Finalists for crime book prize named

Son Liam hopes for success

Finalists were this week revealed for a book competition linked to the Bloody Scotland crime writing festival.

The winner of the the McIlvanney Prize for the Scottish crime book of the year will at be announced at the festival’s opening reception on September 21.

The winner will then lead a torchlight procession from Stirling Castle to the Albert Halls.

Due to take part in the procession are top crime writers Val McDermid and Denise Mina, who will speak about their books and craft at the Albert Halls.

The award includes a prize of £1000 and nationwide promotion in Waterstones.

Judges include comedian Susan Calman, writer Craig Sisterson and Guardian books writer Alison Flood. They chose the four finalists from a long list of 12.

One of the finalists is New Zealand-based Liam McIlvanney, son of the man after whom the prize is named, for ‘The Quaker’.

The others are Lin Anderson, a founder of Bloody Scotland, for ‘Follow The Dead’ and two former winners of the McIlvanney Prize: Chris Brookmyre (‘Places in the Darkness’) and Charles Cumming (‘The Man Between’).

Others taking part in this years Bloody Scotland include Frank Gardner, the BBC’s security correspondent, who has penned two thrillers.

MC Beaton, author of the Agatha Raisin novels, will also attend plus cast and crew from the television series based on the book.

And on the 100th anniversary of the birth of novelist Muriel Spark authors Louise Welsh, Zoe Strachan and Alan Taylor will talk about the darker side of the woman who created Miss Jean Brodie

Full information at www.bloodyscotland. com.

Tickets for the award event in the Church of the Holy Rude are already sold out.

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