The cover for The House, the debut political thriller novel from former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Tom Watson, co-written with client Imogen Robertson, revealed itself last week and it's a beauty!

Published by Little, Brown on 22nd October, you are sure to hear more about the brilliant title very soon, so watch this space...

Finnish rights for Stuart Turton's second novel, The Devil and the Dark Water, have been sold to Otava. Stuart is the author of Costa Award-winning The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.

This is the seventh territory the book has sold in pre-publication. It is available for pre-order now and will be published by Bloomsbury Raven on 1st October. 

We want to extend a hearty welcome to two new clients, to Broo Doherty's list:

Thomas Mogford is the author of the Spike Sanguinetti novels, and his work has been shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey Dagger and the CrimeFest eDunnit Award. Currently, his books are being developed for television by Endor Productions. You can read more about Thomas here.

Elliot Worsell joined us in December 2019 as part of out Pitch DHH: Liverpool event and we are delighted to welcome him to the DHH stable. Since he was 17, Elliot has been writing about combat sports and is the senior writer at Boxing News, the world's longest running boxing magazine. He has now turned his hand to fiction. Read more about Elliot here.

The cover for Chaos​, the second Christopher Radcliff novel from Andrew Swanston has been revealed. 

Following The Incendium Plot, and set in 1574 London, this is a fantastic historical thriller that will have you gripped until the very last page. 

Chaos will be published in August 2020 by Bantam Press and you can pre-order here.

Also revealed last week were the first two covers for Mike Hollow's forthcoming Blitz Detective series. 

Both books,The Blitz Detective and The Canning Town Murder, will be published in July 2020 by Allison & Busby. 

Amy Beashel's debut YA novel, The Sky Is Mine has been making waves over on New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Niven's (All the Bright Places) Instagram page. 

Jennifer regularly recommends books she has loved under her #NivReads hashtag, and we were so excited to see Amy's debut being given a mush-deserved shout-out. Describing the book as "compelling" and "absolutely beautiful", we couldn't agree more & you can watch the video for yourself here. 

Stephen Moss released his new book, The Accidental Countryside, back in March this year and we spied a fantastic blog piece over on the online magazine, Bloom and Doom. 

The piece explores how we can all we inspired by wildlife in unexpected places, which is what Stephen's book is about. Stephen himself has contributed to the feature, and it is a really lovely read complete with beautiful photos to get lost in.

In addition, if you are keen on all things nature, Stephen will be appearing on one of @urbanbirder's webinars on Friday 29th May at 7pm, to talk about Nature Writing. It is free but booking is required - click here!

HUGE congratulations to Anita Frank, who has been shortlisted for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2020, for her debut novel The Lost Ones. 

The shortlist, which was announced on Monday 11th May, is an incredibly strong all-female list and features some of the best writing around today. 

The winner is due to be announced on Thursday 2nd July, and you can read more about the shortlist here.

Someday In Paris, the sweeping and evocative love story debut from Olivia Lara, was published last week in eBook. 

This is the absolute perfect escapism for those wanting to shut the doors on the stresses of this time, if only for a few hours. Don't believe us? Some of the top women's fiction writers of today had this to say about it:

​"Well, I just finished reading this beauty and - WOW! Stunning. Someday In Paris is a deeply moving, richly evocative story of love, loss and the power of hope. Absolutely gorgeous!"
Miranda Dickinson

"Someday In Paris was the bookish escape I truly needed right now. An epic, sweeping romance set in the art worlds of Paris and New York, it's about soulmates and second chances – a love story that felt timeless yet completely original. Adored it."
Holly Miller

"An absolutely unforgettable love story ... You will lose your heart to this epic romance."
Mandy Baggot

See... Told you. You can get your copy here (currently FREE on Kindle Unlimited!).

First up, is Cate Green, a new addition to Broo Doherty's list. Allow us to tell you more about her:

Cate Green grew up in Buckinghamshire longing for city life and lived in Manchester and London before moving to France over twenty years ago. She now lives and writes just outside Lyon, France’s second city and gastronomic capital. Her novel For the Record won this year’s Exeter Novel Prize and she was runner-up in the Yeovil Novel Competition in 2016.  Cate is a broadcast and print journalist and copywriter with over twenty years’ experience in international radio, television and corporate communications. ​

Finally, we're sure you're as excited as we are for the arrival of Stuart Turton's new book The Devil and the Dark Water. Stuart is the author of Costa-winning debut The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and his second novel is due out in October 2020. 

