Crime Writers’ Association Announce 2026 Dagger Winners

The winners of the prestigious 2026 Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Dagger Awards, which honour the very best in the crime-writing genre, have been announced. 

Created in 1955, the world-famous CWA Daggers are the oldest awards in the genre and have been synonymous with quality crime writing for over half a century. 

The awards were announced [11pm, 2 July] at the CWA gala dinner at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms, London. 

The coveted KAA Gold Dagger, sponsored by Kevin Anderson & Associates, which is awarded for the best crime novel of the year, went to Abigail Dean for The Death of Us, a haunting literary thriller that examines how a violent crime reverberates through a marriage over decades. Dean transitioned from a successful legal career—including working as a lawyer at Google—to become one of the UK's most acclaimed contemporary thriller writers.

S.A. Cosby, the only author to be shortlisted for an unprecedented three Dagger awards, took home the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, which honours the best thriller of the year, with his book, King of Ashes.

Cosby is one of the most celebrated crime writers working today, regularly praised by Barack Obama in his Books of the Year selections, known for blending fast-paced noir thrillers with sharp explorations of race, class, masculinity, and life in the modern American South. He worked in construction, retail and security, writing on the side, before breaking through with the acclaimed novel, Blacktop Wasteland. 

King of Ashes, is a Southern Gothic crime epic inspired in part by The Godfather. The novel combines family drama, organized crime, revenge, and long-buried secrets. 

Nadine Matheson, Chair of the CWA, said: “It is a genuine pleasure to congratulate every winner of this year's Daggers. The range and quality on display are a reminder of just how much vitality there is in crime fiction and how it continues to push at its own boundaries, and this year's winners are leading that charge. Congratulations.” 

Nina Allan received the Historical Dagger for A Granite Silence, an atmospheric mystery that uses the disappearance of a young girl in 1930s Aberdeen to explore memory, truth, and the stories communities tell themselves about tragedy. Nina made a name for herself in the Science Fiction genre, but her literary thrillers cross categories and have been highly praised by critics. 

The Twisted Dagger for psychological suspense went to Sarah Pinborough, for her haunting Gothic novel, We Live Here Now. Pinborough is best-known for her New York Times bestselling breakout novel (and hit Netflix show) Behind Her Eyes. We Live Here Now was praised for its eerie atmosphere and signature Pinborough-style ending.

 The Whodunnit Dagger for books with an intellectual challenge at the heart of a good mystery, sees Mel Pennant take home the award for A Murder for Miss Hortense. 

A playwright, screenwriter, and novelist A Murder for Miss Hortense is Pennant’s breakthrough novel featuring the sharp-witted Jamaican-born retired nurse living in Birmingham who investigates a murder. The book was praised for combining a compelling mystery with a warm portrayal of the Windrush generation and Caribbean-British life. 

The global reach of the genre is showcased in the Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger. Finland’s Antti Tuomainen came top in a hotly contended category, with The Winter Job. Tuomainen is one of Finland's most internationally acclaimed crime writers, often described as the "King of Helsinki Noir" and dark comedy. His translator David Hackston, is also recognised in the award, which is sponsored in honour of Dolores Jakubowski. 

The ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction was awarded to
Susannah Stapleton for That Dark Spring. 

Stapleton is a historian specialising in uncovering forgotten stories from the early twentieth century, particularly women’s stories. That Dark Spring is an absorbing true-crime mystery that reopens the unsolved 1929 death of an eccentric British artist in Provence, revealing a world of secrets, rivalries, and unanswered questions. 

The Daggers are one of few high-profile genre awards that celebrate the short story. This year’s recipient of the Short Story Dagger goes to Ambrose Parry for The Apple Falls Not Far. Ambrose Parry is the joint pen name of Scottish crime novelist Chris Brookmyre and his wife, former consultant anaesthetist Marisa Haetzman. 

The Dagger in the Library, voted for by librarians, recognises authors whose bodies of work have resonated with readers over time. Tim Sullivan took the accolade in a stellar shortlist that included Paula Hawkins, Clare Mackintosh, Freida McFadden, and Abir Mukherjee.

