Been sitting on some big news for weeks that I’m finally allowed to announce. I’ve just signed a three-book deal with Penguin Random House. My latest book has some new characters and is set in County Durham. It involved about a year’s slog and not a little self-doubt along the way but I got there in the end and thankfully Emad Akhtar from Penguin really liked it. Of course the hard work on the second draft and the next two books starts here but for now here is the press release from Penguin. I'm off for a cold beer.
Penguin Press Release
Michael Joseph and Penguin Random House are delighted to announce the acquisition of a new crime series by Howard Linskey. Editor Emad Akhtar has bought World English Language rights for three novels in a deal with Philip Patterson of Marjacq Scripts Ltd.
The first book, to publish in 2015, follows journalist Tom Carney who returns home to the north-east of England after being suspended by the London tabloid he works for. Working with new local reporter Helen Norton, they investigate a string of disappearances of young girls in the area.
Working the same case, outcast Detective Constable Ian Bradshaw struggles with guilt for his past mistakes and the fear that the only thing this investigation will unravel is himself. When a body is found, everyone is shocked to learn it’s not one of the missing girls, but a decades-old corpse. The search for answers uncovers years of buried secrets, while in the present-day a killer who seems unstoppable must be brought to justice.
Emad Akhtar, Editor at Michael Joseph, says: “Right from the beginning I felt that this is a story that has everything you want in a crime novel. It’s a truly gripping plot, with characters you completely believe in, told in an unpredictable and hugely satisfying way. The balance between the cold and current cases was superbly handled and keeps the pages turning like very few books ever do. This is a brilliant new series by an author who will be a joy to publish.”
Author Howard Linskey says, “This is a story that I believed in from the beginning. Every author dreams of writing a book that is snapped up by a big publisher and for me that long-held dream is now a reality. It doesn’t get any bigger or more iconic than Penguin books. I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining them. ”
“I’m delighted that Emad Akhtar shares my enthusiasm for the story and characters and I’m really looking forward to working with him on the new series and finding out where the characters will go next.”
Philip Patterson of Marjacq Scripts added, "I am thrilled that Howard Linskey will be published by Penguin Random House. We have both been very impressed by Emad Akhtar's vision for the series and are looking forward to working with him."
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Howard Linskey’s first novel, The Drop, was voted one of the Top Five Thrillers of 2011 by The Times Newspaper. His second, The Damage, was a Top 12 Best Summer Read in the same newspaper. Both books reached the top five in the Amazon Kindle charts and the David Blake trilogy has been optioned for film by Harry Potter producer, David Barron.