NEW COOPER & FRY NOVEL - DEAD IN THE DARK

The brand new Cooper and Fry novel DEAD IN THE DARK will be launched in the UK in July.

I have lots of launch events planned across Derbyshire, and in neighbouring Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire. Please come along and say 'hello' at one of these events - and of course get your copy of DEAD IN THE DARK signed!

Here's the blurb:

This is the 17th title in the award-winning series featuring young police detectives Ben Cooper and Diane Fry, set in England’s beautiful and atmospheric Peak District.

How do you prove a murder without a body?

Ten years ago, Reece Bower was accused of killing his wife, a crime he always denied. Extensive police searches near his home in Bakewell found no trace of Annette Bower's remains, and the case against him collapsed.

But now memories of the original investigation have been resurrected for Detective Inspector Ben Cooper - because Reece Bower himself has disappeared, and his new wife wants answers.

Cooper can't call on the Major Crime Unit and DS Diane Fry for help unless he can prove a murder took place - impossible without a body. As his search moves into the caves and abandoned mines in the isolated depths of Lathkilldale, the question is: who would want revenge for the death of Annette Bower?

Meanwhile, Fry is working on a murder investigation of her own in an entirely different part of Derbyshire, where a fractured community is divided against itself.

Stephen Booth ventures into the Peak District's dark subterranean world for this stunning Cooper & Fry thriller DEAD IN THE DARK.

Hardback and ebook publication by Little, Brown are scheduled for Thursday 13th July, along with an audio download. 

My launch dates are:

TUESDAY 11th JULY, 6pm
Chelmorton War Memorial Institute, Main Street, Chelmorton, Derbyshire SK17 9SH - 'Dark Peaks and Strange Shores' crime panel for Chelmorton Festival, with Sarah Ward, Martin Pearce, Quentin Bates and Roz Watkins. Tickets £4 including glass of wine. Email: sarahwardcrime@gmail.com or book online here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dark-peaks-and-strange-shores-crime-writers-panel-at-the-chelmorton-festival-tickets-34075341263?ref=estw

WEDNESDAY 12th JULY, 6.30pm
Waterstones, 78-80 St Peter's Street, Derby DE1 1SR - talk and signing for DEAD IN THE DARK. Phone 01332 296997 or email: derby@waterstones.com

THURSDAY 13th JULY, 10am - 12 noon
Bookworm, Spa Lane, Retford, Nottinghamshire DN22 6EA - signing for DEAD IN THE DARK.
Phone 01777 869224 or email: sales@bookwormretford.co.uk

THURSDAY 13th JULY, 7pm
Chesterfield Library, New Beetwell Street, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S40 1QN - launch event for DEAD IN THE DARK (in conjunction with Waterstones Chesterfield). Tickets £3 (redeemable against the price of the book if bought at the event), available from the library, phone 01629 533400 or email: chesterfield.library@derbyshire.gov.uk. To reserve a signed book, contact Waterstones on 01246 231061 or email: chesterfield@waterstones.com
https://www.waterstones.com/events/an-evening-with-stephen-booth/chesterfield-33692

SATURDAY 15th JULY, 2.30 - 4.30pm
Scarthin Books,The Promenade, Cromford, Derbyshire DE4 3QF - signing for DEAD IN THE DARK. Phone 01629 823272 or email: nickscarthin@gmail.com
http://www.scarthinbooks.com/event/stephen-booth-book-signing-2/

SUNDAY 16th JULY, 12 noon
Newark Town Hall, Market Place, Newark, NottinghamshireNG24 1DU - 'Nottinghamshire: Today's Heroes' panel for Newark Book Festival, with Tim Utton and Gareth Baker, chaired by Stuart Gibbon. Tickets £5 (£3 concessions) from the Palace Theatre box office (10am - 5pm), phone 01636 655755 or email: palace@nsdc.info Or book online here: https://www.palacenewarktickets.com/en-GB/shows/nottinghamshire-%20today's%20heroes/info
Festival website: http://www.newarkbookfestival.org.uk/

SUNDAY 16th JULY, 9pm      **  SORRY - THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED  **
Bakewell Town Hall, Anchor Square, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1BT - talk and signing for Bakewell Literary Festival. Tickets £10 for full day and evening of author talks. Book online here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/date/370193

WEDNESDAY 19th JULY, 7pm
Bonington Theatre,High Street, Arnold, Nottingham NG5 7EE - event for Gedling Arts Festival. Crime writing workshop from 7pm - 8.30pm. Talk, Q&A and book signing from 8.30pm. Tickets £3, available from the Bonington Theatre Box Office: http://www.boningtontheatre.co.uk/ phone 0115 901 3640 or email: bonington.theatre@gedling.gov.uk
Festival programme here: http://www.gedling.gov.uk/leisure/artseventsandplay/gedlingboroughartsfestival/

