We are beginning this week's DHH News Roundup with the absolutely FANTASTIC news that Darren Charlton's YA debut, Wranglestone, has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2021!

Also published this week was the first in Erin Green's gorgeous, new, feel-good Shetland-based series, From Shetland, With Love. 

"Thoroughly entertaining. The characters are warm and well-drawn. I thoroughly recommend this book if you are looking for a light-hearted read. 5 stars." Sue Roberts

If you love Lucy Diamond, Phillipa Ashley, Sue Moorcroft and Holly Martin, you will LOVE Erin Green's novels of love, life and laughter!

Not too long ago, we announced the exciting news that client Sarah Bonner would have her debut thriller, Her Perfect Twin, published by Hodder Studio in January 2022. 

While the pandemic has, without a doubt, stifled a lot of creative ability, Metro ran a fantastic piece about holding on to - or recovering - that inspiration and we were delighted to see Sarah contribute to it. 

​You can catch up on the article here. 

At the tail-end of last week, an eye-catchingly lovely cover reveal took place...

The Meeting Point, the next book from Someday In Paris author Olivia Lara, will be published in eBook (September '21) and paperback (December '21), from Aria. 

Finally, we are very happy to be welcoming Caroline Lamond to the Agency. 

Caroline joins Emily Glenister's list and is working on her book club, accessible lit-fic novel, The Sewing Circle (think Hollywood 1920s glamour, scandal & some of the most incredible women you've never heard of).

To read more about Caroline, click here. 

The debut YA novel from Darren Charlton, Wranglestone, has been shortlisted for the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2021 (Older Readers' Shortlist). 

The award helps discover and champion the very best that children's publishing has to offer today. 

​To follow along for more news on the prize and see the full shortlist, click here. 

​In addition, the book got a fantastic facelift to mark the occasion - check it out below!

We were delighted to see a host of DHH clients shortlisted for this year's CWA Dagger Awards.

• Robert Scragg and Victoria Selman are shortlisted for the Short Story Dagger for their contributions to the anthology, Afraid of the Christmas Lights - 'A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas' and 'Hunted', respectively​
• The Creak on the Stairs, the debut Icelandic noir from Eva Björg Ægisdóttir is shortlisted for the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger
• Stuart Turton's The Devil and the Dark Water is shortlisted for the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger

​Congratulations to all!

To discuss the recent publication of her book, Magnificent Women and Their Revolutionary Machines, Henrietta Heald appeared on The 150 Show last week, and you can catch up on YouTube here.

The Reading Agency have released their May booklist, with the theme 'Back In Time', tying in with local and community history month, and we were very happy indeed to see Clare Whitfield's stonking debut, People of Abandoned Character, included in the list. 

The eagerly-anticipated standalone from Ragnar Jónasson, The Girl Who Died (June 2021, Michael Joseph), has received a lovely review from US paper, the Dayton Daily News:

"Ragnar Jónasson's impeccable plotting is really a wonder of the crime genre."

We're welcoming new client Jon Watts to the agency this week, who joins David Headley's list.

A chef by trade, during the 2020 pandemic, Jon began sharing some of his recipes online and they became extremely popular, boosting his social media platforms. 

In 2021 Jon made his live television debut cooking on ITV’s This Morning. Outside of cooking, Jon has spent time mentoring young people, as well as giving talks in schools and prisons.
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His newest business venture is a restaurant that will focus on training young people who may be in similar situations to the one Jon was in almost 15 years ago.

An exciting cover reveal took place this week: Erin Green's From Shetland, With Love at Christmas:

A number of fabulous books were published from the Agency this week, congratulations to our clients:

Finally, we are very excited to be able to finally reveal this brilliant acquisition:

Pavilion Books is to publish designer and shop owner Eleanor Tattersfield’s Lockdown Secrets, a book based on a collection of anonymous postcards sent to her during lockdown. 

In the thick of the 2020 coronavirus lockdown, Tattersfield put out a call on Instagram, saying: "I'll send you a postcard, you send me a secret".

World English Rights were bought by Pavilion Books from David Headley. To read more, click here.

Pavilion Books is to publish designer and shop owner Eleanor Tattersfield’s Lockdown Secrets, a book based on a collection of anonymous postcards sent to her during lockdown.

In the thick of the 2020 coronavirus lockdown, Tattersfield put out a call on Instagram, saying: "I'll send you a postcard, you send me a secret".  The synopsis explains: "Lockdown Secrets is an astonishing record of what happened next. The book will offer a compelling collection of anonymous postcards sent during lockdown, revealing hilarious, salacious, relatable and sometimes heartbreaking secret confessions. Postcards poured in, some beautifully decorated, some simply handwritten, but each one anonymously sharing a very personal confession. They came from people of all ages and all walks of life, even including some celebrities. This book brings together the best of the postcards and all human life is here: furtive infidelities, bad behaviour in the local bakery, sneaking off for baths during a busy homeschooling schedule, rediscovered marital bliss and, occasionally, poignant moments of sadness and despair." 

