We are delighted to be partnering with Capital Crime to run an exciting new competition to help undiscovered crime and thriller authors further their writing careers.

Everyone who buys a ticket to attend Capital Crime will be able to read your entry and vote for their favourite. The ten entrants who get the most votes will be revealed on Thursday 19th September, and the winner, judged by the Capital Crime team from the top ten entries, will be announced at Capital Crime's opening night cocktail party on Thursday 26th September to the readers, agents and publishers in attendance. 

Entries cost £10 and close at midnight GMT on Wednesday 18th September 2019.

The winner will receive a trophy and £250.

To find out more and submit your entry, please visit this page on the Capital Crime website.

Good luck!

The Cliff House by Amanda Jennings has been selected as a Fern Britton pick for Tesco. The exclusive edition is now available in your local Tesco complete with Q&A and Book Club questions!

Brian McGilloway’s new standalone novel, The Last Crossing, has been bought by The Dome Press. The book begins 30 years ago, when four friends entered woodland near Glasgow; only three of them returned. A lifetime later the same three friends meet again, to return to the woods to see where they buried their friend. The Last Crossing is due for publication in spring 2020.

Congratulations to Erin Green, whose brand new novel New Beginnings At Rose Cottage was published last week.
 
When solo travellers Benni, Emma and Ruth find themselves holidaying together at charming Rose Cottage in Brixham, Devon, they are initially disappointed to be sharing with strangers of a different age group.
 
But 'friendship and home comforts' are guaranteed at Rose Cottage and soon a bond blossoms between the women, who each have valuable life lessons to share.
As the summer unfolds, Benni, Emma and Ruth begin to realise that age is just a number. Before their time at Rose Cottage ends, will they take the chance to grasp the dreams that are now within their reach?

​Rachel Trezise’s new play, Cotton Fingers, has been chosen by the Edinburgh Fringe as one of the top six plays to see at this year’s Festival.
 
Aoife's hungry and bored. Cillian makes a mean
cheese toastie. As boredom and hunger are satisfied by
half an hour in Cillian's bed, Aoife's life changes forever.
As social and political upheaval grips her country, what
hope does Aoife have to regain control? A timely,
politically-charged show written at the time of the
historic referendum of the eighth amendment in
Ireland, Cotton Fingers takes us on a journey from
​Belfast to Cardiff.
 
The Stage has favourably reviewed the play, giving it four stars, calling it “emotionally powerful and rich with poetic language and vivid character.” Cotton Fingers is on at Summerhall’s Main Hall from 13th - 18th August and then 20th - 25th August, at 12:15pm. For more information and to book tickets, click here.

​The covers for M.W. Craven’s forthcoming books with Little, Brown have been revealed. Born In A Burial Gown and Body Breaker are the first and second in the DI Avison Fluke series. They’re available to pre-order now.

Anna Jacobs’ new series, Birch End, which begins with A Daughter’s Journey has revealed its gorgeous cover.

Jo Melling has arrived in Birch End from Australia, still grieving her father's recent death. She's not intending to stay long, but after tracking down her distant family, Jo becomes more involved in village life than she could ever have imagined - and suddenly in danger too.
 
Jo also finds herself drawn to Nick, a handsome newcomer to the village. Nick had planned to settle in Birch End and start a business, but as he grows closer to Jo, he realises he may have to choose between his dreams and a chance at love.
Meanwhile, the new local council are faced with some tough decisions of their own. It's time to take a stand against the poor conditions in Backshaw Moss, the nearby slum, but some councillors want things to stay as they are - and will go to any lengths to make sure they get their way . . .
 
Will the decent people of the valley win a brighter future for themselves? And can Jo find a way to stay with Nick in a place she's grown to love?
 
This heartwarming book will be available in hardback and eBook on 22nd August and you can pre-order here.

​Going on holiday soon? Well there are some fab deals to load up on your eReader:
 
Anna Jacobs’ One Kind Man and One Perfect Family are in the Kindle Monthly Deal for only 99p.

Before we wrap up, we want to tell you about the very exciting news that Pitch DHH is going again and this time we’re going on the road to… Liverpool!
 
