Happy New Year!

 

Much as I've enjoyed looking back over the past year in my last three posts, it's fun to look forward to what lies ahead in 2020. I wish all my readers good health and good luck in the year ahead. I continue to believe that our shared interest in crime writing is a powerful force for connecting and uniting people across the world, whatever their backgrounds. In an age when there are so many divisions of various kinds, I draw a great deal of inspiration from meeting people who are very different from me in many ways (and who may have different opinions about a lot of stuff) but are who also excited and enthused by the world of mystery.

This year is going to see the publication of several books that mean a good deal to me. First and foremost is Mortmain Hall, the sequel to Gallows Court (which incidentally has just started a Kindle deal promotion in the US on Amazon), due out in April. I loved writing Mortmain Hall and although I know from experience that is no guarantee of big sales, it's a book that means a good deal to me.

Very different is Howdunit, by members of the Detection Club, a masterclass on the art and craft of crime writing which will give manifold insights into the writing life. It looks as though there will be no fewer than 89 contributors, including almost all the living members of the Club. There's still a bit of work to be done on this one over the next couple of weeks, but the book is out in June and I'm delighted that an ambitious concept is due to become a reality.

Three books that I've edited will be published this year. Settling Scores is a British Library anthology of sporting mysteries, and there will also be another Crime Classic collection of Christmas mysteries. I'm also putting the finishing touches to Vintage Crimes, a CWA anthology showcasing stories through the lifetime of the CWA.

In terms of my own short stories, "The Locked Cabin" will appear in a Maxim Jakubowski anthology and "Temptation Street" will feature in EQMM at some point. There may well be others, along with an essay about "Plotting" in an academic tome that sounds very interesting, though I haven't seen the rest of the contents as yet.

There are plenty of events to look forward to, at festivals around Britain and also one or two events overseas. No wonder that, just at the moment, I'm busily writing. Need to get the next Lake District Mystery written before other things take over!

In short, 2020 promises to be full of good things and I also hope that I get the chance to meet some of you in person. As always, your comments and emails are very welcome, not least as a reminder that I'm not just talking to myself...

So once again, Happy New Year!