We are thrilled that Alan Parks’ THE APRIL DEAD, the fourth book in the Harry McCoy series, has been longlisted for the Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2021.
Also longlisted are THE CUT by Chris Brookmyre, THE SILENT DAUGHTER by Emma Christie, BEFORE THE STORM by Alex Gray, DEAD MAN’S GRAVE by Neil Lancaster, THE COFFIN MAKER’S GARDEN by Stuart MacBride, STILL LIFE by Val McDermid, BAD DEBT by William McIntyre, THE LESS DEAD by Denise Mina, HOW TO SURVIVE EVERYTHING by Ewan Morrison, THE EDGE OF THE GRAVE by Robbie Morrison, HYDE by Craig Russell and WAKING THE TIGER by Mark Wightman.
The winner of the £1,000 prize will be revealed in Stirling and online on 17th September during the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival.
THE APRIL DEAD was published by Canongate in hardback in March 2021 and was a chosen as a Times Crime Book of the Month and was a Sunday Times Crime Club Star Pick. Europa publish in the US and the Harry McCoy series has been translated into 9 languages.
In a grimy flat in Glasgow, a homemade bomb explodes, leaving few remains to identify its maker.
Detective Harry McCoy knows in his gut that there'll be more to follow. The hunt for a missing sailor from the local US naval base leads him to the secretive group behind the bomb, and their disturbing, dominating leader.
On top of that, McCoy thinks he's doing an old friend a favour when he passes on a warning, but instead he's pulled into a vicious gang feud. And in the meantime, there's word another bigger explosion is coming Glasgow's way – so if the city is to survive, it'll take everything McCoy's got…
Praise for the Harry McCoy series
‘The meticulously described setting is so suggestive readers may even catch whiffs of stale cigarette smoke and patchouli. Fans of Scottish noir will be satisfied.’ ― Publishers Weekly
‘Parks’ sprawling plot offers not tidy whodunit puzzles but a wide-angle view of a gritty city in the grip of crime, home to an entertaining cross section of characters. Broad-shouldered McCoy is suitably unflappable as he walks Glasgow’s mean streets.’ ― Kirkus Reviews
‘Parks captures the feel of a city long vanished in a breathless and tense retro crime caper.’ ― The Sun
‘A series that no crime fan should miss: dangerous, thrilling, but with a kind voice to cut through the darkness.’ ― Scotsman
‘Pitch-black tartan noir, set in 70s Glasgow . . . Compelling . . . with an emotional heart that’s hard to ignore.’ ― Daily Mail
Photo: Euan Robertson
About Alan Parks
Alan was born in Scotland and attended The University of Glasgow where he was awarded a M.A. in Moral Philosophy. He has worked in the music industry for over twenty years. His debut novel BLOODY JANUARY was shortlisted for the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière in France and FEBRUARY’S SON was nominated for an Edgar Award in the US. He still lives and works in the city that is so vividly depicted in the 1970s setting of his Harry McCoy thrillers.
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