An accomplished television writer-director, Tim Sullivan reinvented himself as a bestselling crime novelist through the hugely successful DS George Cross mysteries, combining classic detective fiction with a distinctive neurodivergent protagonist. 

The CWA Daggers are also known for providing a platform for emerging talent, with the much-anticipated ILP John Creasey First Novel Dagger and the Emerging Author Dagger competition, sponsored by Fiction Feedback; over two dozen past winners and shortlisted debut authors have signed publishing deals to date. 

Laura McCluskey received the Creasey First Novel Dagger with The Wolf Tree. The Australian writer, editor, actor and filmmaker worked across theatre and film, before becoming a novelist. The Wolf Tree is an atmospheric crime thriller set on the fictional Hebridean island of Eilean Eadar, partly inspired by her Scottish family heritage and research into Scottish folklore.

The Emerging Author Dagger went to Michael Nikitin for Blind Side of the Sun.

The Best Crime and Mystery Publisher category recognises the publishers behind the genre’s success. The respected independent publisher Bitter Lemon Press beat heavyweights including Faber & Faber, Pan Macmillan, No Exit Press and Simon & Schuster to the award.

 Founded in London in 2003 by François and Frédéric von Hurter and Laurence Colchester, Bitter Lemon Press specialises in bringing award-winning crime, noir, mystery, and thriller novels from around the world into English, often through new translations. 

The CWA Diamond Dagger, sponsored by Karen Baugh Menuhin, is awarded to an author whose crime-writing career has been marked by sustained excellence, is announced in early spring and in 2026 was awarded to Mark Billingham.

Mark Billingham said: “I could not be more thrilled or honoured. To be added to a list that features most of my literary heroes is fantastic.”

The winners in full:

 CWA KAA Gold Dagger

Abigail Dean The Death of Us (HarperCollins/Hemlock Press)

Ian Fleming Steel Dagger

S. A. Cosby King of Ashes (Headline)

ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction

Susannah Stapleton That Dark Spring (Pan Macmillan/Picador)

 Historical Dagger

Nina Allan A Granite Silence (Quercus/riverrun)

 Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger

Antti Tuomainen The Winter Job (Orenda Books) translated by David Hackston

 Whodunnit Dagger

Mel Pennant A Murder for Miss Hortense (John Murray Press/Baskerville)

Twisted Dagger

Sarah Pinborough We Live Here Now (Orion Fiction)

 ILP John Creasey (First Novel) Dagger

Laura McCluskey The Wolf Tree (HarperCollins/Hemlock Press)

 Short Story Dagger

Ambrose Perry ‘The Apple Falls Not Far’ (Canongate)

 Emerging Author

Michael Nikitin, Blind Side of the Sun

 Dagger in the Library

Tim Sullivan

 Best Crime & Mystery Publisher

Bitter Lemon Press

 Diamond Dagger

Mark Billingham

 ENDS

Home - The Crime Writers’ Association

 To view past winners, or find out more, please visit
https://thecwa.co.uk/the-daggers 

‘Until We Drown’ by Ava Morwood

Published by HarperNorth,
9 April 2026.
ISBN:‎ 978-000872467-2 (HB)

Until We Drown is an astonishing novel, its eloquent and elegant prose a delight for those who love poetry, its meditations on life and love transforming a tale of betrayal and revenge into an enthralling work about coming to terms with the vicissitudes of human existence. 

The myth and folklore of the Peak District where Until We Drown is set saturate the story, but its underlying template is the Danish Hans Christian Andersen’s literary fairy tale The Little Mermaid. First published in 1837, it is the ultimately tragic story of a young mermaid princess willing to relinquish her life in the sea – and her voice – to gain an immortal soul and win the love of a human prince. Predictably, Disney has given The Little Mermaid a happy ending, but Andersen was less inclined to sentimentality, and his mermaid had to pay a heavy price for the fulfilment of her dreams. 

