Conon Bridge writer's Sunday Times bestseller up for two top crime book awards
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Shona MacLean from Conon Bridge has been longlisted for the CWA (Crime Writers Association) Historical Dagger for her latest book, the Sunday Times bestseller, The Bookseller Of Inverness.
The Historial Dagger for the best historical crime novel, is open to books first published in the UK in English, set in any period up to 50 years prior to the year in which the award will be made.
The book, published by Quercus, is up against 11 others in that category, including Martin Edwards' Blackstone Fell.
Shona's book is also on the longlist for the Gold Dagger – the award for the best crime novel by an author of any nationality, originally written in English and first published in the UK. Eligible books include thrillers, mysteries, police procedurals, psychological suspense novels and spy fiction. Previous winners have included John LeCarre, Donna Leon, Ruth Rendell, Eric Ambler, and more recently Elly Griffiths and Claire Askew.
Shona was first shortlisted for the Historical Dagger with the debut book in her series set in 17th century Aberdeen, The Redemption Of Alexander Seaton.Then in 2015, the writer won the Historical Dagger for The Seeker, the first one in her new Damian Seeker series set in London under Oliver Cromwel's rule. Again, in 2019, the writer won the same award for the third in the series, Destroying Angel.The second and fourth books in that series, The Black Friar and The House Of Lamentations, were both longlisted, as was th fifth, The Bear Pit, which went on to be shortlisted for the CWA Sapere Historical Dagger 2020. The book was also longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger 2020.
The writer said: "This is the seventh time I've been on the longlist for the Historical Dagger, All the Seeker series titles made the longlist."
Shona revealed she was in a good place to hear The Bookseller Of Inverness had made this year's Daggers longlist – Cromarty Crime and Thrillers Weekend with other crime writers!
"It was really lovely. At Cromarty on the second night, we were just getting up from dinner to head for a pub quiz when I got a text message from my agent to say this book had been longlisted for the Gold Dagger!
"I won a bottle of Laphroaig in a game during the quiz interval – then had another message to say the book had also been longlisted for the Historical Dagger!
"It took me a while to get to sleep that night!"
Shona will find out on Friday whether the book has been shortlisted for the awards. And if she gets through, July 6 is the date the winners find out when the award ceremony is held in London.
If shortlisted, would she head for London?
"I might get a new frock!" she laughed.
The Golden Dagger was originally created in 1955, then known as the Crossed Red Herrings Award. The first winner was Winston Graham for The Little Walls. It was renamed the Gold Dagger in 1960.
Shona MacLean can be seen at a couple of events locally soon.
Next Tuesday (May16), Shona will be HighlandLIT's guest at the Glen Mhor Hotel, Ness Bank, Inverness – talking about her career, latest book and researching and writing historical fiction – in the free event postponed by bad weather in January. It will be in person and livestreamed on Zoom. From 6-7pm there will be socialising at the in-person event, then Shona will talk from 7-9pm.
And the writer will discuss walking and cycling in her research for her books including The Bookseller Of Inverness at the first Festival Of Walking And Wheeling starting in Inverness on Saturday, May 20. As well as walking with the family dog, Shona also likes to check out locations for her books, and enjoys cycling too.
She revealed in an interview with Inverness Courier last year before The Bookseller Of Inverness came out, that having set her book so close to home, she enjoyed getting out on her bike and could explore locations. Her friend, the writer Jennifer Morag Henderson and historian David Worthington had, for example, joined her in trying to track down a cave she had spotted on a map, though sadly they didn't locate it!
Follow Shona on Instagram: @shonamacleanauthor
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