One person who has got her hands on an early copy, is Good Me Bad Me author Ali Land, who had this to say:

"​Stuart Turton has done it again. The Devil and the Dark Water is mind bending, genre bending, intricate, vivid, intelligent and with one of the most gloriously grizzly cast of characters ever. An absolute razztwizzler of a novel!"

High praise, indeed! The book has already sold in six territories and there is major interest to the film/TV rights. If you like your books to mess with your mind a little, then look no further. Pre-order your copy now!

We are delighted with the news that today, Anita Frank's debut gothic novel The Lost Ones, has been shortlisted for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2020!

From a longlist of twelve, the team at Goldsboro Books have whittled them down to a shortlist of six, with a winner being announced on Thursday 2nd July. 

The Lost Ones was published by HQ in October 2019, to great acclaim, being chosen as one of the Sunday Times' picks for their Historical Books Round-Up, one of MyWeekly's Best Books of October and was also a Book Club pick for Woman & Home. 

​Congratulations, Anita!

To read more about the Glass Bell Award, click here.

M.W. Craven's first Washington Poe book, The Puppet Show, has been given a makeover with a brand new cover. The rest of the series (Black Summer and the forthcoming The Curator) would make a fantastic addition to anyone's bookshelf, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a better place to start than this fantastic, CWA Award-winning crime thriller.

In other M.W. Craven news, he has released an exclusive short story featuring Poe and Tilly.

Why Don't Sheep Shrink is available to read from the Crime Vault here.

Wishing our Jo Thomas a huge congratulations on the eBook publication of Escape to the French Farmhouse, her new irresistible novel set in and around the Lavender fields of Provence. 

The blog tour is in full swing and the book is already garnering fantastic reviews:

"It's a perfect read for a lazy afternoon, a book that is for sure going to leave you feeling warm and optimistic." On My Book Shelf blog

"This was such a heartwarming, uplifting tale of new beginnings, fresh starts, community, and friendship." Book Mad Jo blog

"Such a sweet, uplifting story – the perfect antidote to the world right now." The Love of Books blog​

Over on MyWeekly, the book was also described as "the perfect recipe for coping with lockdown", "[a] little slice of joy" and "uplifting and full of warmth."

You can read the full review here.

Amanda Jennings' forthcoming The Storm has picked up another fantastic quote! This time, from Rewind author, Catherine Ryan Howard:

"The Storm is a classy and clever twist on the marriage-with-secrets thriller that I devoured in one sitting. Whatever you *think* may be going on at the start... You're wrong. [Amanda Jennings] does sinister frighteningly well."

It will be published in July 2020.

 The paperback of Samantha Baines' debut children's book, Harriet Versus the Galaxy, was also published last week. 

A fantastic and hilarious, intergalactic adventure with Harriet, who discovers that her hearing-aid can do much more than she ever bargained for when she finds an alien in her room. 

​Congratulations, Sam!

Finally, we are delighted with the news Little, Brown imprint, Constable & Robinson has acquired the four first Inspector Ben Devlin thrillers, by Brian McGilloway, for reissue, with brand new covers. 

The first three, Borderlands, Gallows Lane and Bleed A River Deep, will be released in eBook in June 2020 and paperback in February 2021. The remaining two, The Rising and The Nameless Dead, will also be released in eBook in June 2020 but in paperback, April 2021.

#StayHomeSaveLives

We've had The Robin, The Wren, the forthcoming The Swallow, now meet... The Swan. 

In a deal negotiated by Broo Doherty, Penguin Random House's non-fiction imprint, Square Peg, signed a new deal for the fourth in Stephen's 'Bird Biographies' series, centered around the majestical water bird.

​Publication is scheduled for autumn 2021.

We were delighted to read that Ragnar Jónasson's The Mist was chosen as one of the Times' Best Books of 2020. 