Mermaids! Those mythical aquatic creatures crowd the story, which is also replete with imagery of water. At the beginning of the novel Ellie Kellaway, her handsome husband Ethan and their two children, the teenaged Zack and four-year-old Libby as well as a sweet mongrel named Jasper, leave behind their idyllic seaside home in Sandsend to begin a new life three hours’ drive away in an isolated dwelling in the heart of the Peak District. Ellie has not even begun unpacking before Libby finds a crude carving of a mermaid hidden behind a wooden stairway. It is pagan rather than pretty and arouses unpleasant reflections. It was the appearance of a ‘mermaid’ in their lives that had made Ellie decide she and her family must relocate from their happy life near the beach to a house surrounded by pastures, moorland and rough, rocky outcrops. That ‘mermaid’ was a member of a wild swimming group Ethan belonged to in Sandsend, and with whom he’d begun an affair. 

Libby is obsessed with mermaids and delighted when she realizes the Peak District, while landlocked, houses three pools associated with ancient tales of mermaids. Ellie is less entranced, particularly when she learns these mermaids are dangerous creatures fond of luring humans to their deaths in the deep, dark waters. Also, lurking in her own background, Ellie harbors a painful reason to fear drowning. 

With the novel told entirely from Ellie’s perspective, the reader finds her dream of a contented, close-knit family life in their new home shattered almost immediately. It’s not only the ugly carving of the mermaid. She also spies a mysterious figure at the bottom of their garden. Zack begins acting strangely, and Jasper disappears. On a hike, Ellie finds the body of a male figure that, at first sight, from a distance, she fears might be her son. Instead, it is a local man, but the circumstances of his death are unexplained. 

Until We Drown is a treat with its accumulation of twists and turns and acute observations on jealousy and rage and the power of love. Highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Wendy Jones Nakanishi/aka Lea O’Harra.

Ava Morwood was raised in Penistone, South Yorkshire, and still lives locally in a house of creaking doors and crooked walls, with her partner Fergus. She loves exploring the hills and dales with her two hugely enthusiastic Dalmatians and has a penchant for books on folklore and weird history, Earl Grey tea and semicolons. She has won the Shirley Jackson Award for Short Fiction, and her debut thriller The Cold Season, written under the name Alison Littlewood, was a R&J pick.

Lea O’Harra.  An American by birth, did her postgraduate work in Britain – an MA in Lancaster and a doctorate at Edinburgh – and worked full-time for 36 years at a Japanese university. Since retiring in March 2020, she has spent part of each year in Lancaster and part in Takamatsu on Shikoku Island, her second home, with occasional visits to the States to see family and friends. An avid reader of crime fiction since childhood, as a university professor she wrote academic articles on it as a literary genre and then decided to try her hand at composing such stories herself, publishing the so-called ‘Inspector Inoue mystery series’ comprising four murder mysteries set in rural, contemporary Japan. She has also published two standalone crime fiction novels. 

Lea O'Harra – Mystery writer

‘The Propaganda Murders’ by Lynn Brittney

Published by Iris Books,
1 Jun3 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-90714795-0 (PB)

At the start of the First World War some clear-sighted members of the Metropolitan police realised that there were some roles that women could play more effectively than men. This resulted in a special task force being set up under the command of Detective Chief Inspector Peter Beech, an officer who was invalided out of the army with an injured leg. He is supported by two other male officers: one is an experienced sergeant, Arthur Tollman, who had retired and has returned to serve during the duration of the war, and Billy Rigsby, a young constable who was invalided out of the army. The women in the team include: Caroline, a doctor at the Women’s Hospital; Mabel a pharmacist at the same hospital; Victoria, a qualified solicitor, although as a woman she is not allowed to practice as a lawyer; Billy’s mother and aunt, Elsie and Sissy; and Lady Maud Winterbourne, whose house in Mayfair is the headquarters of the women’s work for the police. 