On Saturday 7th December, we’ll be holding a pitching event at a location in the city centre and we want you to come and pitch your book to us!
 
For more information on how to apply, click here.
 
Not sure? See below for some testimonials from previous pitchers.

We're going back on the road for our next Pitch DHH session, and this time we're hitting Liverpool, the city that gave us incredible writers such as Beryl Bainbridge and Frank Cottrell Boyce. We cannot wait!

The session will take place on Saturday 7th December 2019 at a venue in the city centre. The event is free and each pitcher will have ten minutes with their chosen agent. The list of pitchers will be decided on based on the strength of their submission. 

Below is an idea of what each agent is looking for:

David Headley is actively seeking well-written stories with strong characters and an original narrative voice across both general and genre fiction with a particular fondness for crime, thrillers, adventure and romance.

Broo Doherty is looking for novels that either put a new spin on the familiar, or take her out of her comfort zone. These could be in any of the following genres: psychological thrillers, crime novels, women's fiction and literary fiction. 

Hannah Sheppard loves novels with an original, standout voice. She's looking for children's fiction from 8+ to YA and commercial adult fiction. She wants an attention-grabbing hook or must-read concept. Amongst other things, she would love to see a swoony, feminist contemporary romance and a thriller with a unique premise. 

Natalie Galustian is looking for compelling narrative non-fiction, literary fiction, short stories and humour.

Harry Illingworth is looking for mould-breaking genre fiction with unique voices and strong concepts; books that can crossover from genre fiction to the commercial market. This could come in the form of epic fantasy, high-concept crime and thriller or accessible science fiction. 

How To Apply:
Email pitchdhh@dhhliteraryagency.com with the name of the agent in the subject line of the email, including a cover letter, one-page synopsis / outline and the first three chapters of the novel, or the first 5,000 words if shorter. You may only approach one agent on the team. If these guidelines are not adhered to, unfortunately we cannot consider your submission. We are also not able to consider pitchers who have attended any previous pitching events with us. 

Important Dates:
Submissions open: 10am on Monday 26th August
Submissions close: 6pm on Friday 4th October
Please do not submit outside of these dates

If you have any questions about this event, please email pitchdhh@dhhliteraryagency.com, but remember - no submissions before 26th August!

TESTIMONIALS

We’re kicking off this week’s roundup with some jolly exciting news, in that client M.W. Craven has been shortlisted for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2019, for his novel The Puppet Show.
 
The winner of the prize, which rewards ‘compelling storytelling with brilliant characterisation and a distinct voice that is confidently written and assuredly realised’ will be announced at Goldsboro Books on Monday 16th September. The prize, which is judged by the independent’s founder and MD David Headley, and his team, sees the winner awarded a £2,000 and a beautiful, handmade, engraved glass bell.
 
Congratulations, Mike!

We are so pleased to see the cover for Samantha Baines’ Harriet Versus the Galaxy out in the world and available for pre-order!
 
The intergalactic adventure starts at home with Harriet, who discovers that her hearing aid can do more than she ever bargained for when she finds an alien in her room. Discovering that her family secretly work for an intergalactic agency, Harriet becomes the Earth’s first line of defence as she is revealed to be the only one who can understand aliens from across the universe, and it’s all thanks to her hearing aid.
 
Knights Of will be publishing this hilarious and heartfelt debut in October 2019. You can pre-order your out of this world copy right here.

Lizzie Lovell’s fabulously fun gin-soaked book, The Juniper Gin Joint is only 99p in Kobo’s Classic British Summer promo, which runs until the 7th August.
 
It's been a tough year for empty-nester Jen in her seaside Devon town; her kids have left for pastures new and her husband's left for another woman.
 
Home alone with her eccentric home-brewing father and a Jack Russell, she is just getting her life back on track when her job at the local museum is threatened by her first love and nemesis, Councillor David Barton, who intends to sell the beautiful old building to a pub chain. But help is at hand from her colleagues: Jackie, a former Greenham Common warrior; Tish, a flamboyant historian; and Carol, mega-flirt. Plus newcomer and former campaigner, Tom. Who happens to be a widower. And quite sexy. And also the owner of a Jack Russell.
 