FRIDAY 21st JULY, 7.30pm
Spring Bank Arts, Spring Bank, New Mills, Derbyshire SK22 4BH - talk and signing for DEAD IN THE DARK. Tickets £7 (including glass of Pimms or non-alcoholic drink), available from Spring Bank Arts, phone 01663 308202 or email: springbankarts@gmail.com,
or from High Street Books, New Mills, or book online here: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/407213
http://www.springbankarts.org.uk/events/an-evening-with-stephen-booth-3/

SUNDAY 23rd JULY, 3 - 5pm
High Peak Bookstore (formerly Bookstore Brierlow Bar), Ashbourne Road, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 9PY - signing for DEAD IN THE DARK. Phone 01298 71017 or email: info@highpeakbookstore.co.uk
http://www.highpeakbookstore.co.uk/

MONDAY 24th JULY, 6.45 for 7.30pm
Haxby Memorial Hall, 16 The Village, Haxby, York YO32 3HT - talk and signing for DEAD IN THE DARK at fund-raising event for new Haxby Library.
Tickets £5. Book your place online at http://www.haxbymemorialhall.org/

SATURDAY 29th JULY, 12 - 2pm
Reading Matters bookshop, 48 Market Street, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire SK23 0HY - signing for DEAD IN THE DARK.
Phone 01298 938166 or email: readingmatterschapel@gmail.com

Dates later in the year can be found on the Events Page:http://www.stephen-booth.com/events.htm

BUILDING THE CORPSE BRIDGE

On the run-up to publication of THE CORPSE BRIDGE this week, I was asked to write a piece for the blog of UK booksellers Waterstones, where I talk about the role the Peak District plays in the Cooper & Fry series. They call it 'Building The Corpse Bridge'. You can read the full blog piece here:

http://www.waterstones.com/blog/2014/06/building-the-corpse-bridge/

You can also get a sneak peek of the new book on the CrimeVault website:

http://www.thecrimevault.com/ebooks/the-corpse-bridge/

Several launch events for THE CORPSE BRIDGE are coming up soon. It's always great to see lots of Cooper & Fry readers, so come along if you get the chance.

First off, I'll be appearing at Gedling Book Festival in Nottingham this Friday (20th June). This is a terrific three-day festival, which is now in its second year. It's hosted by Gedling Borough Council and organised by New Writers UK. Friday is Crime and History Day, with events taking place at the Bonington Theatre in Arnold. 

All the events are free, and my session is at 1.30pm. Waterstones Nottingham will be on hand with books for sale. More details of the festival are here:

http://jo0373.wix.com/newwritersuk/#!events/c1qu7

Immediately after my appearance at Gedling Book Festival, I'll be heading off into Derbyshire to do a launch evening at Chesterfield Library, starting at 7.30pm. This is again organised in conjunction with Waterstones Chesterfield, who will be providing the book stall. This is a ticketed event (tickets £3, concessions £2) available from the library. To make sure of a place, phone 01629 533400.

These events will be followed by signings at several bookshops in the area. On Saturday (21st June), I'll be at Bookworm in Retford, Nottinghamshire, from 10am to 12 noon, then from 2.30pm I'll be signing THE CORPSE BRIDGE at Scarthin Books in Cromford, Derbyshire. Both will be happy to reserve signed copies for you. Contact Bookworm on 01777 869224 or sales@bookwormretford.co.uk, while Scarthin can be contacted on 01629 823272 or nickscarthin@gmail.com. 

Next week, I'll be doing an evening event at Waterstones in Derby (Thursday 26th June, 7pm start), and on Saturday 28th I'll be down in Buckinghamshire to take part in the BeaconLit Festival at Ivinghoe, near Leighton Buzzard: http://www.beaconlit.co.uk/  

Later in the year, watch out for more library events in Barnard Castle in County Durham, St Anne's in Lancashire, Ecclesfield in Bradford, Hinckley in Leicestershire, Walsall in the West Midlands, and a visit being planned to Northern Ireland. 

There will also be a special Summer Crime Party at Heffers' bookshop in Cambridge, and I'll be back at 'Not the Hay Festival' in Beeston, Nottingham, during October.