The Propaganda Murders opens in February 1916 at a point where the British government has just passed The Military Service Act, which will introduce military service for all single men aged between 18-41. Victoria, who has already been widowed, is very distressed at this development because she fears that the new man in her life will be conscripted and die in the trenches. When she encounters a young woman who is shaming a young man by presenting him with a white feather, Victoria is very angry and after the resultant scuffle she is arrested. Beech manages to get Victoria released and insists on accompanying her home. This is fortunate because soon after this the young woman is discovered brutally murdered. Although the whole team know that Victoria would never deliberately kill anyone, they are relieved that she has got an unimpeachable alibi. The victim was a member of The White Feather League: women who present young men who are not wearing uniform with white feathers, which they use to indicate that they regard these non-combatants as cowards. The dead girl had her throat cut and the marks left by the murder weapon were so unusual and barbaric that neither the police officers nor the medical experts can identify what it could be. 

As well as the murder investigation and their work at the hospital, Caroline and Mabel have been asked by Mabel’s friend, Lionel, to help him inspect a factory that constructs aircraft. There are concerns that the chemicals used in the process may be causing serious and permanent health damage to the women working in the factory. As well as examining the women, Caroline and Mabel do some serious research, which proves that their fears are correct. The female casualties whose lives are destroyed by this patriotic work are fewer in numbers than the young men who are dying in the trenches, but they are not insignificant, and Caroline, Mabel and Lionel are determined to make the government address this serious matter. 

Another young woman is killed in an equally savage manner. This girl was not a member of The White Feather League but she was an art student who helped to design recruiting posters. The Mayfair team suspect that the murders are connected to propaganda, which is trying to persuade or shame men into joining the army. They want to warn women involved in promoting propaganda, but there are so many outlets that it seems like an impossible task. Despite the team’s efforts, the violence continues and more women are attacked, and the search for the killer becomes even more urgent and terrifying when one of their own team disappears without trace. 

The Propaganda Murders is the seventh book in the Mayfair 100 series. It is a fascinating addition to an excellent series that shows life in Britain during the First World War with all its fears and frustrations, and the compelling plot is driven by superb historical detail and research. Although most of the female protagonists are educated and privileged, they also have to fight against the presumptions made by many men regarding their rights and capabilities. None of the protagonists are perfect, which makes them human and likeable, and they are all engaging because they are honourable and decent people. 

The Propaganda Murders is a page-turner, which I thoroughly recommend.
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Reviewer: Carol Westron 

Lynn Brittney has fifty-two plays, books (fiction and non-fiction), and foreign translations of her books registered for PLR. She began novel-writing in 2005 and the first book in her Nathan Fox Elizabethan spy trilogy was nominated for the Waterstones and Brandford Boase Prize. In 2016 she created the Mayfair 100 series, set in WW1. There are now five books in the series. 

www.lynnbrittney.com 

Carol Westron is a Golden Age expert who has written many articles on the subject and given papers at several conferences. She is the author of several series: contemporary detective stories and police procedurals, comedy crime and Victorian Murder Mysteries. Her most recent publications are Paddling in the Dead Sea and Delivering Lazarus, books 2 and 3 of the Galmouth Mysteries, the series which began with The Fragility of Poppies.

www.carolwestron.com 

‘Death by Noir’ by Olly Smith

Published by Baskerville,
18 June 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-39982984-7 (HB)

Victor Crawshaw's body has been found polluting a vat of his own wine. There's no mark of violence on him, and the police think it was an accident. Indeed, it has all the hallmarks of an accident. Even the inquest said it was an accident. To all appearances, he opened the vat, inhaled too much of the carbon dioxide fumes, tumbled in and drowned. But Barclay Flint, friend of the dead man, wine shop owner and connoisseur of all things wine-related, is uneasy. Why would an experienced wine-maker make such an elementary mistake? And why has Victor's son invited his menacing old army pal to stay? And why is the neighbour Victor feuded with for decades hanging around?  