The key to saving the day and putting the town back on the tourist map could lie just within reach - when reaching for a cold gin and tonic, that is. Mother's Ruin to some, gin is the making of Jen when she comes together with her friends and family to save the museum and open an artisan distillery in the basement.
With its debauched local history of smuggling, can gin be the town's saviour and bring love back into Jen's life?
 
Download your copy here.

Congratulations to clients Gabrielle Kent and Adrian Magson, who saw their books published last week.
 
The Rebel Bicycle Club, by Gabrielle Kent, is the new stand-alone in the Knights and Bikes series. Buy your copy here.
 
Adventure awaits Demelza and her best friend in the whole world, Nessa, as they embark on a whole new adventure, solving mysteries, fending off bullies and celebrating the greatest friendship of all time.
 
When an unexpected guest arrives in Penfurzy, Nessa and Demelza go out of their way to help them, entering a world of ancient myth and legend.
 
Facing ghosts and monsters, and Conan the bully who just keeps getting in the way at the worst possible moment.
 
Adrian Magson’s Rocco and the Echoes of War is the first in the Inspector Lucas Rocco series, that has been re-released by The Dome Press, complete with a revised edit and a brand, spanking, new cover! The title is out now in eBook and you can grab your copy here.
 
France, 1963.
It's a time of great change in France, not least for Inspector Lucas Rocco. As part of a nationwide 'initiative' to broaden police operations, he finds himself moved from the Paris metropolis to a small village. His new patch might be rural, but it's certainly not uneventful: on his first day, he finds a murdered woman wearing a Gestapo uniform lying in a British military cemetery.

When the body is removed by order of a magistrate from the police mortuary before Rocco can finish his investigation, he realises he's up against a formidable enemy. An enemy who will go to any lengths - even murder - to stop his investigation.

The cover for Adrian Magson’s new Harry Tate thriller, Terminal Black, was revealed last week.
 
Harry Tate has one rule: you don't abandon your friends. When he learns that former colleague Rik Ferris has had a breakdown and disappeared, allegedly in possession of highly sensitive secrets from MI6's archives, he agrees to look for him and, if possible, bring him back in. But where to begin? Rik could be anywhere in the world.
 
All Harry knows is, if he doesn't find Rik, others will be sent out instead. And they won't play by the same rules. What Harry doesn't know is that Rik is being held prisoner and tortured for information relating to a high-level mole in the British establishment. If he doesn't tell his captors what he knows, it will result in a devastating cyber attack designed to bring the UK to its knees.
 
Terminal Black will be published by Severn House on the 31st October 2019 and you can pre-order your copy here.

​The long-awaited third instalment of the Godblind trilogy by Anna Stephens, Bloodchild, is out next month and if you simply can’t wait, an excerpt from the book is available to read now, thanks to Fantasy Hive.
 
Click here to get your Rilporin fix!

​Finally, congratulations to Paul Burston, whose novel The Closer I Get has been longlisted for the Guardian’s Not the Booker longlist.
 
The prize is voted for by the public, and if you fancy casting your vote, it really is very simple:

• Go to the link here
• Choose two books from the longlist, from two different publishers (one of them being The Closer I Get, obviously…)
• In the comments section, write “Vote” along with your two choices
• A review for at least one of the books must be included.

 
And that’s it! Simples!

Congratulations to Paul Burston, whose The Closer I Get has been longlisted for the Not the Booker Prize. 

The prize is voted for by the public, and if you fancy casting your vote, it really is very simple:

• Go to the link here
• Choose two books from the longlist, from two different publishers (one of them being The Closer I Get, obviously...)
• In the comments section, write "Vote" along with your two choices
• A review for at least one of the books must be included

And that's it! Simples!

Congratulations to DHH clients Amanda Jennings, Paul Fraser Collard and Sara MacDonald, all of whom saw books published last week:
 

• The paperback of The Cliff House by Amanda Jennings
• The next in the Jack Lark series, The Lost Outlaw, by Paul Fraser Collard
• The paperback of In A Kingdom By the Sea by Sara MacDonal

We received the wonderful news that In A Kingdom By the Sea is now available in select Sainsburys stores.
 
