Another top collection of globe-spanning crime scribes arrive at the Book Festival with blood on their laptops and some new page-turners
The Edinburgh International Book Festival is a haven for literature lovers, with every kind of genre and interest you can imagine represented in the always excellent programme of events. This year, you'll be able to find around 1000 authors and over 800 events, with everything from poetry to fiction and comics to cabaret on the bill. But in amongst the Nobel prize-winners, scientists, illustrators, storytellers and musicians, the 2017 programme features an exciting array of crime authors who will be bringing their latest works to the Book Festival for discussions, signings and more. If you love the suspense of an action-packed crime novel, this fine selection of writers should be on your radar this August.
Yrsa Sigurdardóttir
Nationality: Icelandic Latest book:The Legacy Setting: Reykjavik Cause of death: A Hoover Crime solver: Detective Huldar Their flaw: Over-promoted and not great at relationships, especially with Freya Sidekick: Freya, child psychologist The weather: It can probably best be described as typically Icelandic When the first victim arrives: Page 24 Author's other job: Civil engineer Event: 24 Aug (with Kate London), 3.45pm, £8 (£6).
Paula Hawkins
Nationality: English, Zimbabwe-raised Latest book: Into the Water Setting: The town of Beckford Cause of death: Drowning Crime solver: Jules Abbott, the victim's sister Their flaw: Fear of water after a near-drowning two decades prior Sidekick: A sprawling, Broadchurchian cast of 11 The weather: Halcyon summer sunshine When the first victim arrives: Page 1 Author's other job: Former business journalist Event: 12 Aug, 6.45pm, £12 (£10).
Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich
credit: Nina Subin Nationality: American Latest book: The Fact of a Body Setting: Louisiana, 2003 Cause of death: This is the true crime tale of a murdered child Crime solver: The author Their flaw: Her personal reaction to a child molester on death row Sidekick: Author's forensic attention to detail The weather: 'The temperature dips at night' When the first victim arrives: Page 4 Author's other job: Teacher at Harvard Event: 12 Aug, 8.45pm, £12 (£10).
Omar Robert Hamilton
credit: Sam Waxman Nationality: Egyptian Latest book:The City Always Wins Setting: Cairo, during the 2011 Arab Spring Cause of death: Extra-judicial military killings Crime solver: Mariam and Khalil, activist filmmakers Their flaw: An inquisitive nature Sidekick: Each other The weather: 'Cairo is jazz … the heat of New Orleans' When the first victim arrives: Page 1 Author's other job: Palestine Festival of Literature co-founder Event: 18 Aug (with Aleš Šteger), 3.30pm, £8 (£6).
Volker Kutscher
credit: Monika Sandel Nationality: German Latest book: The Silent Death Setting: Berlin, 1930 Cause of death: A falling spotlight on a film set Crime solver: Inspector Gereon Rath Their flaw: The shadow of impending Nazism Sidekick: Hapless detectives Plisch and Plum The weather: A brisk Berliner luft When the first victim arrives: Page 7 Author's other job: Former newspaper editor Event: 21 Aug (with Eva Dolan), 10.15am, £12 (£10).
Val McDermid
credit: Fraser Rice Nationality: Scottish Latest book: Insidious Intent Setting: North of England, including the Yorkshire Dales Cause of death: Strangulation Crime solver: DCI Carol Jordan and psychological profiler Tony Hill Their flaw: Tony's talent usually takes him perilously close to the killer's mind Sidekick: Each other The weather: It's certainly grim up north When the first victim arrives: Dead before the book begins Author's other job: Director of Raith Rovers Event: 22 Aug, 5pm, £12 (£10).
Arne Dahl
credit: Sara Arnald Nationality: Swedish Latest book:Watching You Setting: Stockholm Cause of death: Unknown as the corpse is missing Crime solver: Detective Sam Berger Their flaw: The murders may be sending a message to him Sidekick: Police colleague Desire 'Deer' Rosenkvist The weather: 'A summer's day, the sort that comes all too rarely' When the first victim arrives: Page 16 Author's other job: Being critic and journalist Jan Arnald Event: 26 Aug (with Michel Bussi), 7pm, £8 (£6).
Kaite Welsh, journalist and critic, presents a brilliant new historical crime series set in the underworld of Victorian Edinburgh and featuring the medic-detective, Sarah Gilchrist. Abir Mukherjee offers a second turn for Captain Sam Wyndham and ‘Surrender-Not’ Banerjee of the Calcutta Police Force. The first in the…
The Fact of a Body is an enthralling piece of non-fiction storytelling. Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich came face to face with a child murderer on death row during a law internship. A fierce opponent of the death penalty, she was shocked to find herself overcome by the urge to see him dead. Digging deeper into the man’s…
Two bestselling crime writers at the top of their game discuss character and assassination. In Eva Dolan's fourth Zigic and Ferreira investigation, a trans woman has been murdered. Was it a hate crime or a case of mistaken identity? Meanwhile, German author Volker Kutscher transports us back to 1930s Berlin. Investigating…
The vulnerability of young girls is the sad heart that beats through new novels from ex-Met detective turned author Kate London and bestselling Icelandic crime writer Yrsa Sigurdardottir. The former’s Death Message begins in 1987 with a missing 15 year old. In the latter’s The Legacy, a 10 year old is the only witness to…
Black Water Lilies by bestselling French author Michel Bussi is named after a rumoured Monet masterpiece, which seems to be a magnet for murder. Sweden’s Arne Dahl, whose novels have already been translated into over 30 languages, launches a new series with Watching You, where a serial killer seems to be toying with his…
You had to be there. In his debut novel, Omar Robert Hamilton's The City Always Wins is a pen-portrait of intensity as two ordinary people are caught up in an extraordinary moment trying to change the world. The forces of good and evil also collide in another debut, Absolution, by Slovenia's greatest contemporary writer…
The Girl on the Train was not only a huge number one bestseller in 2015 (smashing all manner of Dan Brown-shaped chart records), it also became a massive success in cinemas a year later. Zimbabwe-born Paula Hawkins’s second novel, Into the Water, has had fans turning pages at a furious pace as her central character Jules…
The Fife crime legend is back with more adventures for Tony Hill and Carol Jordan. Insidious Intent (published in December) will have pulses racing once again as the pair investigate new and old cases, which aren't as straightforward as they seem. Val McDermid also talks about Out of Bounds, her latest DCI Karen Pirie…
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