This is the enigma that lies at the heart of wine expert Olly Smith's first novel. Intertwined with the mystery is a cast of eccentric characters, a guided tour of the town of Lewes and an awful lot about wine all well wrapped in a highly idiosyncratic style. There are also numerous digressions into how best to preserve the countryside and save the planet, and even a smidgen of romance. Oh, and music. And fireworks. And jigsaws. 

Barclay himself is what might be termed a bit of a character. A glass of wine sits permanently at his elbow, and he's also a fan of a decent pint of beer, preferably brewed in the local brewery. When he describes wine, he becomes the master of the tortured metaphor. His assistant Pearl is far more down to earth, and intent on raising the town's consciousness about climate change through a series of disruptive stunts including a mass yoga session in the middle of the street. Teddy, the wine shop's delivery driver is passionate about rare moths. He also adores Pearl, and is reduced to a clumsy, tongue-tied wreck in her presence. Minty, Barclay's Antiguan neighbour, wants to mother everyone and teach them to dance. 

The police are almost incidental. DI Nuria Alpert is focused and crisply efficient, but DC Oscar Keane takes more of an interest in his surroundings, especially the wine shop. They do manage to be in at the kill, so to speak, but more by accident than design. 

And that's just the good guys. The dead man's son Harold seems to have it in for everyone, especially his sister Tabitha and Barclay, and his ex-army oppo is positively menacing. The arch-baddie (or is he?) is the Crawshaws' neighbour Maurice le Brocq, who wants to turn the vineyard into an extension of his pheasant-shooting enterprise. 

By the end of the book I felt I knew Lewes as intimately as Olly Smith clearly does, especially the highly elaborate annual celebrations of Bonfire Night. I'd also learned far more than is strictly safe about wine. So, was Barclay right to be uneasy about his friend's death? You'll have to read the book to find that out!
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Reviewer: Lynne Patrick

Olly Smith is an award-winning wine expert, TV personality, author and podcast host. His exceptional blend of passion, enthusiasm and knowledge, as well as his unique turn of phrase, have made him one of the UKs best loved figures in the world of food and drink. He has written two books. Death by Noir published 2026 and The Blood Wine to be published in 2027.

Lynne Patrick has been a writer ever since she could pick up a pen, and has enjoyed success with short stories, reviews and feature journalism, but never, alas, with a novel. She crossed to the dark side to become a publisher for a few years and is proud to have launched several careers which are now burgeoning. She lives in Oxfordshire in a house groaning with books, about half of them crime fiction.

The latest from Bloody Scotland: 18 - 20 September 2026

Our Closing Event is Revealed 

Our 2026 programme was already a banger - but we couldn't resist bringing you one last event to close the festival in style. The legends that are Val McDermid and Denise Mina will now be closing the show at the Albert Halls at 6pm on Sunday the 20th September. This is sure to be a popular event, so get your tickets will you can.

You the Jury - Extra Session Added

Calling all armchair detectives! Due to popular demand, our You the Jury events, sponsored by The Faculty of Advocates, sold out very quickly. That's why we've added an extra session to the programme on Saturday the 19th of September at 13:15pm.

This enthralling courtroom drama, written by Douglas Skelton and based on a vintage case (but updated) stars real-life lawyers Laura Thomson KC and Frances McMenamin KC, forensic experts Professors Lorna Dawson and Dr James Grieve, and chartered psychologist Professor Lara Frumkin, along with court staff.

Forget the histrionics and cries of objection. Forget a tetchy judge banging a gavel. This is a compelling, true to life theatrical experience which takes place in a working court room.

And you could be on the jury!

We know that many of you were disappointed when our Lee Child tickets sold out. Thankfully, there is an alternative way to watch the Reacher novelist's appearance at Bloody Scotland. Digital tickets for his event, which will be streamed live on Friday the 18th of September at 6.45pm and available on catch up, cost just £6.75. Alternatively, you can also purchase a digital pass for £60.75 which gives you access to all 15 streaming events.

