author will receive a full pass to, and a guaranteed panel at, CrimeFest 2020.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton was championed on The Sara Cox Show by BBC Radio 1 presenter, DJ and author Greg James. Obviously, we heartily endorse this endorsement and you can catch the episode yourself right here.

​Women’s Weekly have bestowed some wonderful praise on Joanna Toye’s wartime debut novel A Store At War: “[a] captivating wartime drama… A triumphant debut novel.”
 



Finally, congratulations to Julie Caplin whose two Romantic Escapes books, The Little Café In Copenhagen and The Little Brooklyn Bakery, have been sold to Eksmo in Russia.