COMING SOON: THE CORPSE BRIDGE

The 14th Cooper & Fry novel THE CORPSE BRIDGE is due for publication very soon in the UK (19th June, in fact). You can get a sneak peek at the new book here:

http://www.thecrimevault.com/ebooks/the-corpse-bridge/

Launch events are coming up in the UK during the next few weeks:

FRIDAY 20th JUNE, 1.30pm
Gedling Book Festival, Bonington Theatre, Front Street, Arnold, Nottingham NG5 7EE - talk and signing (with New Writers UK). FREE admission. Festival details here: http://jo0373.wix.com/newwritersuk/#!events/c1qu7

FRIDAY 20th JUNE, 7.30pm
Chesterfield Library Theatre, New Beetwell Street, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S40 1QN - launch for the 14th Cooper & Fry novel THE CORPSE BRIDGE (in conjunction with Waterstones Chesterfield). Tickets £3 (concessions £2) available from the library. To book a place, phone 01629 533400.

SATURDAY 21st JUNE, 10am - 12noon
Bookworm bookshop, Spa Lane, Retford, Nottinghamshire DN22 6EA - signing for THE CORPSE BRIDGE.
Phone 01777 869224 or email: sales@bookwormretford.co.uk

SATURDAY 21st JUNE, 2.30 - 4.30pm
Scarthin Books, The Promenade, Cromford, Derbyshire DE4 3QF - signing for THE CORPSE BRIDGE.
Phone 01629 823272 or email: nickscarthin@gmail.com

THURSDAY 26th JUNE, 7pm
Waterstones, 78-80 St Peter's Street, Derby DE1 1SR - talk and signing for THE CORPSE BRIDGE.
Phone 01332 296997 or email: derby@waterstones.com

SATURDAY 28th JUNE, 4pm
BeaconLit Festival, Brookmead School, High St, Ivinghoe, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 9EX - crime panel with Jane Isaac, Anya Lipska and Dave Sivers. Full-day pass £13.50, afternoon pass £9.00. Book via the festival website: http://www.beaconlit.co.uk/

TUESDAY 1st JULY, 5.45pm
Barnard Castle Library, 2 Hall Street, Barnard Castle, County Durham DL12 8JB - talk to readers, with Q&A and book signing. Phone 03000 263 409 or email: bdcaslibrary@durham.gov.uk

SATURDAY 5th JULY, 11.30am - 1.30pm
Waterstones, 27 Frenchgate Centre, Doncaster DN1 1LJ - signing for THE CORPSE BRIDGE.
Phone 01302 329142 or email: doncaster@waterstones.com
 
SATURDAY 12th JULY, 10.30am - 12.30pm
Reading Matters bookshop, 48 Market Street, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire SK23 0HY - signing for THE CORPSE BRIDGE. Phone 01298 938166 or email: readingmatterschapel@gmail.com

Chellaston Library project, Derby

Readers in the Derby area have two chances to hear me talk about my writing career and the Cooper and Fry novels with a series of events highlighting the facilities of Chellaston Library in the south of the city. The first 'Evening with Stephen Booth' takes place on Tuesday 6th November (7pm start).

I'm honoured to be appointed Chellaston Library Champion by Derby City Council's library services, and I'll be helping to draw attention to the importance of community libraries like Chellaston and the range of facilities available for library users in the area. 

We all know that libraries are a vital part of many communities. They provide a place to meet, chat to like-minded people, make new friends, or join a club. They offer free access to books, online databases and computers, information about starting a business or writing a CV and job clubs for job seekers. You can read with your kids, help them with their home work, and be a reading role model.

Derby City Council have added over 48,000 new items to their shelves in the past year, including all the latest bestsellers. Fiction, non fiction, large print, audiobooks, magazines and newspapers are all available, as well as craft clubs, author talks, writing workshops and story times for children, a quiet space to work or study, space to sit down and read a newspaper or magazine. From a writer's point of view, libraries are also important as a place where readers discover new authors.

On Tuesday 6th November, I'll be at Chellaston Library to talk about how I became a writer, about why libraries have been so important to me personally, and why I support them. This will be followed by a question and answer session. The evening starts at 7pm. 

This is a FREE event! All are welcome, but booking is recommended. You can phone the library on 01332 702614 for details, or email chellaston.library@derby.gov.uk
or book a place online here: http://stephenbooth1.eventbrite.com/

Chellaston Library is on Barley Croft, off High Street, Chellaston, close to the A514 in the south of Derby. The postcode for your satnavs is DE73 6TU, and you'll find car parking close by. There's a detailed map on the event page:

http://stephenbooth1.eventbrite.com/

For more details about the library's facilities and opening times, click here: http://www.derby.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/libraries/derby-libraries/chellaston-library/

Following the November event, I'll be back at Chellaston Library in February to talk in more detail about my novels and the Cooper and Fry series. Watch out for more details!