Bloody Scotland: The Podcast 

We were absolutely cock-a-hoop to find out that Bloody Scotland: The Podcast had been shortlisted for not one, but two awards at the Scottish Podcast Awards. A few of the team went along to the awards ceremony at the Old Fruitmarket last night to celebrate alongside the other nominees. Sadly, we didn't win this time around, but we had a terrific time celebrating anyway! Huge congratulations to all the winners.

Bob McDevitt, Caron Macpherson, Dawn Geddes

 and Denise Mina representing team Bloody Scotland at the awards. 

Pitch Perfect & Crime in the Spotlight Opens

Emerging Crime Writers - have we got an opportunity for you! Well, two opportunities to be exact. We're delighted to tell you that applications for both Pitch Perfect and Crime in the Spotlight are now officially open!

Pitch Perfect is our annual opportunity for unpublished writers to pitch their work to a panel of industry experts. Many of our former pitchers have gone on to bag book deals including: Kate Foster, D.V. Bishop, Matt Wesolowski, Alison Belsham and Joseph Knox. This year’s judging panel are Literary Agent, Diana Beaumont, Journalist and author Lisa Howells
(Crime  Monthly), and Stephen Cameron, Creative Director of Into Books.

The deadline for entering is: Friday the 17th of July.

Our Crime in the Spotlight scheme shines a spotlight on new crime writing talent during the festival. Every year we invite new and emerging published crime writers to apply for a slot to read out a short sample of their work before one of our big Albert Halls sessions in Stirling in September.

You are eligible to apply for Crime in the Spotlight if you, have never appeared on the programme at Bloody Scotland before and are early in your crime writing career (your first or second published book, but no more).

If you are successful, you'll appear as the opener for one of our author events and will also be invited to sign books alongside them. It's an exciting opportunity that will get your work in front of a large crime writing loving audience. 

The deadline for entering Crime in the Spotlight is:
Friday the 10th of July.

Bloody Scotland | International Crime Writing Festival

CWA Bursary

Fancy joining us at Bloody Scotland this year, but not sure if you'll manage? The Crime Writers’ Association is currently offering a £500 grant towards the cost of tickets, travel and accommodation to attend Bloody Scotland in 2026. This bursary is open to CWA full members, provisional members, and emerging author members.

For further information and apply, visit:
https://thecwa.co.uk/member-benefits/bursaries/

‘The Apples of Sodom’ by Carol Westron

Published by Pentangle Press,
19 June 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-91755502-9 (PB) 

The Apples of Sodom is set in England during the deadly heatwave that defined the summer of 1976.  The novel is narrated by twenty-two-year-old Mel Blume who is attending a book launch with her father Gabe, himself a celebrated author.  Mel’s mother died when she was quite young and Gabe brought up his only child alone, so it’s not surprising that he can be protective, sometimes overprotective, of her.  Gabe recently split from his American publisher, and this prompted the Blumes to return to England after living in the USA for twelve years.  British literary agents are keen to sign the best-selling author and Mel notices that her father is attracting more attention than the unfortunate writer whose book is being promoted.  When she is approached by a pushy guest, Daphne Undershaw, who requests a personal introduction to her father, we get a glimpse of Mel’s integrity and composure as she politely, but firmly, declines.  Her confidence quickly evaporates, though, when she realises that she is being watched by an attractive stranger who is walking towards her.  When she discovers that he is Ben Undershaw, Daphne’s son, it doesn’t stop Mel falling for him and it seems that the feeling is mutual.  

 

They leave the literary crowd to attend a nearby open-air concert where they discover that they have a good deal in common.  Both were brought up by single parents, both want to break free from their current situations and feel stifled by their respective families, and both share a love of art and creativity.  Then Mel discovers something about Ben that leaves her feeling exploited and betrayed.  It’s the first of several happenings that spell danger not only to their nascent relationship, but to Mel herself.  When Ben goes missing Mel is determined to discover the truth, whatever dark secrets she may uncover and despite the risk to herself.

