Britain’s best crime novel? Mystery to be solved in MoS-backed award

SIX finalists in the competition to find Britain’s best crime novel of the year, supported by The Mail on Sunday, have been announced – including a book that imagines a secret department of MI5 rejects.

Spook Street by Mick Herron, the fourth in his bestselling Jackson Lamb series, featuring the misfits of the Secret Intelligence Service, is shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award.

Herron’s writing was praised by author and critic Barry Forshaw for ‘the spycraft of John le Carré refracted through the blackly comic vision of Joseph Heller’s Catch-22’.

The other finalists are Insidious Intent by Kirkcaldyborn Val McDermid, The Long Drop by fellow Scot Denise Mina, A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee, The Intrusions by Stav Sherez, and Persons Unknown by Susie Steiner.

The winner will be announced at an award ceremony hosted by broadcaster Mark Lawson on the opening night of the 16th Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate on July 19.

Jack Reacher author Lee Child is chairman of this year’s festival, with US authors John Grisham and Don Winslow among the star writers appearing. The 2018 Crime Novel of the Year Award is run in partnership with T&R Theakston Ltd, The Mail on Sunday and WH Smith. Scottish author Chris Brookmyre won the coveted award last year for his novel Black Widow.

Simon Theakston, Executive director of T&R Theakston, said: ‘The shortlisted authors are already rich in awards, but there’s only one Novel of the Year, so it will be fascinating to see which of these remarkable titles prevails. All are simply outstanding.’

The shortlist will feature in a six-week promotion in libraries and WHSmith stores. The overall winner will be decided by the panel of judges and a public vote that opens on July 1 and closes on July 14 at theakstons.co.uk.