Six of the best

The shortlist for the inaugural Bloody Scotland Scottish Crime Book of the Year award has just been announced

Charles Cumming – A Foreign Country (Harper Collins)
Craig Russell – Dead Men & Broken Hearts (Quercus)
Denise Mina – Gods & Beasts (Orion)
Peter May – The Lewis Man (Quercus)
Philip Kerr – Prague Fatale (Quercus)
Will Jordan – Redemption (Random House)

Broadcaster and journalist Sheena McDonald chairs the judging panel, and her fellow judges are Waterstones’ crime fiction expert Ewan Wilson and Len Wanner, author of The Crime Interviews Vol 1,2 and 3. The award is in association with Waterstones.

The winner will be announced on Sunday September 16th during Bloody Scotland, where the winner will be presented with a trophy and a cheque for £3,000.

Congratulations to all six on the shortlist!


The Award seeks to recognise and reward excellence in Scottish crime writing, first published between 1 August 2011 and 31 July 2012. Over 40 books of fiction and non-fiction were submitted by UK publishers. Eligible books were by writers born in Scotland, by writers living in Scotland, or books set in Scotland.