 

Mel’s first-person present tense narrative speaks directly to the reader, and she proves to be a witty, endearing and trustworthy storyteller.  Seeing events unfold through Mel’s perspective enhances a superb plot that has both pace and tension.  The action takes place during a memorable period of extreme weather which perfectly complements the pressure that builds up as the story unfolds.  It captures that dangerous, crucial period during which a young person develops into a fully-fledged adult.  It is fascinating to see how Mel navigates this and the impact events have on her.  The characters Mel meets during the novel are all interesting, though not all as likeable as the narrator.

 

In The Apples of Sodom Carol Westron has produced a captivating novel that explores complexities in relationships between friends, families and lovers.  She exposes the power of relationships to harm and heal, dishearten and encourage, confine and release.   

A moving, mysterious and thoroughly enjoyable tale that I highly recommend.
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Reviewer: Dot Marshall-Gent

Carol Westron is a Golden Age expert who has written many articles on the subject and given papers at several conferences. She is the author of several series: contemporary detective stories and police procedurals, comedy crime and Victorian Murder Mysteries. Her most recent publications are Paddling in the Dead Sea and Delivering Lazarus, books 2 and 3 of the Galmouth Mysteries, the series which began with
The Fragility of Poppies.

 www.carolwestron.com  

Dot Marshall-Gent worked in the emergency services for twenty years first as a police officer, then as a paramedic and finally as a fire control officer before graduating from King’s College, London as a teacher of English in her mid-forties.  She completed a M.A. in Special and Inclusive Education at the Institute of Education, London and now teaches part-time and writes mainly about educational issues.  Dot sings jazz and country music and plays guitar, banjo and piano as well as being addicted to reading mystery and crime fiction.  

‘The Body That Floats’ by Jayne Chard

Published by Chapters Crime Press,
7 May 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-06832502-1 (PB)

Julia and her estranged half-sister, Frankie, could not be more different. Conventional, ex-headteacher, Julia is looking forward to a peaceful retirement, but the wild, free-spirited Frankie thinks that rules are there to be broken. Their aunt has left them her cottage, but the two sisters must live there together for a year to inherit their half share. After a few months of adjustment punctuated by frequent spats, the two are ready to take a holiday to a pretty seaside village in Cornwall.   

Early one morning, they go down to the beach for a swim. Frankie spots a body floating next to the pontoon and brings it back to the shore. The police arrive and immediately assume that the death is the result of an accident and look no further. Julia and Frankie are not convinced and begin their own investigation. The wealthy local businessman who died was far from the village’s most popular resident. It’s not long before they discover that the village has a great many secrets that they had not anticipated, including a long history of smuggling gangs whose modern members are determined to protect at gunpoint even kidnap. 

Julia and Frankie are a real joy. Their dialogue is laugh-out-loud witty. All the characters are well drawn and despite the large cast, are easily identifiable. Jayne Chard’s descriptive talents are not limited to her characters. Every one of the senses is roused as the action takes the reader through a variety of locations from the beach and the empty dunes to busy village centre where preparations for the elaborate parade that marks the highlight of the village fair are taking place. 

In true Agatha Christie style, this modern-day whodunit is full of plot twists and turns that keep the reader turning the page until the final, unpredictable ending. 

This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone.
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Reviewer: Judith Cranswick  

Jayne Chard started writing plays when she was eight and wrote her first “book” at fourteen. After graduating with a degree in psychology and drama, Jayne went on to win the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Buzz Goodbody’s Director Award. Whilst continuing to write, she started working as a professional theatre director, and two of her plays were performed at the London Fringe. Attracted to the small screen, Jayne became absorbed in TV drama directing. Now a multi-award-winning film and TV drama producer, her credits include the BBC flagship brand Silent Witness. In addition to a successful film and television career, Jayne was integral in setting up a veterinary clinic on the remote island of Koh Tao in Thailand. She has also worked as a radio presenter. Jayne lives in the West Country with her partner.   