The Lancashire Evening Post put out an excellent review for The Cliff House:
 
“With a finale as jaw-dropping and devastating as one would expect from this accomplished writer, The Cliff House is a simply unmissable read.”
 
To read the entire review, click here. 

A very exciting cover reveal took place last week for R.C. Bridgestock’s next DI Jack Dylan thriller: Snow Kills. 

​When hairdresser Kayleigh Harwood is reported missing by her mother in the worst blizzards Harrowfield has experienced in years, D.I. Jack Dylan and his team are called in. Kayleigh’s car is found abandoned with her mobile phone inside, but there is no sign of her. At the edge of the local quarry on the desolate Yorkshire moors, items of clothing are found. They are identified as belonging to the hairdresser, and an intense police search of the area begins.
 
The investigation turns to a loner living close to where Kayleigh’s car was discovered, and it soon becomes apparent to the investigators that the loner is hiding a bizarre secret.
 
To Dylan’s disbelief Divisional Commander Hugo-Watkins assumes that skeletal remains found in a lay-by are connected to the young woman’s disappearance, and without seeking Dylan’s advice, calls out the entire Major Incident Team. Refusing to be distracted, Dylan and his team continue to work round the clock in the hope of finding Kayleigh alive.
 
Mean while Dylan’s wife, Jen, is distracted and distant. Unbeknown to him and her ex fiancé is in their midst, and stalking her.
 
Snow Kills will be out on 3rd October in eBook and paperback and you can pre-order the former here.

Last week was an excellent week for some of our clients, who were shortlisted for various awards:
 
. What Was Lost by Jean Levy was shortlisted for the Capital Crime / Amazon Publishing Independent Voice Award
 
. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton was shortlisted for the Capital Crime / Amazon Publishing Best Audiobook Award
 
. The Puppet Show by M.W. Craven was shortlisted for both the Capital Crime / Amazon Publishing Best Crime Novel of the Year Award and the CWA Gold Dagger Award
 
. The Island by Ragnar Jonasson was shortlisted for the Capital Crime / Amazon Publishing Best Mystery Award

​Congratulations, all!

Is there such a thing as too many shortlist nominations? Of course not!

We are delighted at the various awards our clients have been shortlisted for today:

• The Puppet Show by M.W. Craven has been shortlisted for both the Capital Crime / Amazon Publishing Readers' Awards for Best Crime Novel of the Year and the CWA Gold Dagger Award
• What Was Lost by Jean Levy has been shortlisted for the Capital Crime / Amazon Publishing Readers' Awards Independent Voice Award 
• The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton, narrated by Jot Davies, has been shortlisted for the Capital Crime / Amazon Publishing Readers' Awards Audiobook Award
• The Island by Ragnar Jónasson has been shortlisted for the Capital Crime Best Mystery Award

​Congratulations to our brilliant clients!

The cover for Snow Kills, the next book in the popular DI Jack Dylan series by R.C. Bridgestock has been revealed and we love it. 

The Dome Press have acquired the rights back in this fourth instalment and will be re-publishing a revised edition, complete with this gorgeous cover, on 3rd October 2019, in both eBook and paperback format. 

Snow Kills joins Deadly Focus, Consequences, White Lilies and a new, never-before-published prequel to the series, Poetic Justice. 

​To read more about the book, click here.

BBC Arts has announced new Arena commissions across BBC Two and BBC Four. These new commissions will add to the portfolio of the award-winning arts strand and feature acclaimed directors and programme makers with unprecedented access to the best arts stories from around the world. One of these is Everything Is Connected - George Eliot’s Life which will see contemporary artist Gillian Wearing celebrate Eliot’s legacy. Together with writers, actors and local people from Nuneaton, Coventry and London, they read extracts from Eliot’s novels, letters and the first-hand accounts of those who knew her. Client Eve Seymour is involved in the documentary and we are so very excited for it to hit our screens. 