The third in the Hidden Iceland series, starring DI Hulda Hermansdottir, The Mist was published by Michael Joseph last week and has already garnered some fantastic reviews:

"Nothing less than a landmark in modern crime fiction." The Times

"Jónasson weaves his suspenseful tales together with remorseless logic up to a climax more nightmarish than the buildup." Kirkus Reviews​

Also published last week, was the eBook of Jean Levy's second psychological thriller, Other Women (Dome Press). 

Sophie thought she and Jonah were happy, bringing up their small daughter, until one summer's day, she discovers that Jonah is far from the man she thought he was. Sam - an attractive English teacher - seems to offer her some comfort, and new friendships are a support.

But is Sam really who he says he is? Where have her new friends appeared from? Is anyone telling the truth? As Jonah's lies threaten Sophie and her daughter, can anyone be trusted?

The paperback of this twisty page-turner will be published in September.

The second in Gerard O'Donovan's Tom Collins mysteries, The Doom List, has been given a fantastic review from Publishers Weekly:

"O'Donovan makes fine use of period details, and peoples the cast with fascinating real-life characters. This action-packed, tightly plotted mystery should win the author news fans."

The Doom List follows the first in the series, ​The Long Silence.

There are some brilliant eBook deals out there for you keen bookworms - feast your eyes on these:

• For the whole of May, you can get Julie Caplin's The Little Paris Patisserie, A Perfect Cornish Summer by Phillipa Ashley, and I Know You're There by Sarah Simpson for a fraction of their original price.
• Kobo are holding a UK Women's Fiction Sale, and Rachael Featherstone's debut romcom Puzzle Girl is included at a steal of just 99p
• You can nab M.W. Craven's Black Summer ​and Joanna Toye's A Store At War, also for 99p, as part of Kindle's Mad Madness Promo 

Now if that those don't see you through over the forthcoming Bank Holiday, nothing will! Simply click on the title to take you straight to the promo in question.

It was a great month for Scandi-Noir, as both Eva Björg Ægisdóttir's debut The Creak on the Stairs and Ragnar Jónasson's The Mist were selected as two of the Sunday Times' Crime Club picks of the month. 

In addition, Eva's book is the Goldsboro Books Book of the Month - they will be releasing an exclusive, signed, first edition complete with glorious sprayed edges. Get your copy here.

#StayHomeSaveLives

Congratulations to Amy Beashel, whose debut YA novel, The Sky Is Mine, has been longlisted for the Bristol Teen Book Award. 

The award is organised by librarians, teachers and students and is aimed at celebrating diversity in young adult fiction.

​Izzy feels invisible. Trapped under the weight of expectation and censored by shame.

Her mum Steph and best friend Grace have always been there to save her. But with one under the control of her stepfather and the other caught in the throes of new love, Izzy is falling between the cracks.
​
As threats to her safety grow, Izzy wants to scream. But first she must find her voice.
And if the sky is the limit, then the sky is hers.

Congratulations, Amy!

This week, there were not one, not two, but THREE reviews in three of Australia's top publications for Liberation, the novelised true-story of Nancy Wake by Imogen Kealey and client Imogen Robertson:

​"Difficult to put down."
Courier Mail

"A thrilling, novelised account of Wake's time in France, which vividly recreates some of her amazing exploits and the dangerous time through which she lived."
Sydney Daily Telegraph

"An incredible true story."
​Who Weekly

Amy McLellan appeared on the blog Off the Shelf books, to take part in the blog's 'Best of Crime' feature, where Amy discusses all things crime writing, from her favourite author and fictional detective to her best writing tip. Amy's debut psychological thriller, Remember Me, was released in paperback last week. 

Catch up here. 

There are two DHH books listed in Kobo's 'First In A Series' promo, running from 24th - 28th April. For a limited time only, Adrian Magson's first Inspector Lucas Rocco book, Death On the Marais and Deadly Focus, the debut DI Jack Dylan book by R.C. Bridgestock are only 99p. 

Click on the titles above to take you to the deal. 

Ragnar has also written a short story for Scotland's Daily Record, set in the Icelandic town of Siglufjördur, the very same town where his Dark Iceland series, featuring Ari Thor, is set. 

