2019 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year

The winner of the 2019 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year was announced at the on July 18.

  • Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh – Hachette

The prize celebrates the very best in crime fiction — UK and Irish crime authors whose novels were published in paperback from May 1, 2018 to April 30, 2019 were eligible.

Thirteen, a legal thriller,is scheduled for release in the U.S. in August by Flatiron Books.

It’s the murder trial of the century. And Joshua Kane has killed to get the best seat in the house – and to be sure the wrong man goes down for the crime. Because this time, the killer isn’t on trial. He’s on the jury.

The  award was presented at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, an event co-founded in 2003 by Val McDermid, agent Jane Gregory, and arts charity Harrogate International Festivals.

9 thoughts on “2019 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year

  1. Hah – I just finished reading this last night! It’s a very fine conceit and executed pretty well even if it descends into “tv procedural” at times (especially towards the end where suspension of disbelief is pushed pretty hard.)

  2. I realize one usually can’t copyright titles, but it seems poor form (and confusing) to use a title, particularly one as distinctive as this, that was the name of a novel by Richard K. Morgan not that long ago.

  3. @Bob Roehm

    Richard K. Morgan’s book wasn’t published under that title in the UK — it was originally called Black Man. No duplication of title as far as UK publishing is concerned.

    Mind you I wouldn’t consider a number as steeped in folklore as “Thirteen” a particularly distinctive title, either! I was far more thrown by two books out in the same year both called The Fifth Season.

  4. The title re-use I remember best was “Taltos”, used both by Brust and Rice. You wouldn’t think two novels in English would use the same single Hungarian word as a title.

  5. @Bob —

    Books titled Thirteen since Morgan:

    — Richard Morgan 2007
    — Lauren Myracle 2008
    — Kelley Armstrong 2012
    — James Phelan 2012
    — Shannon Peel 2013
    — Tom Hoyle 2014
    — Yusei Matsui 2015

    And probably others!

    (I do see what you mean about substituting letters for the 1 and 3; OTOH, Morgan’s title subbed the 3 for the second “e”, not the first.)

  6. Bob Roehm says I realize one usually can’t copyright titles, but it seems poor form (and confusing) to use a title, particularly one as distinctive as this, that was the name of a novel by Richard K. Morgan not that long ago.

    And don’t make the assumption that everyone in publishing is steeped in what every aspect of publishing is doing. I’d not expect mystery publishers to necessarily be well versed in SF publishing titles. Hell, I’ve seen the same title come out for multiple mysteries in the same year. In that genre, the writer is very much what sells s book, so titles don’t matter as much.

  7. Ah, I did not notice that a different E had been switched to a 3 in Cavanaugh’s book. “Well, that’s different,” says Emily Litella. “Never mind!”

  8. I see this is listed as “Eddie Flynn Book 3” – does anyone know if it works as a stand-alone, or does it only make sense if you’ve read books 1 & 2?

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