THE DEVIL'S EDGE IS COMING

Well, this Thursday is publication day for THE DEVIL'S EDGE, and the books are arriving in the shops right now. In fact, one of the first readers to finish her copy of THE DEVIL'S EDGE bought her copy at the English Bookshop in Uppsala, Sweden!

My first signing for the new book will be this Saturday, 9th April (10am - 12 noon) at my local independent bookshop, Bookworm in Retford, Nottinghamshire:

http://www.bookwormretford.co.uk/events.html

Signed copies can be reserved from Bookworm by phoning 01777 869224.

Just a few tickets are left for my evening at Newbold Verdon Library, Leicestershire, next Tuesday 12th April (7pm). To book a place, call 0116 3053661. This is en event for Words on the Street:

http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/leisure_tourism/libraries/reading_writing/wordsonthestreet.html

If you're in the South Yorkshire/North Derbyshire area, I'll be joined by Sheffield author Danuta Reah for a crime evening at Waterstone's bookshop in Orchard Square, Sheffield, on Thursday 14th April (6.45pm onwards). Tickets are £3, redeemable against the purchase of a book on the night. To reserve a place, phone 0114 2728971 or call in at the shop.

There will also be signings for THE DEVIL'S EDGE at Waterstone's Chesterfield (Saturday 16th April 1-3pm) and Waterstone's Derby (Saturday 23rd April 12- 2pm):

http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/displayDetailEvent.do?searchType=1&author=Stephen|Booth

NEW LIBRARY IN DERBY

Derby City Council open a brand new library today in the Mackworth area of the city, funded by the Big Lottery. It's always great to see new libraries opening!

http://www.derby.gov.uk/LeisureCulture/Libraries/Findyourlocallibrary/About+Mackworth+Library.htm

As part of the celebrations, I'll be doing an event at the new Mackworth Library on Wednesday 21st April (7pm). Apart from a series of bookshop signings for LOST RIVER, this is the only event I have scheduled in April, so don't miss it! The evening is free, but booking is essential. Book at any Derby City library or call the Central Library on 01332 641702.

The new Mackworth Library:

SMATTERINGS

Just a few snippets of news today while I have a quiet snigger at all those people down in London panicking over a couple of centimetres of snow. Come on, folks... when we lived in Yorkshire, we used to wake up with more snow than that inside the bedroom. Or am I just being a wee bit smug about working from home? Write and let me know!

The good news for Derbyshire as a result of this "snow event" (as the BBC have just called it) was that the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, whose name is Mr Ed Balls, had to cancel a visit to open Derby's first 'skills academy'. There must be scope for a really great headline there somewhere...

Of course, the Peak District had twice as much snow as anywhere else in England, and the famous Snake Pass was closed today - but that happens every winter.

Elsewhere, it seems that people are turning to their local libraries in greater numbers - at least in Scotland. Good news for libraries - but maybe not such good news for bookshops? I'm always sorry to see independent bookstores closing, and I was particularly sad to hear news of the recent demise of Murder One, London's (in fact, the UK's) leading mystery bookstore. The full story of what owner Maxim Jakubowski is up to can be read on today's Rapsheet blog.

Finally, we all know that rabbits can be a terrible pest in the countryside. So I loved this story today from the Press Association on one farmer's novel approach to pest control, featuring a gun-totin' cow.

THE REAPER IS COMING...

Congratulations go to Derbyshire crime writer Steven Dunne, who is one of the latest signings for HarperCollins imprint Avon.

Steven is a fine example for other aspiring authors who dream of getting that big publishing contract. After a number of rejections, he decided to go it alone and self-publish his first novel 'Reaper', a detective thriller set in Derby, featuring Detective Inspector Damen Brook in a hunt for a long-dormant serial killer. The book ended up being stocked and championed at Steven's local Waterstone’s.

He then placed his book on HarperCollins' new writers' networking site authonomy.com in the hope of reaching a wider audience. And 'Reaper' was spotted by a HarperCollins editor, who has signed Steven up for at least one more book. 'Reaper' will be hitting shops across the UK this summer.

I read the book a couple of months ago, and it's great stuff! I even think the cover of the self-published version is pretty cool too (and that's not something you can always say). I'm looking forward to seeing what HarperCollins do with it.

A graduate of Kent University, Steven Dunne works as a supply teacher in Derby. He uses a number of recognisable locations in the city for his book.

I think you'll be hearing more of him after this summer.

You can visit his website here:

http://www.the-reaper.com/