Congratulations to Tania Cross, who has had three backlist titles sold to Joffe Books, for World English Language in a deal negotiated by Broo Doherty. 

​The books are The Gunpowder Girl, The Quarry Girl and The Railway Girl. All three are of the saga genre, for which Tania is best known for and are set in beautiful Dartmoor.

​More news on this great new series soon!

Finally, we are delighted to reveal the cover for Micaiah Johnson's forthcoming SFF debut, The Space Between Worlds. 

Set for release in August 2020, the book is a cross between Mad Max and Blake Crouch's Dark Matter. 

In a world where travelling between parallel earths has become possible, there is just one problem in that no one can visit earth where they are still alive. Born in the wastelands outside of Wiley City, Cara is dead in all but eight of the 382 worlds have been unlocked. Now she's landed a job travelling the 'multiverse', but the information Cara gathers on other earths reveals terrible truths about the nature of her own world meaning she faces a harrowing choice: should she risk everything she's worked for to expose the truth?

The book was sold as a pre-empt to Hodder & Stoughton, in a deal negotiated by Harry Illingworth, on behalf of Cameron McClure at Donald Mass Literary Agency. US rights were sold to Crown, who are planning a simultaneous publication. 

A special date for your diaries!

Abi Elphinstone's next Unmapped Chronicles book, Jungledrop, has been moved to 1st October. 

Jungledrop follows on from the first in the series, Rumblestar, and this time, we are following eleven-year-old twins, Fix and Fibber, who have been rivals as long as they can remember. ​Only one of them will inherit the family fortune and so a race is afoot to save the dwindling Petty-Squabble empire and win the love of their parents.
 
But when the twins are whisked off to Jungledrop, a magical Unmapped Kingdom in charge of conjuring our world’s weather, things get wildly out of hand. An evil harpy called Morg is on the loose. And if she finds the long-lost Forever Fern before the twins, both Jungledrop and our world will crumble.
 
Suddenly, Fox and Fibber find themselves on an incredible adventure in a glow-in-the-dark rainforest full of golden panthers, gobblequick trees and enchanted temples. But, with the fate of two worlds in their hands, will the twins be able to work together for once to defeat Morg and her dark magic?

Can't wait until October? Well, luckily, Abi has got the first three chapters ready to read on her website! Click here to see more. 

Competition time!

M.W. Craven is holding a fantastic giveaway opportunity to lucky Carlisle residents. 

As well as a hand-delivered advance proof copy of his forthcoming Washington Poe book, The Curator (out June 2020), a five litre box of Spun Gold bitter, courtesy of Carlisle Brewery, will be included in the prize. 

Provided you have a Carlisle postcode beginning with CA1-CA8, then you could be Mike's winner! Just head on over to the pinned post on his Facebook author's page to enter. 

The wonderful accolades keep rolling in for Amanda Jennings' forthcoming The Storm. This time, from none other than Adele Parks:

"Beautifully written, chilling, absorbing."

We couldn't agree more. The Storm​, Amanda's second book with HQ, is due for publication on 23rd July 2020, and you can pre-order your copy here. 

Stephen Moss made a guest appearance on Chris Packham's Self-Isolating Bird Club on Friday 17th April.

​You can catch up here. 

Staying with Stephen, the cover for his next book, The Swallow​​: A Biography, was recently revealed and are very excited to show it to you here. 

The Swallow is the next in Stephen's 'Biography' series, following The Robin, The Wren and The Twelve Birds of Christmas which, it has to be said, make a stunning addition to any bookshelf. 

​With beautiful illustrations throughout, this captivating year-in-the-life account reveals the hidden secrets of this iconic bird that lives right on our doorstep and will be published in October 2020. Pre-order your copy here. 

Finally, we are delighted by the news that Infernal, the debut SFF novel by Mark de Jager, plus one other title, have been bought be Rebellion Publishing as part of a rebranding for the series, The Chronicles of Stratus.

Originally published by Del Rey in 2017, Rebellion have reacquired the rights and have bestowed upon it a brand new cover, which we love here at DHH. 

Infernal is due for rerelease in November 2020 and you will be able to pre-order soon!

#StayHomeSaveLives