Tina Persaud, publishing director of Batsford at Pavilion Books, acquired World English Language rights from David Headley at DHH Literary Agency. The publisher will release as a gift book for Christmas 2021.

Persaud said: “We’re delighted to be working with Eleanor. Her Lockdown Secrets campaign reveals extraordinary confessions that vary from the hilarious to the heartbreaking. The beautiful postcards are a real insight into lockdown Britain.”

Tattersfield is the proprietor of Marby & Elm, a print workshop and stationery store on Exmouth Market, London, where she designs and hand-makes stationery. The shop started in her garden shed and grew into a family business.

She said: “I’m thrilled to be working with the team at Batsford, as they get how exciting and important to the history of lockdown this project is and will pull out all the stops, like me, to get this beautiful book under every Christmas tree this year!”

​From The Bookseller article | Ruth Comerford

Kicking off this week's news roundup with the very exciting cover reveal for R. C. Bridgestock's forthcoming Persecution​, the next in the DI Charley Mann series. 

Longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Award last week, Brian McGilloway talks to Joe Haddow about his book, The Last Crossing, his writing inspiration and career to date - and everything in between.

​Catch up with the interview here.

Another cover reveal - this time for the second in Adrian Magson's Gonzales & Vaslik series, reissued by Canelo later this month, The Drone (originally published as The Bid). 

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The prisoner who wakes up in a box miles from anywhere.

The jailer who doesn't question his job.

The shipment of drones stolen from a cargo hub.

The terrorists planning a devastating attack on US soil.

When drone expert James Chadwick disappears without a trace, Cruxys Solutions investigators Ruth Gonzales and Andy Vaslik are assigned to track his last movements.

With few clues to go on, the hunt moves from London to New York, gathering speed as they close in on a horrifying plan to kill the US president and inflict total damage on an Air Force base.

The countdown to a new era of destruction has begun. Gonzalez and Vaslik are the only ones who can stop it.

​Pre-order your copy here.

If you're a budding writer - or indeed a fully established writer - struggling with procrastination (something that seems to be far more prevalent this last year, one wonders why...) then this article by client Clare Whitfield might just help. 

Clare, author of People of Abandoned Character, has written a piece for Writer's Digest with her tips on how to try & overcome it. 

​You can read the full article here. 

We've got a few publication days to celebrate now - congratulations to our clients. 

A Valley Dream, the first in Anna Jacobs' new Backshaw Moss series, and the paperbacks for both Anna Stephens' fantasy epic, The Stone Knife and Paul Fraser Collard's ninth Jack Lark book, Fugitive​. 

Finally, we are very happy to be welcoming Becca Day to the Agency.

Becca joins Emily Glenister's list and is currently working on her debut psychological thriller, The Girl at the Gate​. To read more about Becca and follow her on social media, visit her author page here.

This week's DHH News Roundup begins with the welcoming of a brand new client to the agency. 

Satish Shewhorak joins Hannah Sheppard's list. ​He is passionate about animation and ran the award winning animation studio, moShine, for five years. Satish has a PhD in motion capture and games animation and is a senior lecturer in these subjects at Teesside University.

He co-authors children’s adventure fiction with his wife, Gabrielle, who also writes middle grade novels under the name Gabrielle Kent.

Brian McGilloway's superb standalone, The Last Crossing, was longlisted for the Crime Novel of the Year at the 2021 Theakston Awards. 

Awarded annually at Harrogate Crime Writing Festival, the Award is one of the UK's top crime-fiction awards, and sponsored by Theakston's Old Peculier. The shortlist will be announced in June, and the winner at the opening event for the Festival which, all being well, will go ahead on 22nd July.

​To read more about the Festival and the Awards, click here. 

Brian was also interviewed by this weekend's edition Irish Examiner about his most recent Benedict Devlin novel, Blood Ties.

Clare Whitfield's haunting, page-turning debut People of Abandoned Character, has been given a fabulous quote from her DHH stablemate, Stuart Turton. Of course, we're far too polite to swear ourselves, but see no harm in popping the tweet in question below. Thank you, Stu!

Speaking of Stuart, he will be taking part in the Bath Festival this year on Wednesday 19th May, speaking with fellow author Natasha Pulley about his most recent book, The Devil and the Dark Water, which has recently been selected for series two of BBC's Between the Covers with Sara Cox. 

To book your tickets, and find out more about the event, click here. 

Released in paperback the Saturday before last, the Daily Mail had this to say about the book recently: "[A] vibrant mix of history, fantasy and detective fiction ... With its rollicking plot and swarming cast, Turton's novel invites readers to sit back and embrace its strange enchantments."

Ragnar Jónasson's brand new standalone novel, The Girl Who Died, was released in the US this week, and we cannot wait for it to hit shelves on this side of the pond on 3rd June.