What Was Lost, the psychological thriller from Jean Levy, is included in Kobo’s Black Summer ‘Psych Thrillers’ Sale for only £1.99. The sale ends on 24th July, so make sure you download your copy before you whizz off on your summer holiday.

Julie Caplin’s The Secret Cove In Croatia was published in eBook last week and is the fifth book in her Romantic Escapes series - perfect for that sun lounger.
 
When no-nonsense, down-to-earth Maddie Wilcox is offered the chance to work on a luxury yacht for the summer, she can’t say no. Yes, she’ll be waiting on the posh guests… But island-hopping around the Adriatic sea will more than make up for it - especially when Nick, her best friend Nina’s brother, is one of them.
 
Sparks fly when they meet on board and Maddie can’t believe self-entitled Nick is really related to Nina. But in a secret, picture-perfect cove, away from the real world, Maddie and Nick discover they might have more in common than they realise…
 
Download your copy here:
Kobo: bit.ly/2M2171Z 
Kindle: amzn.to/2O4OntR ​

The cover for Amy Beashel’s debut YA novel, The Sky Is Mine, was revealed last week. More news about this moving and powerful debut is to come, but Rock the Boat will publish in February 2020… Watch this space! 

​Also revealed last week was the cover for Rocco and the Echoes of War. The Dome Press have acquired the rights for Adrian Magson’s entire backlist for his ‘Rocco’ series.
 
France, 1963. It’s a time of great change in France, not least for Inspector Lucas Rocco. As part of a nationwide ‘initiative’ to broaden police operations, he finds himself moved from the Paris metropolis to a small village. His new patch might be rural, but it’s certainly not uneventful: on his first day, he finds a murdered woman wearing a Gestapo uniform lying in a British military cemetery.
 
When the body is removed by order of a magistrate from the police mortuary before Rocco and finish his investigation, he realises he’s up against a formidable enemy. An enemy who will go to any lengths - even murder - to stop his investigation.
 
These superb detective novels, set in 1960s Picardie, France have been given a new edit and cover and this first one (originally Death on the Marais) will be published in eBook in August 2019. You can pre-order your copy here:

Kobo: bit.ly/2JLmjrn
Kindle: ​amzn.to/2xRiA4N

Congratulations to Luke Turner and his debut non-fiction book Out of the Woods, which has been selected as one of The i’s ‘Best Books of 2019’.

The one and only James Patterson has provided a stonking quote for Adam Hamdy’s forthcoming Black 13 novel:
 
“The action never flags in Black 13. It. Never. Ever. Stops. What’s even more impressive is that this thriller has a serious purpose. Black 13 is a terrific thriller with a sinister plot that, sadly, rings all too true. Adam Hamdy is a worthy successor to Ludlum and Cussler.”
 
High praise indeed, and of course we couldn’t agree more. To find out more about the highly anticipated first in a new series, from the author of the Pendulum series, click here.

Finally, we were thrilled to see the publication of L.C. Tyler’s new ‘Elsie and Ethelred’ book, The Maltese Herring, the eighth in the hilariously comic crime series.
 
Dr Hilary Joyner is neither well liked nor well respected among his academic peers. However, he believes his next project will bring him the recognition he deserves. He’s working to uncover the truth behind the ‘buried treasure story’, a local Sussex legend involving two invaluable golden statues, fabled to be hidden among the religious houses in the country.
 
Although his latest book deadline is looking, Ethelred Tressider unwittingly finds himself hosting both the academic and his redoubtable literary agent, Elsie Thirkettle, for the weekend. The three soon find themselves part of a hunt for the missing figures, but it isn’t long before Joyner’s research project comes to an abrupt end with his death.
 
Ethelred and Elsie must piece together the clues of the past to solve the mystery in the present - if they can avoid the distractions of chocolate and feminine wiles for long enough, that is.
 
Order your copy here.

We are delighted for Luke Turner, whose book Out of the Woods has been selected by The i has one of their Best Books of 2019. 

​"Turner reinvents the nature memoir with this bleak, honest and compelling look at this struggles with bisexuality and relationships, the abuse of his early years and the solace and fury that Epping Forest has provided for him."