It is awarded for Scotland’s most gruesome tale of the year – the stories which set spines tingling and readers reaching for the light switch.
And the shortlist this year’s McIlvanney Prize – awarded by Bloody Scotland for the best crime book published in 2024 – has now been announced
Some well-known masters of the genre are in the running, along with new writers whose appreciation for the darker side of life has caught the judges’ eye.
The award, sponsored by The Glencairn Glass company, will be presented on Friday 13 September on the opening night of the festival, which takes place in various venues, including The Albert Halls, Trinity Church and the social hub of the gathering - The Golden Lion Hotel, in Stirling.
This year, judges have selected authors D V Bishop’s A Divine Fury, Chris Brookmyre's The Cracked Mirror, Val McDermid's Past Lying, Abir Mukherjee's Hunted and Kim Sherwood’s A Spy Like Me.
D V Bishop got his first big break at Bloody Scotland when he won the Pitch Perfect prize with his first book in the Cesare Aldo series. A Divine Fury is the fourth instalment. The author is originally from New Zealand, and teaches creative writing at Edinburgh Napier University.
The judges said his book was ‘a pungent and complex slice of intrigue set 16th century Florence. A brilliant historical novel which feels strangely contemporary and a worthy addition to this series.’
Chris Brookmyre, whose 30th crime novel will be published next year, won the inaugural McIlvanney Prize with Black Widow in 2016.
The Cracked Mirror is described as a cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly.
Judges said: ‘A truly original idea, executed with skill and imagination. The combination of Perthshire and Los Angeles shouldn't work but it does.’
Val McDermid is one of the most successful crime writers in Scotland today. Among her many awards are the CWA Diamond Dagger, recognising lifetime achievement and the Theakston’s Old Peculier award for Outstanding Contribution to Crime Writing.
Past Lying is the new novel featuring Karen Pirie, the first of which is now a major TV series.
The judges said: ‘A welcome return for the much-loved Karen Pirie in this satisfying novel which contains a few in-jokes for lovers of Scottish crime writing.’
Abir Mukherjee was brought up in Hamilton near Glasgow and now lives in Surrey. He has previously won the CWA Dagger for best Historical Novel for his Wyndham and Banerjee series set in 1920s India. Hunted is a timely thriller set in the run up to the US election.
The judges described the work as: ‘an excellent, topical thriller with verve, pace and style aplenty and something completely different for this author. A kind of British Baldacci.’
READ MORE:
- Forget the Edinburgh Fringe, Bloody Scotland is the festival to be at
- Why Portobello was the perfect setting for a crime novel
Kim Sherwood is a novelist and lecturer in creative writing at the University of Edinburgh. In 2019 she was shortlisted for the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award. Described as a ‘Fleming for the 21st Century’ - A Spy Like Me is the second in a trilogy of Double O novels expanding the James Bond universe.
The judges said: ‘An exciting addition to the Bond canon which brings a fresh new set of characters brilliantly to life.’
The judging panel was made up of BBC Scotland presenter, Bryan Burnett; Category Manager for Waterstones Angie Crawford and Journalist and Editor Arusa Qureshi.
The prize winner will be announced in the ballroom of The Golden Lion Hotel on the opening night of the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival.
The winner will be interviewed on stage in the ballroom of The Golden Lion by Bryan Burnett.
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