​Una knows she is struggling to deal with her father's sudden, tragic suicide. She spends her nights drinking alone in Reykjavik, stricken with thoughts that she might one day follow in his footsteps.

So when she sees an advert seeking a teacher for two girls in the tiny village of Skálar - population of ten - on the storm-battered north coast of the island, she sees it as a chance to escape.

But once she arrives, Una quickly realises nothing in city life has prepared her for this. The villagers are unfriendly. The weather is bleak. And, from the creaky attic bedroom of the old house where she's living, she's convinced she hears the ghostly sound of singing.

Una worries that she's losing her mind.

And then, just before midwinter, a young girl from the village is found dead. Now there are only nine villagers left - and Una fears that one of them has blood on their hands...

A couple of fantastic quotes for M. W. Craven's forthcoming Washington Poe book, Dead Ground, have landed this week. 

"M. W. Craven is one of the best crime writers working today. Dead Ground is a cracking puzzle, beautifully written, with characters you'll be behind every step of the way. It's his best yet."
Stuart Turton

"Dead Ground is both entertaining and engaging with great characters and storyline. I loved this first dip into the world of Tilly and Poe!"
B. A. Paris

Dead Ground will be released on 3rd June.

Finally, we were delighted to end last week with the news that client Rebecca Griffiths' true crime novel, The Girl at the Door - inspired by the Rillington Place murders - plus one other title, have been acquired by Bookouture, in a deal negotiated by Broo Doherty.

You can read more about the sale here. Congratulations, Rebecca!

Laura Deacon, Publishing Director at Bookouture, has signed a deal with Rebecca Griffiths for World English Rights in two new historical crime novels. The deal was struck with Broo Doherty at DHH Literary Agency.

The first book The Girl at My Door, based on the infamous Rillington Place serial killer John Christie will publish in September 2021 with the second title, The Body on the Moor publishing in February 2022. Rebecca’s previous thrillers The Primrose Path and A Place to Lie were widely praised by reviewers and readers alike and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome her to Bookouture for this blend of fictional and true crime.

Laura said, ‘As soon as I started reading The Girl at My Door I was hooked. I have long been a fan of true crime and to find a novelist who was able to get into the mind and motivations of one of Britain’s most prolific serial killers whilst weaving an incredibly rich cast of fictional characters around him was completely thrilling. I called Rebecca and it was immediately clear how much research had gone into her writing and how much I wanted to work with her. This book will be a must-read for crime fans'

Rebecca said, ‘It is a real privilege having my next two crime thrillers published by Bookouture. They are a dynamic and professional team — it’s great to be in such safe hands! I am especially pleased to have Laura as my editor, someone who really believes in what I do and shows such enthusiasm, great insight and expertise — and is surely the nicest person in publishing!’

From the Bookouture website 

We're kicking off this roundup with the absolutely brilliant news that Jo Thomas' gorgeous sunny, Escape to the French Farmhouse, set in the lavender fields of Provence, has sold over a whopping 50,000 eBooks!

A huge achievement, congratulations Jo!

If you're looking for a couple of fantastic reads at an incredible price, then Kindle has got you covered. For the whole of May, these brilliant titles are only 99p each:

Simply click on the book above to take you to the deal.

And US readers, we haven't forgotten about you, either! Included in the US Kindle Monthly Deal is Brian McGilloway's intoxicating and haunting, The Last Crossing.

Joanna Toye's newest in her wonderful and uplifting Shop Girls series, The Victory Girls also had its cover release this week.

Released in July this year, The Victory Girls is set in Spring 1944.

​As the Allied forces push on towards longed-for victory, Lily Collins yearns to join up and do her bit. But where does her duty lie?

Her best friend Gladys faces having her first baby alone, with her new husband back with the Navy.

And their friend Beryl is run off her feet building her bridal-hire business amid the bomb damage.

So while wedding bells are ringing for others at Marlows Department Store, where Lily works, will they be heard for Lily herself – or does fate have another twist in store?

Released only a couple of weeks ago, L. C. Tyler's crime caper, Farewell My Herring, has picked up a fantastic review on the Promoting Crime blog:

"As with all the previous eight books in this series the witty dialogue and humour is wonderful, but in no way detracts from the cleverly constructed plot, which had me foxed up the end. But the clues are there if you can suss them out. There are many secrets to be uncovered before the mystery is solved, and the ends are tied up satisfactorily.  An enjoyable and intriguing read that is most highly recommended." 

The hotly-anticipated debut by Adam Simcox, The Dying Squad, picked up a brilliant review from Inspector McLean series author, James Oswald

​"Adam has crafted something unique with The Dying Squad, mashing fantasy and crime together in a way I've not seen before ... I'm sure it will be a huge success."

​The book is available to pre-order now and will be released by Gollancz in July.

Also released in paperback was Clare Whitfield's spellbinding debut People of Abandoned Character. A Goldsboro Book of the Month, it begs the question: "what would you do if you suspected your husband was the infamous Jack the Ripper?"

​Congratulations to both of our authors.