COUNTDOWN TO THE MURDER ROAD

The 15th novel featuring young Derbyshire police detectives Ben Cooper and Diane Fry will be published in the UK on 16th July. 

THE MURDER ROAD explores the consequences on a tiny Peak District community when a lorry which becomes jammed under a railway bridge is found to have a blood-stained cab and a missing driver. 

For residents in the hamlet of Shawhead, there's only one way in and one way out. And some of them may never go out at all.  Detective Inspector Ben Cooper is on the scene with his team from Derbyshire E Division. But the one person who may hold the answers to the mystery is found hanging from a walkway high over the river in the nearby town of New Mills. 

With the arrival of a new sergeant, Cooper is unsure of his position in E Division. So who will he turn to when his case takes a dramatic turn?

THE MURDER ROAD is set around the towns of New Mills and Whaley Bridge, in the north west corner of Derbyshire. Locations range from the Torrs gorge under New Mills, with its spectacular Millennium Walkway (above), to the recently restored canal complex at Bugsworth Basin (below). 







Launch events are coming up soon for THE MURDER ROAD. 

I'll be doing two evenings around publication time - one at Chesterfield Library (Wednesday 15th July) and a second at Spring Bank Arts in New Mills (Friday 17th July) - followed by signings at bookshops in Retford, Cromford and Chapel-en-le-Frith.

To make sure of a place at the launch events, book your tickets now. Details of how to book are below: 

WEDNESDAY 15th JULY, 7pm
Chesterfield Library Theatre, New Beetwell Street, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S40 1QN - launch event for THE MURDER ROAD, in conjunction with Waterstones Chesterfield. Tickets £5. To book a place, visit the Chesterfield Library help desk, or phone the library on 01629 533400.

FRIDAY 17th JULY, 7.30pm

Spring Bank Arts, Spring Bank, New Mills, Derbyshire SK22 4BH - launch event for THE MURDER ROAD. Tickets £6 (including a glass of Pimms) are available from Spring Bank Arts, from High Street Books in New Mills, or online at: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/324352

SATURDAY 18th JULY, 10am - 12pm
Bookworm, 1 Spa Lane, Retford, Nottinghamshire DN22 6EA - signing for THE MURDER ROAD. Phone 01777 869224 or email: sales@bookwormretford.co.uk

SATURDAY 18th JULY, 2.30 - 4.30pm
Scarthin Books, The Promenade, Cromford, Derbyshire DE4 3QF - signing for THE MURDER ROAD. Phone 01629 823272 or email: nickscarthin@gmail.com

SATURDAY 25th JULY, 10.30am - 12.30pm
Reading Matters, 48 Market Street, Chapel-en-le-Frith, High Peak, Derbyshire SK23 0HY - signing for THE MURDER ROAD. Phone 01298 938166 or email: readingmatterschapel@gmail.com

Meanwhile, THE MURDER ROAD can be pre-ordered in hardback and ebook editions here:

Amazon UK:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Murder-Road-Cooper-Fry/dp/0751559946/

Waterstones:
http://www.waterstones.com/book/the-murder-road/stephen-booth/9780751559941

The Hive:
http://www.hive.co.uk/book/the-murder-road/20630776/

Or call in at your local independent bookshop to get it on order! 

COOPER & FRY EBOOK BUNDLE FOR $1.99

Warning: reading this ebook bundle may result in a Cooper & Fry addiction! Today's Top Deal at BookGorilla - three novels for just $1.99!

http://bookgorilla.com/deals

The Cooper and Fry Mystery Collection #1 is on offer for US readers to download until 18th May. 

Get the first three books in the Ben Cooper and Diane Fry series - Black Dog, Dancing with the Virgins and Blood on the Tongue - all together in one volume:

Amazon Kindle:
http://www.amazon.com/Cooper-Fry-Mystery-Collection-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00N81I6TU/

Barnes & Noble Nook:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-cooper-and-fry-mystery-collection-1-stephen-booth/1120303526?ean=9780062390431

Eleven more titles in the series are also available. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COOPER & FRY!

A happy birthday to Ben Cooper and Diane Fry.

Yes, May 2nd 2015 marks exactly 15 years since the first appearance in the world of the Derbyshire detective duo. This was the date my debut Cooper and Fry novel BLACK DOG was originally published in the UK by HarperCollins. 

Many more editions have followed in succeeding years - not to mention at least 14 more books in the Cooper & Fry series.

Along the way, BLACK DOG has sold many thousands of copies around the world, and continues to sell in substantial numbers 15 years later. It's the book which many new readers start with, as it gives an insight into the characters of Ben Cooper and Diane Fry and their complex relationship.

When it was first published, BLACK DOG won the Barry Award for Best British Crime Novel of the Year in the USA, and was a finalist for the Anthony Award for the Best First Mystery Novel. In the UK, it was named by the London Evening Standard as one of the six best crime novels of 2000 - the only book on their list by a British author. It's no exaggeration to say its publication changed my life. :)

To give you an idea of the history of this title, below are the covers of 24 different editions. Some of them are from the UK and USA, but there are also a number of translations, including five versions in German, plus editions from the Netherlands, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Japan. The range of interpretations is amazing!

Many of these editions are still available, of course, and there are even more to come. I hope the history of BLACK DOG will continue well into the future!

