Bloody Scotland 2018

So Presumed Dead didn't make the shortlist for the McIlvanney Prize, which was fine because several other authors I admire didn't make it either, which is testament to the strength of the list. On the night, the very worthy winner was Liam McIlvanney for The Quaker.

Some diary conflicts made it a flying visit for me this year, but even though I arrived late Friday and left late Saturday, I was able to pack a surprising amount into twenty-four hours. It was as wonderful as always to catch up with the usual suspects and meet some new faces. I even got to be defeated by Val McDermid's team for the second time this year in the quiz.

As always, it was a fantastic operation ably run by Bob McDevitt and team. Anyway, here's some of my pictorial highlights...

McIlvanney Prize longlisting

So pleased to report that Presumed Dead has been longlisted for the 2018 McIlvanney Prize!

It joins a stellar lineup of books from authors including Craig Robertson, James Oswald, Chris Brookmyre and Caro Ramsay.

You can read the full announcement on the Bloody Scotland website. The shortlist is announced later this summer, but in the meantime I'm very happy that the new book is in such great company. Big congratulations to everyone else who made the list.