Judith Cranswick was born and brought up in Norwich. Apart from writing, Judith’s great passions are travel and history. Both have influenced her two series of mystery novels. Tour Manager, Fiona Mason takes coach parties throughout Europe, and historian Aunt Jessica is the guest lecturer accompanying tour groups visiting more exotic destinations aided by her nephew Harry. Her published novels also include several award-winning standalone psychological thrillers. She wrote her first novel (now languishing in the back of a drawer somewhere) when her two children were toddlers, but there was little time for writing when she returned to her teaching career. Now retired, she is able to indulge her love of writing and has begun a life of crime! ‘Writers are told to write what they know about, but I can assure you, I've never committed a murder. I'm an ex-convent school headmistress for goodness sake!’ Her most recent book is Passage to Greenland 

http://judithcranswick.co.uk/ 

‘Death in the New Forest’ by Linda Mather

Published by Joffe Books,
28 May 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-80573562-5 (PB)

This is the first novel in Linda Mather’s ‘New Forest Murders’ series. Detective Chief Inspector Elinor Saxby has relocated from urban Birmingham to lead the New Forest CID, a change of scene following a harrowing case involving a dead baby for which she received counselling. Her life does not become any less troubled. Almost as soon as she arrives in the New Forest Saxby receives a text from Candice Beddowes, her counsellor who lives locally, asking her to call as Beddowes wants to ask her about something. Saxby calls but there’s no answer. The next morning Beddowes is found dead in a hotel swimming pool. 

Saxby has to cope with investigating whether Beddowes’s death was an accident or murder at the same time as feeling guilt over not getting in touch with the dead woman in time. She has to admit to her superiors and investigating team that she knew Beddowes, even if much of her counselling was not in person. It is soon established that Beddowes’s death is suspicious. New links start to appear. Latif Akbhani, a worker at the hotel, was killed in a road accident on the night Beddowes died. His brother disappears immediately afterwards. Both men lived at a car wash, the owner of which is unknown. The daughter of the local MP knew Latif at school. There is a missing passport. 

Saxby doesn’t just have to deal with the investigation. Her predecessor, well-liked by his colleagues, left in circumstances that are not fully explained, and she finds that her team resents her arrival and some of its members are difficult to deal with. She is also understaffed, and this leads her to request the transfer of a former colleague in Birmingham (DI Craig Stapleton) to whom she is clearly close. Prominent in the investigation is young Detective Constable Nancy Li from the fast-track programme, and the novel follows her first steps in a murder case. She can be guilty of over-enthusiasm and going off piste on her own. A more experienced officer who has his suspicions says to her at one point: ‘I don’t want you turning into one of these maverick cops.’ 

The plot and its various strands develop rapidly. The lives of those affected by Beddowes’s death as well as her own previous lifestyle come under scrutiny. The National Crime Agency becomes involved. There is more than one potential and actual villain. Death in the New Forest is a convincing, well-written and extremely readable novel which holds the reader’s attention on every page. It is also an excellent first instalment of a series as it leaves many questions about Saxby’s personal and professional relationships unexplained. What exactly does Craig Stapleton mean to her? Will he eventually join her? And what about Stephen Farrell from the NCA? Will she manage to win over her team completely (there are signs they are softening towards her)? I’m sure these subjects will be explored further. I am very happy to recommend this novel with enthusiasm.
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Reviewer: David Whittle

Linda Mather writes a crime fiction series about an astrologer who is also a private detective. This whole idea started when Linda was sixteen and her brother bought her a book on astrology, which really grabbed her imagination. She has done a lot of other things since including working for a short time as a PI herself; she has rescued stranded whales in Scotland and set up graduate schemes in Scandinavia. Her experiences - and particularly the settings - often provide the inspiration for great stories. Apart from writing, Linda is interested in fitness and of course, astrology.

David Whittle is firstly a musician (he is an organist and was Director of Music at Leicester Grammar School for over 30 years) but has always enjoyed crime fiction. This led him to write a biography of the composer Bruce Montgomery who is better known to lovers of crime fiction as Edmund Crispin, about whom he gives talks now and then.