COULD YOU MURDER A GOOD BOOK?

Murder is on the menu this Saturday (17th January) at Storytellers Bookshop in Tuxford, Nottinghamshire.

This is a recently opened independent bookshop, and I'm delighted to be supporting their 'Murder a Good Book' promotion.

I'll be at Storytellers from 3pm for a public signing, followed by a talk at 4pm, when I'll be chatting about crime fiction and the Cooper & Fry series. If you're in the North Notts area, come along and spend an hour or two with fellow book lovers and enjoy a glass of wine at the same time!

Tickets for the talk are £5 including a glass of wine. To book a place, phone Paul Trickett on 01636 684672 or 07517 386350, email: paultrickett@hotmail.com or call in at the shop in Eldon Street, Tuxford. 

More confirmed dates for 2015 are on my website:

http://www.stephen-booth.com/events.htm

THE CORPSE BRIDGE NOW OUT IN THE USA

The latest release from Witness Impulse in the USA is the 14th Cooper & Fry novel THE CORPSE BRIDGE, out this week in ebook formats. 

A trade paperback edition is due out in February 2015. 

This brings US readers up to date with the Cooper & Fry series. 

http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062382429/the-corpse-bridge

"When it comes to murder, nothing is sacred… For centuries, mourners in Derbyshire have used the Corpse Bridge to cross the River Dove and reach their village burial grounds.

"When a developer plans to deconsecrate the land by turning it into a parking lot for his resort cottages, bodies begin to litter the road to the Corpse Bridge. 

"Are these warnings to stay away from the sacred plots - or something much, much worse: a terrifying serial killer at work? 

"After recuperating from a traumatic event, Detective Cooper is finally back at work, and he knows that solving the mystery of the Corpse Bridge is exactly what he needs to feel like himself again. 

"But if Cooper can't overcome his own personal demons and focus on the case, he could put everything - and everyone - he cares about at risk…"

THE DONCASTER READ

Doncaster Libraries have chosen the entire Cooper and Fry series as their 'Doncaster Read' for November and December 2014. This is the first time the promotion has consisted of more than one title, let alone 14 (not to mention that they're all written by the same author!). 

Throughout these two months, library users in the city will be encouraged to read a Cooper & Fry novel and share their views. Perhaps you'll want to read more than one?

More details of the Doncaster Read are here:

http://library.doncaster.gov.uk/web/arena/the-doncaster-read

Meanwhile, the enthusiastic staff at Doncaster Central Library have created a fun video to coincide with November's Doncaster Read. Click here to watch it and see how many Cooper and Fry titles you can spot!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YdvTRL3doY&feature=youtu.be

The Doncaster Read coincides with my signing at Waterstones bookshop in the Frenchgate Centre, Doncaster. But please note that the date for this has changed. I'll now be signing copies of the Cooper and Fry series at Waterstones on the afternoon of Saturday 6th December, from 2pm to 4pm. If you're in the area, why not come along and say 'hello', get your books signed - and pick up a few Christmas presents while you're there!    

UK EVENTS FOR AUTUMN 2014

I'm about to do my last event for the summer, but I start again in September - so I thought I'd post some advance details of dates coming up in the Autumn for the UK. 

This is what I have booked so far, though some of the details are still to be confirmed:

WEDNESDAY 10th SEPTEMBER, 7pm
Hinckley Library, Lancaster Road, Hinckley, Leicestershire LE10 0AT - talk to readers, with Q&A and book signing. Tickets £4 for library members, £8 for non-members (including refreshments). Phone 0116 305 2500 or email: hinckleylibrary@leics.gov.uk

WEDNESDAY 17th SEPTEMBER, 7.45pm
Sutton Village Hall, Nottinghamshire - talk to members of Sutton and Barnby Women's Institute.

THURSDAY 25th SEPTEMBER, 11.30am
Bertie's Banqueting Rooms, Brook Street, Elland, West Yorkshire HX5 9AW - NSPCC Literary Lunch (with Carol Ann Lee). Tickets £19.50 including two-course lunch and coffee. Proceeds to the NSPCC.

SUNDAY 5th OCTOBER, time tba
Barton's, 63 High Road, Chilwell, Nottingham NG9 4AJ - 'Not the Hay Festival' with New Writers UK. FREE event. Website: http://www.bartonsplc.co.uk/index.php/2012-01-23-22-20-20/not-the-hay-book-festival-nottingham

WEDNESDAY 15th OCTOBER, time tba
Galleries of Justice, High Pavement, The Lace Market, Nottingham NG1 1HN - Crime Day for Nottingham Festival of Words. Details to follow.

THURSDAY 23rd OCTOBER, time tbc
Derry Central Library, 35 Foyle Street, Londonderry, Northern Ireland BT48 6AL - talk to readers for October Crime Fest. Details to follow.

WEDNESDAY 5th NOVEMBER, 10.30am
Walsall Readers' Day, Forest Arts Centre, Hawbush Road, Leamore, Walsall, West Midlands WS3 1AG - with Annie Murray. Details to follow.

TUESDAY 9th DECEMBER, 7pm
Waterstone's, 27 Frenchgate Centre, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN1 1LJ - talk and signing.
Details to follow.